Re: Milano braking

["Daegrigg (Don)" <daegrigg@domain.elided>]

Damian,

I suggest looking into #2 on Bill's list.  A bad bushing will cause the kind
of pulling you described.  'Had this condition on both an 86 spider and 79
Alfetta.  In the Alfetta's case, it was the upper suspension arm bushing.
Bad alignment will make the problem worse.  You can check this by having
someone drive slowly (downhill to accentuate the weight transfer) while you
walk along side the car, if it is really bad, you can see the wheel turn out
as the brakes are applied.

Hope this helps,

Don

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bain, Bill" <Bill.Bain@domain.elided>
To: <alfa-digest@domain.elided>
Sent: Monday, March 10, 2003 10:02 AM
Subject: Milano braking


> Damian sez:
>
> >I am having an interesting brake issue. This is in regards to my 87
> Milano. Under braking it will dive to the left very quickly (this really
> sucks at 80mph) and then straighten back out. Now...my first thought is
> warped rotor but there is no pulsing through the steering wheel. This
> happened for a few days and now under braking it dives to the right.
> Curiouser and curiouser.
>
> I'm starting to think my brake lines are geeked and needs to be replaced
> (at the least) or a caliper rebuild is in order (ugh). Probably all of
> the above, one doesn't want to mess around with brakes.
>
> I guess the odd thing is that it started diving to the left and now the
> problem is that it is diving to the right. Darned little gremlins, can't
> make up their minds. I guess I have my project for this weekend...
>
> A couple thoughts here:
>
> If the car is pulling on initial application and then braking "straight"
> the things I 'd check are (in order):
>
> 1. Check the pad wear.  If you have unequal wear, there may be a stuck
> caliper (or, more likely one side is stuck) or some such.  What happens
> is that the caliper on the "good" side has more initial clamping force
> and the car will pull in the direction of the side with more braking
> force.  As the car slows the effect is less pronounced, so it feels like
> it's braking "straight."  It strikes me as possible that in an extreme
> situation where one pad in a caliper is not even or barely touching the
> rotor, you could also build up enough heat in the other side to boil the
> fluid under hard braking and exacerbate the problem further but that's a
> surmisal on my part.
>
> Generally brake lines with internal restrictions prevent the caliper
> from releasing since the restriction acts as a sort of "one way' valve,
> but if the line is restricted enough the caliper may not get enough
> fluid to clamp properly.  Again, looking at the brake pads will tell
> since if it ain't clamping, it ain't using up the pads.
>
> 2.  Since it was initially left and is now right, I'd be wary of
> something "loose" in the front suspension.  Any slop will allow the
> car's front end to become not quite parallel to the rear end and have
> the effect of having the steering wheel turned slightly.  Often old
> Spiders will "crab" on acceleration due to the rear trailing arm to body
> bushings wearing out and the rear axle moving slightly under engine
> torque.  It's the same idea.  I'd check the rear suspension too, but I'm
> not quite as familiar with the deDion set up as some are so I can't tell
> you where to look.
>
> 3. How's the alignment?
>
> Bill Bain
> AROC Atlanta
> '83 Spider (Only Alfa at the SCCA Autocross yesterday -- where was every
> one else?)
> '87 Milano (rear caliper brake fluid leak has disappeared afterI bled
> the brakes -- maybe the bleed screw wasn't quite tight?)
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