The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area General Truck Talk Brakes pull to right - any ideas?

When I push the brake pedal to stop, the truck pulls hard to the right. If you don't have your hand on the wheel the truck will literally end up in the ditch!!!

I know very little about brakes so any help would be appreciated. The truck is a '54 3600.

Thanks!

Steve

A leaking wheel cyl. will put oil on the linings
making them worthless. pull the front? drum and inspect the linings. replace the wheel cyl befor you re line the brakes or you will gain nothing

There is probably grease or brake fluid leaking on the right front brake. Someone needs to pull the front drums & inspect the brakes. Other possibilities are stuck wheel cyl. pistons or swollen brake hoses.

Start at the beginning! Pull both front drums and have a look. Besides the previous ideas, it could be that the right front is working fine but the left isn't working at all! Pull both fronts and have a look. Either have somebody experienced do it or report back here what you find and we can proceed from there.

Your truck is a republican. How severe it moves right will determine if it is a compassionate conservative or a far right winger. Remember though it is better to swerve away from on coming traffic than into it, in most cases.

Wheel cylinder would be my first suspect, followed by a mechanical issue inside the drum.

My '54 3100 had exactly the same problem. After a complete brake rebuild (my first and it turned out fine - which means any goof can do it) the problem was solved. Everything was rebuilt - wheel cylinders, new shoes, new springs. Good luck!

If you are interested in working on it yourself, I'd recommend a Haynes manual. You can pick one up at Barnes & Noble. Mine is for mid-seventies to late eighties Chevy trucks. The brakes on my '54 were exactly like the ones in the book. I looked at the pictures, followed the instructions, and got it done.

if your gonna replace the wheel cylinder replace them all and the brake shoes and lines if they are old and you will be happy with the results

I had the same problem. Turns out it was sezied wheel cylinder. Good luck.
Colin

One more possibility to throw into the mix. On my truck that problem was caused a bad brake hose on one front wheel. replacing the hose took care of the problem entirely

Besure to check your shocks, a broken shock can cause you truck to pull to the side with the bad shock.

Wheel alinment will also cause a pull when braking. Check your front end from brakes to bearings to ball joints, (or king pins)
My experiance with leeking wheel cyls, is the offending wheel locks when braking.

Tire pressure could cause some pulling but you seem to have a mechanical problem. Sounds like tear down time.