Brakes pulling

Discussion in 'Trucks [ Eighteen Wheelers ]' started by ChaoSS, Jan 28, 2017.

  1. ChaoSS

    ChaoSS Road Train Member

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    2017 Freightliner Cascadia. Roughly 16,000 miles on truck. Problem has been exhibiting since I got in the truck with roughly 2000 miles.

    The brakes have been pulling hard to the right, but only intermittently and occasionally. Seems like some days it is happening a lot. Some days it doesn't seem to happen at all. Even when it's happening it isn't happening with every brake application. First time I noticed it happening a lot it was raining really hard, but I had good traction, since then I've been in all kinds of weather conditions and there seems to be no rhyme or reason to when or why this is happening.

    Two dealerships have looked at it. The first one diagnosed it as a faulty quick release valve. I've since been told that that doesn't fit the symptoms (pulls on brake application not on release) and that there is only one valve for both of the front brakes. The second one checked brake adjustment, brake thickness, tire pressure, and then called it quits because they don't have a CDL driver available to test drive the truck outside of their lot. Clearly none of those issues would cause the problem I'm having, and they tell me they won't do any tear down of the brakes until they've test driven it. I leave tomorrow to take a load up north and they won't make any more progress on this vehicle before then.

    Anyone have any ideas on what would cause this intermittent problem? On juice brakes I'd be looking at greasing the slides in the calipers, but I'm not as familiar with the maintenance/repair of S-cam air brakes. I'm assuming there is something in there that can be greased or should be checked for manufacturing defects to see if something might be hanging up and stopping the brakes from applying properly sometimes?
     
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  3. daf105paccar

    daf105paccar Road Train Member

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    Disk brakes all around?
     
  4. ChaoSS

    ChaoSS Road Train Member

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    No, sorry, drum brakes. No calipers, I probably made that confusing by mentioning it.
     
  5. daf105paccar

    daf105paccar Road Train Member

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    Yes you added confusion.:rolleyes::p

    Do you feel the steeringwheel pulling to the right when the "event" happens?
     
  6. ChaoSS

    ChaoSS Road Train Member

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    Yes. And it is generally pretty hard, it's not a gentle drifting to the right, I'm talking about you better have a good grip on the wheel kind of thing.
     
  7. Oxbow

    Oxbow Road Train Member

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    I know absolutely nothing about abs systems, but it would seem that perhaps there is a bad sensor on the hub or some other snafu with the information that the system is receiving based on the symptoms that you describe (intermittent and unrelated to weather conditions).
     
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  8. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Tires? Uneven wear can cause pulling.

    Anyone look at the rear axles? Rear suspension etc. Problem could be there but showing its symptoms up front.
     
  9. Oxbow

    Oxbow Road Train Member

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    I would think that the symptoms would be consistent if that were the case though, rather than intermittent.
     
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  10. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    The tire part? That would make sense. Misread that it was intermittent.
     
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  11. SAR

    SAR Road Train Member

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    With the problems he is experiencing being intermittent, I think that would rule out tires or something hanging up on the s-cam shafts, brake shoes, or brake chambers. I think @Oxbow is on to something about the abs system being faulty. It could be something that Is applying to much pressure on the front right. I am assuming your experiencing this just bobtailing?
     
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