My Car Pulls to One Side – is there a Problem with the Brakes?

Posted: Aug 01, 2012
Author: Country Town Tire & Auto Service Center

When a vehicle pulls to one side, the problem usually lies with the front tires or the front brakes. In case you don’t know, the front tires control steering, and the front brakes work a lot harder than the back brakes – in fact, they do about 75 percent of braking. So, if you’ve got a “pulling” problem, it’s important to establish the cause.

Start by checking the pressure in the front tires. One tire may have more air than the other – an uneven amount of air can cause pulling.

Drive on a level road and relax your grip from the steering wheel slightly for a second or two. Does the car pull to the left or the right? This test will confirm that the vehicle pulls even when you’re not using the brakes, in which case the pulling problem could be due to misalignment of the wheels. (Note that a slight drift to the right is normal and is often used as a safety feature in case something happens to you behind the wheel.)

Another Test

• Park the vehicle on level ground. Loosen the front wheels and jack up the front end of the vehicle.
• Remove the front tires, so that the brakes are exposed.

• Examine the brakes by rubbing your finger across both discs to feel for brake fluid, grease or other oily substances. (Very Important: Wait for the discs to cool down before doing this).

Brake Hose: If one of the brake hoses clogs, an equal amount of brake fluid won’t reach both tires. This can result in one of the brakes sticking, or one brake working better than the other. In both cases, pulling can occur.