Another Braking issue, pulling to one side

Another Braking issue, pulling to one side

I have a 93 Corolla with 186k miles on the clock. It's been a great car. I am running Michelin Hydroedge for last 30k.
25k miles ago it sat for a month and the calipers were suck bad. I replaced the calipers and rebuilt the slides on the bracket; added new pads with Brembos rotors. Within a month I noticed it pulling to the driver’s side under hard braking. This progressively got worse but never undriveable for under normal braking it wasn’t really noticeable. I notice heavy amounts of brake dust on the driver’s side wheel. I pulled the caliper and it slide back and forth fine. I check for crimped brake lines; it all checked out ok. The problem continued. I had the alignment check at it was fine with no uneven wear on the tires.
Last week I replaced the both calipers and pads. The pulling seemed to be gone but it developed after a week but not as bad as before but I am sure with some time it will be just as bad.
Could it be the Master cylinder, or a brake booster ????(neighbors brake booster died on his Lumina and lock one wheel up solid)?
Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Lance

You've replaced the calipers so you seem to know how to work on em...but I wanna ask what kind of grease you've used for the slides in the caliper and the bracket.

Other than that I'de check your lines, make sure the pass side isn't kinked

Also check your rear shoes just to be safe, make sure they are both adjusted the same...but since the problem got better when you replaced the calipers I'm not too sure the rear shoes are the problem...but a possiblity.

Any vibration? How bad is the pull? Does it get progressivly worse or is it staying at a certain level right now?

Have you bled the brakes? checked for air in the lines?


Usually I'de suspect a siezed caliper but you've replaced them twice...seems unlikely...sucks

There's not much I won't work on with it but a lot it I have never needed to touch. Secondly I have a mech. friend at the Toyota dealer that helps me when I get suck.
He was the one that went over the rear brakes and adjusted them. I did the brake work at his shop so the grease was his, ao I don't know exactly what it was, he just handed to me. He thought is was the calipers and then the lines but he found all lines OK> He doesn't really know and now it comes down to replace parts until resolved. $$$$ He helped me bleed the brake very well. No vibrations, it's rather smooth and quite.

The pulling is at the beginning of the pedal and most noticeable at highway speeds. It pulls hard enough that at 55mpg I have to readjust my steering. Interestly though, if I stop normally it doesn't pull, or so little I am use to it by now, but I really notice it at 55+ when someone cuts me off in rush hour traffic. I have tried back roads testing stops. (long open road, no cars ever)
At 45, hard braking, no hands; it pulls the car a 1/2 a car over the double yellow.
At 45 normal to soft braking; it pulls the car just touching the double yellow.
This road is a two lane road so there are many varieables like the slop of the road but I am just trying to get a gauge since severity is very subjective.

Secondly I notice with this last snow fall that the drivers front tire locks up pretty quick compared to the other tires. Not sure if that means anything.
It just seems like the driver's front is doing more than it's share of the braking.

Thanks

how much exp. does your friend have, I gotta say, as a tech, I would never recommend "throwing" parts at a problem or just replacing to see if that's what's wrong.

Sometimes you have to do this but ONLY on a highly educated guess...but never a, well let's try this since it's part of the system. And obviously this tactic has not worked, you still have the problem. Unfortunatly this seems like a "buddy" job so you can't really complain to him to much as to the problems resolution.

I wouldn't replace calipers unless you pulled them and worked them by hand, you should be able to get the to slide very easily with the pads out of the caliper. If no go then pull the pins..if rusted beyond repair...replace.

Just .02 on that,

Your pull is nothing normal at all...now you mentioned the rear brakes being adjusted...it is possible that is your problem area.

Your rear shoes actually grab first under braking, your proportioning valve (or similar mech.) hold off the fronts...this is why on the tundra, if the rears aren't adjusted correctly you get really fast front pad wear or siezed rear drums (two extremes) otherwise the fronts wear normally (65-80K) and the rears just need a slight adjust around 60-70.

Start with what was going on before anything was messed with...did it pull before the rear brake adjust? Under heavy braking the rears will apply and then (via the design of rear shoes) they will lock up (they naturally grab tighter due to their shape).

But this seems to me to be another sort of extreme. a good test is to pull your tires off the rear, and spin the drum...compare one side to the other...see if one side spins more freely or if one doesn't spin at all.

Of course you also mentioned that the drivers side tire locks pretty quickly...brakes are for the most part, simple hydrolic design...especially since you don't have abs. Hmmm...I'm unsure of what kind of split the lines do (some cars have the drivers front and pass rear on one line...and visa versa ends on a different line)

I really hate saying this but if the lines are good and the calipers are good, I'm not sure..I don't really think your master cylinder would be the problem...though theoretically it could be. I'm certain if I was looking at the car it would come to me...it just seems like your pass side isn't grabbing, that's the route I would take...maybe the problem lies on the pass side...since brakes SHOULD grabe and the drivers side does...did your friend check ALL the lines? I keep wanting to suspect the rear shoes...but I dunno...

ALSO if grease got on the rear shoes or front pads...this would prevent that side from grabbing...also if brake fluid leaked onto pads or shoes, it would do the same.

I can't give you specifics as I would need to visually inspect it myself, I'm really just trying to give you some ideas of what it could be, sorry I can't be more help...

Any one else have similar prob? And with a resoultion?