I think at this point I'm just venting and considering taking this annoyance (AKA my 1980 that I've owned since for 20 years) to a shop. I'm tired of crawling around on my dirty garage floor in search of a cause of this problem, but if anyone has any final suggestions before I submit to a greater automotive mind, I'll take em.

I've had a very drastic pull to the left while applying my brakes, and I mean if I don't have my hands on the wheel and jam on my brakes at 20 mph, it's pulling 90 degrees left across traffic. Admittedly the car has been sitting a few years as I worked through cosmetics but I noticed this two years ago at which point I started changing parts, focusing on the right side as I figured it wasn't working, causing the left pull.

1. Two years ago: All steering & control arm bushings replaced. Alignment performed. (pull not fixed)
2. Two years ago: Front rubber brake hoses replaced and brakes bled. (pull not fixed)
3. One year ago: Replaced front right caliper, pads, rotor. Bled Right front corner. (pull not fixed)
4. Recently: Bled all 4 brakes, flush with new fluid. Brakeleen all corners. (pull not fixed)
5. Recently: Replaced right rear caliper, pads, rotor. Bled right rear corner. (pull not fixed)
6. Recently: Replaced all 4 rubber brake hoses at corners. Bled all corners. (pull not fixed)
7. Recently: Replaced all front ball joints & greased. Replaced all sway bar linkages/bushings (pull not fixed)

Ya see the theme here and I hated typing that list. Number 7 was yesterday so I have a few things left on the check list that I 'could' think of...being the hard line from the proportioning valve damaged somewhere that I haven't found, the proportioning valve itself, or something squirrely like trailing arms, hubs, or front shocks/springs, maybe even the Borgerson steering being wonky. I'm really finding it hard to believe that it's anything but the brakes due to how serious the pull is, but with someone even lightly hitting the brakes, I can't turn either tire by hand when they're off the ground...so both front brakes are definitely doing some work. I shot the temps of both sides after braking around the block and maybe the right is a little lower but possibly within the tolerance of my aim and the temp gun.

But if my search to find a reputable shop south of Baltimore turns out to be easier than finding the cause of this issue....

-mort

 

I would start by checking the front right brake. If it's leaking onto the pads, it will not grab the rotor. The left will grab hard and could cause your problem. It also could be a clogged rubber line on the right side as well. Jerry

 

I will say it’s the master cylinder has gone bad. Google bad master cylinder.

 

Right front caliper most likely not engaging the rotor.

 

People can crush or damage a brake line very easily when putting a car jack or jack stands under the Corvette. On my 1968 C3 the line going to the right front wheel is long and goes through lots of territory where it could easily be damaged. I have seen brake lines rusted shut internally and do things like this as well. I would verify that brake fluid leaks out of the fitting when you try to bleed the right front caliper. If not then start on the right front brake line and go back to the master cylinder to ensure that fluid is being pumped to the right front wheel. If you have no fluid going out of the master cylinder heading for the right front wheel then you replace the master cylinder.

If you can get to Gaithersburg MD there is a shop called Tony's Corvettes and that shop is incredible. They can fix virtually any Corvette ever made and are authorized to do warranty work for GM. They are about an hour from home but that is the shop I would use, if, I had to use a shop. Tony is the best mechanic and a great guy to boot!

 

sounds like a bad right front caliper

 

I don't think this is the root cause of your problem, but it sounds like you have mixed new and old brake pads a couple of times. Whenever I change pads, it's got to be as a matching pair on both fronts or both rears. If there is any sort of composition difference (even using same brand, same part #) you are going to have potential differences in friction. Along the same lines, are both front tires the same with the same pressure?

Speaking of pressure: There are pressure gauges to test brake pressure at each corner but I've never used one. Perhaps that will show uneven force that will lead you toward a fix.

 

I agree with @ctmccloskey , you've replaced the caliper and the hoses so that leaves the line from the master cylinder to the hose.

You might try and open the bleed valve on the right front and measure one pedal depress then measure the left side to see if the left has more volume.

With the front wheels off the ground and very light pressure on the brake pedal does the right wheel spin freely and the left is locked up?

JT

 

I appreciate the feedback. Like I said I have replaced both right side calipers, pads, rotors, and rubber hoses and see no leaks or messes causing fluid contamination on the hardware. So I think I agree that I'll take a closer look at that front hard brake line leading back to the MC.

And I definitely would take the car to Tony's in Gaithersburg but it's a bout an hour from me and if something sudden happened on the highway that caused me to REALLY use my brakes, I wouldn't feel too comfortable so I'm going to start with a local shop next door if this brake line check doesn't yield any results. I hear Tony is great though!

 

That is dangerous enough I would tow it using a flatbed.
Cheap insurance vs an accident!

 

I did drive my 82 home from New Madrid (75 miles) with no headlights, no horn, a front end shake and very little brakes (right rear leaky caliper and left front new pads on bad rotor with a big hump) but I don't think I'd attempt that in Baltimore MD. When I got home I did ask my wife if the brake lights worked and she said yes so at least two things worked, the fuel gauge and rear lights and well the engine ran well enough to get me home.

JT

 

Everyone here keeps assuming that the right hand brake is the issue.
the right hand caliper has been replaced. It has been bleed, so we know fluid is getting through.
Left front caliper grabing? I'd be checking for rotor runout, dragging caliper causing heat build up and thus a brake that really grabs. Things like that.
perhaps the issue isn't the right caliper not biting, but rather the left grabbing too hard.

 

Big Mort,

The master cylinder is not likely the culprit.
That would affect two calipers at a time, either front or rear. The master can not be bias to a left or right caliper.

By the way.
Anytime your mechanic for your daily driver insists on new brake pad swap per axle, there is something to that.
The rear pads, if not done both sides, may pull to one side. Barely noticeable and anything but scary.
However, with the steering axle, things can get real scary as is the case here.

You have a pull to one side ONLY when brake pedal is applied. Seldom does the front suspension affect that event.
A constant pull, no braking, then yes, suspension.

Your pull during braking is specific. It's affecting the steering wheel too.
So, the question becomes, are both front calipers same brand?
Are all four front pads same brand and type of material?

One last note:
Google diagram of C3 Proportioning Valve.
Note the front system only on the diagram for now.
Note that a single brake line comes off the master to the Prop Valve port.
Note that TWO lines come off the Prop Valve ports labeled right & left and head to the front brakes.
Two lines, to the front. (rears get only one)

Things that make you go: H-m-m-m-m-m-m-?

 

Welp, since I've grown to appreciate when people on this site come back and share when they've finally figured out an issue and the cause...here was mine for my hard brake pull to the left....

Front Left Caliper/Rotor. See first post to show ALL the crap I replaced, focused on the right side before getting there, including a new proportioning valve and front hard lines. But, I popped the left front wheel, still had a riveted rotor. Some gunk built up but for the most part no visual signs of issue. Replaced pads, rotor, caliper and Bada bing, problem solved, no more pull.

I'm sick of brake bleeding.

 

Certain items I always do in pairs, to keep things "balanced".
Like tires, rotors, brake pads, bulbs, wheel bearings, etc.
I have even seen a (customer's) car with organic pads on one side and semi-metallic on the other!

Just glad you found the source of your problem!
And thanks for letting the group know.

Sometimes even when it is embarrasing it is good to know.
Like when I fixed the keyless entry on my daily yesterday.
It was not the radio module after all.
One remote had gotten two brand-new-but-low-output batteries, and the other remote had a battery that was upside down!
I wonder how that happened?