Something is wrong with my front end
 

I have no idea what it is, I've given everything a firm tug and I can't find anything so I thought I'd ask here and see if anyone had or has a similar problem.

When I get on the gas, the car goes straight perfectly. When I lift, the car ever so slightly pulls towards the left. Its like something is wrong in the front end when it dips down. Cruising down the freeway the pull is also there, its VERY minor but it is annoying and it makes me think something is wrong.

What the problem definitely is NOT, is the alignment. I threw it on the rack at work, and the numbers are PERFECT (kind of surprising since I havn't done an alignment in over a year).

Tie rod end boots are torn, but the tie rods themselves are super tight and I have replacement boots waiting to go in, unless I buy r pkg tie rod ends. The upper control arm ball joint boots are also torn, but I feel no play in the ball joints. The wheel bearings from what I can tell, also feel tight.

Anyone have this happen to them? Sorry if something doesn't make sense I am slightly intoxicated.

When did this start? How does your tire wear look? Tire pressures? Best to check the obvious first.

Started a couple months ago. Tire wear looks alright, I'm going to rotate em and see if anything changes. Tire pressures are all at 28 exactly.

it is NOT your front end

it is your REAR end

when you're off the gas, the car slightly pulls towards the side with the STICKING REAR CALIPER

when you're on the gas, the torsen compensates for the added torque required for the caliper, and thus, your car goes straight

Take your car out for a drive, then feel the rear wheels, the warm wheel is on the side with the sticking brake caliper

To fix, remove the caliper in question (leave brake line attached)

remove the bolt which covers the caliper adjustement fitting

if possible, remove the caliper adjustment deal with your allen key (angle the key between your thumb and index finger, and carefully slide it out) don't worry if you can't pull it out

fill the adjustment hole with brake fluid, re-insert adjustment key, and work the key back and fourth a full turn about 10,000,000 times

Re-install brake caliper, adjust the adjustment key to fit

your e-brake may still cause the caliper to stick for a couple days, but eventually working it back and forth, as well as a couple heat cycles, will free it back up.

I'm going to say its not the rear end based on the fact that I adjusted the rear calipers like 5 days ago. And before that a month ago. Wheels spin freely. If anything, the adjustment was loose.

I'm going to quadruple check every suspension component in a minute. After I eat this delicious sandwich.

The problem is you.

You may have the body of a horse, but you have the brain of a retard. Check your brakes like your god Fooger says

Happened to him, happened to me... All hail Fooger

I don't understand how I can back the adjustment screw all the way out and the caliper piston is obviously capable of going ALL THE WAY IN, but somehow you guys believe my rear brakes are sticking. I put pads in like a month ago, pistons went all the way in, and the problem was present before that.


Coming from you :rofl:

Tire pull, do the rotation.

RS3s are directional so I rotated them front to back. I THINK the pull is still there, which would make sense even if it was tires.

The torsen is the only part of the car that can make a difference on how the car handles under light load vs. no load. If it was your front end, the car would pull to the left under no-throttle, and it would also pull to the left under light throttle, and heavy throttle, and while having a 747 pushing it from behind.

Your brake sticking is a function of your e-brake lever (lever on the caliper) and associated internal workings.

You can't screw the adjustment key all the way out, but the only thing holding it "in" is light friction. If you turn the caliper so that the key faces down and hit it lightly a couple times with a rubber mallet, that key will probably fall on the floor. It's a black cylinder about an inch long and...maybe 3/8ths of an inch in diameter. I've pulled mine out by simply applying a light lever action on the allen wrench while carefully pulling it out.

Your pistons can have sex with the caliper all year long, and it's not going to fix the sticky internal workings of the e-brake, no matter how far he goes into her or pulls out.

If you don't believe me, go drive at/above 55mph for 2 or 3 minutes, then get out and feel each of your rear wheels - it's really not all that involved. When one of your wheels feels hotter than the other (Hint: it will be your left rear) then maybe you'll believe me; oh, and make sure you're experiencing the symptoms on this 2-3 minute drive, because if your e-brake function become magically unstuck during the drive, you're never going to believe it's the problem in the future, and so you'll be chasing after unicorns for a few years until one day you completely wear through the brake pad on that corner.

I wish you were right. Just tried that and the car was doing it as usual. Rear calipers are both cold. On top of that there are 0 signs that they are or ever were sticking. The pads that were on there before were also worn perfectly evenly by the way.

Rotate tires left to right, test drive. Far enough to tell wont damage a directional tire.

Minotaur crew thread

Me? Bullheaded? Never.