Procedure 6 & 7: Brake Imbalance and Miscellaneous
Procedure 6: Brake Imbalance1. Spin the front tires to make sure the front hubs are unlocked. If the front hubs are unlocked, the axle shaft will not rotate with the hubs.
2. Check the front wheel rotational drag with warm/hot brakes:
a. Make a series of 10 stops from 30 mph (48 km/h)
b. Make the 10 stops with no more than 30 second intervals between stops. This will induce a maximum pull if there is a drift/pull problem with the brakes.
c. Raise the front end of the vehicle so that both tires are off the ground.
d. Rotate the front wheels by hand.
Both tires should rotate the same amount with little brake drag occurring. Some brake drag will naturally be present.
3. If excessive brake drag is noticed in step 2, proceed with the following steps.
a. Open the bleed screw on the affected wheel to check for residual pressure in the brake lines. If there is a squirt of brake fluid from the bleeder screw and the drag is reduced or eliminated, the master cylinder may not be allowing the brake fluid to return to the reservoir.
b. Check the master cylinder push rod adjustment. Refer to the Workshop Manual, Section P-05 for details.
c. Check the brake pedal to determine if it is fully returning.
4. Remove both calipers and check piston retraction using a "C" clamp and wooden block. The piston should easily move back into the bore under the force of the clamp. If not, rebuild or replace.
5. If steps 1 through 4 have not determined the cause of the pull, swap rotors and linings from the left side to the right side.
NOTE:
The tab clearance should be checked and modified if necessary. (See steps 7 and 8 in Symptiom "A" Drift/Pull While Braking.
6. Test drive the vehicle by making at least 10 stops from 40 mph. If there is no change in drift while braking, the problem is not with the front brakes.
7. Check the rear brakes:
a. Remove the rear wheels and brake drums.
b. Check for contaminates (e.g. grease, axle lube, leaking brake fluid, etc.) on the brake components.
c. Check for broken components, frozen parking brake cables and improperly installed parts.
d. Check the brake shoe diameter using the brake Shoe Adjustment Gauge (D81L-1103-A).
e. If either side is out of specification, check for proper function of the adjusting mechanism and repair or replace as required.
8. Check the rear wheel cylinders using the following method:
a. Remove one of the brake drums.
b. Have someone apply the brakes and watch for movement of one of the brake shoes on the other wheel.
c. Reapply the brakes while holding the shoe that moved in place.
d. The opposite shoe should now move. If no movement is observed, repair or replace the wheel cylinder.
e. Reinstall the drum and repeat the procedure for the other rear brake.
9. If the condition still exists, swap the rear shoes from left to right and drive the vehicle.
10. If the drift is significantly reduced, replace the rear linings. If the drift/pull is not significantly reduced, proceed to the next procedure.
Procedure 7: Miscellaneous
1. Check for loose, damaged, or excessively worn parts.
2. Visually inspect the front suspension for loose or worn components (e.g. points, radius arm bushings, radius arm attachments at the axle and frame, alignment adjusters, steering linkage, etc.).
3. Repair or replace as needed.
Labor Operation
SYMPTOM "B" WARRANTY INFORMATION
(Applies to vehicles covered under warranty.)
Warranty Type Code: A
Customer Comment Code: 32
Damage Code: 9H
Part No. of Main Cause: 5555 FE 001