my s10 chevy truck rearend pulls hard to the right when brakes are applied?

Question

I have had the brakes adjusted several times... only to find in a week its back out.. someone told me it might be the front caliper not working ..

Answer 1

Well, typically when a vehicle pulls in one direction one looks to a failure of the braking system on the opposite side. The reason is quite simple. The side with the good brake does slow down, and the side with the bad one doesn't--so it seems to pull toward the side that is slowing.

Probably the reason that someone suggested a front caliper failure is that the front brakes do 70-80 percent of the braking on most cars, and again the reason is simple. When you apply the brakes weight shifts forward onto the fron axle. Accordingly, if the car pulls hard in one direction the more likely culprit is a front brake as it has the most effect.

Answer 2

Frequently, on rear-drive vehicles, if the rear brake is grabbing, it's an indication of a failing wheel bearing.

The bearing allows the axle shaft to move excessively, allowing the oil from the axle housing to leak out at the end of the axle.

This oil then finds itself on the brake itself, which leads to the brake grabbing.

To check, simply raise the truck at the wheel, remove the wheel, and the brake drum, and look for evidence of a leak, which should show as an oily deposit below the axle on the backing plate.

If you find a leak, you'll need to replace the wheel bearing, AND the axle seal on that side. Additionally, you should replace the contaminated brake shoes.

Answer 3

More than likely it is a brake that is not working on the left. or it could be a leaking weel cylnder or axel seal on the right rear. but it could also be a right front caliper that is seized. But come to think of it it could be a bad brake hose, or bad porportioning valve.