Why Does My Car Pull to the Right When Braking?

Your brakes are your vehicle’s most important safety feature—if anything goes wrong with them, you and your passengers are more susceptible to accidents and injury. Staying on top of your vehicle and brake maintenance is important to your safety. When you notice that your car starts pulling to the right when braking, your mechanic may diagnose it as an alignment issue. However, it’s just as likely that the problem could lie within your brakes. Here’s how to tell if you need brake caliper repair.

A difference in braking force

Your car may pull to the right when you’re braking due to a difference in braking force. When your brakes are exerting equal force on the wheels, you should stop in a straight line. When one brake is exerting more force than the other, however, your car will pull in one direction while you’re braking. That’s because one side is slowing down more than the other. This problem is usually limited to the front brakes. When left unchecked, this can wear your brakes down faster and create a safety issue.

What would cause one side of the brakes to wear out faster?

There are several reasons one side of your brakes may wear faster. First, you might have a damaged brake pad on one side. Some low-quality brake pads will crack when they undergo significant strain. The crack will get deeper as you continue to drive your vehicle, which reduces the amount of surface area available to create friction. That wheel will lose performance capacity and cause your car to pull to the side when you brake.

Another reason your brakes may pull to the side is because of problems with the calipers. Calipers and brake pads squeeze the wheel when you brake, causing enough friction to slow and then stop your car. If there are any issues with the calipers—whether they’re poorly maintained, dirty or unlubricated—they won’t be able to squeeze the wheel with the same amount of force as the other wheels. This causes the vehicle to pull to one side.

Finally, there may be an issue with the hydraulic braking system. Your brake system uses hydraulics to transfer pressure from the brake pedal to the calipers and wheels. If you notice that you have to push harder on your brakes than normal, that could be a sign that hydraulic issues are to blame. Sometimes brake lines can get damaged or collapse completely, or the valves and seals can cause the car to pull to one side.

If you notice that your car is pulling to one side when you brake, it’s important that you get it checked out right away. It could always be an alignment problem—but if your mechanic says that’s not the case, make sure you get the brakes themselves inspected. It’s crucial to your safety.

For assistance with brake caliper repair, brake hydraulics and brake pad replacement, call Dana’s Tire Center to schedule a service appointment or stop by today for assistance.

Categorised in: Brake Service

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