when braking the car moves left and right.

[doribak]

got a problem when braking the car moves left and right in the lane and doesn't keep in straight line.

what can be the cause?

[oestek]

Several things come to mind..

- Is this a front drum brake car? Are they adjusted properly?
- Are your front suspension bushings worn out?
- Subframe tight?
- Worn out ball joints, tie rod ends, centerlink?
- Loose steering box?
- Wide tires?
- Alignment specs?

Just a few things to check..

[oestek]

Don't forget wheel bearings, too!

[John Wright]

Kevin covered just about everything...post back up when you find out is causing your troubles.

[BonzoHansen]

add brake hoses to that list.

[John Wright]

add brake hoses to that list.
good idea Scott!....seen those old factory 35+ year old hoses look great but be partially collapsed inside. Some would be blocked completely so that no fluid would get to the caliper and others let fluid through but hold the pressure making the caliper seem like it was sticking. Weird stuff with old brake hoses.

[doribak]

Several things come to mind..

- Is this a front drum brake car? Are they adjusted properly? discs all around.
- Are your front suspension bushings worn out. all new from energy suspension
- Subframe tight? i guess :naughty:
- Worn out ball joints, tie rod ends, centerlink? not sure about that...
- Loose steering box? will check this out.
- Wide tires? 235/45/17 not so wide...
- Alignment specs? another thing to check out... but its only when i'm brakeing the sails like a boat...

Just a few things to check..

my answers in red, this is my car might help a bit.
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif
https://static1.pt-content.com/images/noimg.gif

Thanks!

[JRouche]

Do you feel it in the steering wheel or does the car wander without much feedback through the wheel. And how does the pedal feel? No pulsing? Kinda sounds like its toeing out. But you would have some twitchy steering in the turns too. It handles fine during driving except when you brake?

I think, not sure, when you brake you put alot of force on the front tires to spread (toe out). If the toe setting is off to begin with then the added toe out will cause the car to wander. As you brake the tires will toe out and one of them (left or right) tire will toe out further and cause the car to steer in that direction. And as it does, it causes the opposite tire thats already fighting for the car to turn in its direction gets more grip because its now the outside tire. So it gets more grip on the road and pulls the car over to its side. And then the left side becomes the outside tire in a turn (yeah, small turn but it still has the same effect) and it pulls the car back to the left. And that goes on and on till you lighten up the load on the front (reduced braking or speed).

Dunno, just a thought. Oh, and a loose steering system (box and links) will allow that to happen without much feedback to the steering wheel and allow the front to wallow around like that. JR

[CamaroAJ]

a warped rotor can cause this as well.

and is it just me or the way the car is on the lift but the springs look like there not in the pocket.

[MrQuick]

look at the toe....seems strange.

too much in perhaps.
vince

[fishtail8]

I'm curious about the road condition as well as the above mentioned. Almost sounds like it could have been tracking between ruts in the road? Find a non-rutted road, or a nice big flat parking lot and see if it happens there?

I'm only running a 225/45/17 front and it tracks in the ruts.

[CarlC]

What kind of car is this?

On a flat surface what is the distance from the ground to the center of the sphere in the ball joint and the distance from the ground to the center of the forward lower control arm bolt?

[MrQuick]

looks like a 69 firebird.
btw that frame got wacked hard.

vince

[avewhtboy]

Check the axle U bolts on the leaf springs, if they are loose the axle can twist during breaking and acceleration.