Putting the Brakes on Mechanic’s Bad Advice
Question: My 1988 ChrysleBaron pulls to one side when I put on the brakes at high speed. My mechanic said I needed new front brakes, because the brakes on one side were exerting more force than on the other side. After paying $180 for new brakes, the problem is still there. What now?--S.B.
Answer: The mechanic obviously gave you a bad diagnosis, leaving you to pay for it. It could be that you also needed front brakes, but the mechanic should have made it clear that the brake job was not guaranteed to solve the swerving. A lot of mechanical problems can cause swerving, including the tires, springs, shock absorbers and alignment.
The car’s front- and rear-wheel alignment, for example, determines the direction the car points, so it is not uncommon for the car to pull during braking if the alignment is off.
Unevenly worn springs can also cause the problem. When coming to a stop, weight shifts forward. If the springs on one side support less weight than on the other, the braking forces will be skewed, and the vehicle will pull to one side.
In rare cases, worn-out brake hardware can cause pulling. If the brake pads or shoes do not return to their proper position, they can drag and cause tremendous heat buildup.
When you hit the brakes, the overheated wheel will experience something akin to brake fade, and the car will pull to the opposite side. Eventually, the brake shoes or pads will wear out on the faulty wheel, and you’ll have other problems.
You should find a qualified brake mechanic to examine your car. I would look for one certified in both brake and suspension work by Automotive Service Excellence, the nationwide certification association.
And you should pay a visit to the original mechanic. I would demand at least part of your money back, once you determine authoritatively that another problem caused the swerve.
Q: I just was socked with a $190 bill for replacing something called a constant velocity joint on my 1986 Honda Accord. The mechanic told me what it does, but I didn’t understand him. He said the thing failed because of a boot. What kind of a boot is he talking about?--T.D.
A: The constant velocity joint connects the car’s axle to its wheel. At one end of the axle is the transmission, which is bolted to the car’s frame. At the other end of the axle is the wheel, which is bouncing along when roads are uneven.
The constant velocity joint allows this flexing while the engine power smoothly transfers along the rotating axle to the wheels. After a time, however, the small roller bearings in the joint lose their lubrication and wear out. The joint typically begins to emit a squealing noise and shortly after will break.
The boot is the rubber cover that keeps the joint dry and seals the lubrication. After years of flexing, however, the boot often cracks open. Then, dirt and water enter, contaminate the lubrication and ruin the joint.
If you had caught the problem with the boot, you could have replaced the boot for about half the cost of replacing the entire joint. But a mechanic seldom spots a broken boot before damage is done to the joint.
