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TR2/3/3A TR3A braking question

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T

TFR

Jedi Trainee
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Ever since I rebuilt my 60 TR3A the car pulls to the left when braking. I tried bleeding the calipers and they seem to be void of air. It still pulls to the left. The shoes are okay. The calipers seem to be working. Just replaced the rear shoes and this didn't help.
I'm assuming it works like a military tank and when the left brakes crab and the right do not it turns to the left?

Does anyone have any suggestions on this type of repair or experience in finding the cure. It can be dangerous if you hit the brakes while not tightly securing the steering wheel.
 
I would check for stuck piston(s) on the right side caliper.
 
:iagree:

Or a collapsed/blocked hose...
 
If some fool has turned one of the rear drums to a significantly different diameter than the other, the result can be a pull to one side. This is a much bigger problem with drums on the front, but can be noticeable on the rear. Check the other suggestions first.
 
Hopefully this is not the problem; but I once had a 3A that started pulling severely to the left when braking. I didn't realize just how severe it was until I had to brake hard one day, and couldn't keep it from jumping the divider! It's problem turned out to be that the front suspension had partially pulled loose from the frame and was deflecting under the force of braking. Oddly enough, the alignment shop did not spot this.

Could also be contaminated pads or shoes; or a stuck piston on the left caliper (as well as right).

But my experience has been that rear brake problems don't pull the wheel that much, so it sounds like your problem is probably front brakes or suspension.
 
My TR8 just went through this after a brake re-do. I did what I thought was a great job replacing the pads and tidying up the area. The first drive had the car pulling very hard to the right.

I bled the brakes.....same thing. I bought a new bottle of fluid and an auto bleeder and pulled a full can through the system...no change.

Finally took the pads back out and cleaned the pistons and seating area of the pads. Carefully re-assembled....and now they are perfect.

A small amount of stuff interfering with the piston / pad can create more of a problem than I thought.
 
TR3driver said:
Hopefully this is not the problem; but I once had a 3A that started pulling severely to the left when braking. I didn't realize just how severe it was until I had to brake hard one day, and couldn't keep it from jumping the divider! It's problem turned out to be that the front suspension had partially pulled loose from the frame and was deflecting under the force of braking. Oddly enough, the alignment shop did not spot this.
Click to expand...

Another reason to get under neath and look.... My TR8 lost the top bolt on the front left caliper. Every time I applied the brakes, the caliper assembly would move forward...release and the assembly dropped back. This cycle continued until the solid pipe between the caliper and the shock tube snapped and applying brake pressure just spit fluid on the ground.....

It did this while I was exiting a freeway at 70MPH with my daughter in the passenger seat. Another reason to make sure you <span style="text-decoration: underline">emergency brake</span> is doing what it is supposed to :wink:
 
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