# Does your car brake straight?



## daveh70 (Sep 4, 2008)

I'm posing this question to those with cars having drum brakes on all 4 wheels. My '64 runs on all drum brakes, and I've noticed the car turns a bit to the left when I hit the brakes while driving. I asked my mechanic about it and he said it could be a shoe spring that's hung up. Also said many cars on drums can have trouble braking straight, even if nothing is mechanically wrong. Is that right? I'm going to have it checked out because I'm due for an oil change anyway. But I was wondering if anyone here has a car on all drums that won't brake straight?

Thanks.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Mine did the same thing. No amount of adjusting helped. It turned out my front rubber hoses were bad and the one side wasn't getting the same pressure as the other. Replaced them and now I can hands off straight stop. :cheers


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

My 67 has 4 wheel drums.....stops nice and straight. Years back I remember NEVER getting my 66 to not pull......I think the answer Rukee gave is correct, SOMETHING is causing unequal pressure. Start simple, bleed all the lines.....


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## 66tempestGT (Nov 28, 2009)

Rukee said:


> Mine did the same thing. No amount of adjusting helped. It turned out my front rubber hoses were bad and the one side wasn't getting the same pressure as the other. Replaced them and now I can hands off straight stop. :cheers


:agree this is often overlooked because they can look fine on the outside but will deteriate on the inside.


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## Thumpin455 (Feb 17, 2010)

One of the first things I do when I bring an old car back to life or buy something old is replace the rubber brake lines and bleed all the old juice out of them. Its usually pretty cheap and easy to do with a helper to push the pedal for you. If you have a caliper or wheel cylinder hanging up or not actuating right, chances are good its a brake hose. Calipers and wheel cylinders are easy to rebuild, usually just a seal kit and some cleaning. If i get lots of rust I will replace the lines, but I just buy bulk and bend/flare them myself.


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## Rukee (Feb 8, 2007)

Thumpin455 said:


> One of the first things I do when I bring an old car back to life or buy something old is replace the rubber brake lines and bleed all the old juice out of them. Its usually pretty cheap and easy to do with a helper to push the pedal for you. If you have a caliper or wheel cylinder hanging up or not actuating right, chances are good its a brake hose. Calipers and wheel cylinders are easy to rebuild, usually just a seal kit and some cleaning. If i get lots of rust I will replace the lines,* but I just buy bulk and bend/flare them myself.*




Just started doing that a few years ago, really love to be able to run a line the whole length of the car without any connections/breaks/potential leaks except at the ends. :cheers
NAPA now sells a coated brake line in bulk too.


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## Eric Animal (Oct 28, 2007)

When you solve the problem, please post the cure! That way it will add to the "data base" for all of us.:cheers


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## daveh70 (Sep 4, 2008)

Ok problem solved. Put in 2 new front drums. New shoes, hardware, wheel cylinders and hoses. Also replaced 1 hard brake line. Car brakes straight as an arrow.


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## geeteeohguy (Feb 2, 2008)

Great news. i have to disagree with your mechanic, though. Drum cars do not pull when braking unless SOMETHING is wrong. Glad you fixed it. Both my GTO's have 4 wheel drums, and they're staying the way they were built. If you don't drive your car like a 19 year old girl (tailgate, put on makeup, etc), you won't have a problem.


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