1994 XLT Anti-rattle clip & squirrely braking

[Cedar]

Been fighting a clunk and squeal from the drivers side for most of the last year until I realized there was no anti-rattle clip on the drivers side inner pad. Wonder whether it fell off or last mechanic just didn't install it. I got one from napa but the flat part or tongue was really short compared to the one on the other side. I got it on there and braking felt great and even for about the first 50 miles, now it's squirrely, feels like it grabs hard and lets go at speed pulling hard to the left fairly consistently. What's the wisdom with these, if I find a new clip that mirrors the other am I likely to be back in business or is all this indicating like a problem with the caliper? I'd have changed it by now instead of asking but I lost having a driveway so I've got to plan my maintenance out more. Thanks in advance!

 

[gmanpaint]

The clip just holds it firm so it doesn't clap-clap-clap, as you go. Sounds more like the one caliper isn't working, thus the reason it pulls to one side, under braking.

Check your soft lines for rot/cracks, tears, etc...
Check the caliper piston seal.
Check the caliper pins are still good.
Check for any play in the wheel bearings. (lift it an inch off the ground, wiggle tire side to side)
Check for any play in the ball joints. (lift it an inch off the ground, lift under tire with crowbar/pipe, and watch for movement.

 

[Cedar]

Well, it pulled to the right before I put the rattle clip on the left. Now it pulls hard to the left. The major change was adding the rattle clip on the left. I wonder whether the clip type should make that much of a difference.

The soft lines look fine, they're 2 years old now. If they're bad inside I wouldn't know.

Lower caliper pins had a little rust on them but just sandpapered away.

 

[BrooklynBay]

Lubricate the slide pins. Are the pads wearing unevenly? If so, then there might be a problem with the caliper or the rotor.

 

[owenbirr]

I've had this issue because I had one rotor turned on a lathe and the other replaced with a new one. Also the rear brake should not be overlooked as they can cause a pulling affect if not working correctly.

 

[RangerX]

Ditto what Brooklyn said, did you lube the slide pins, two on each side, and use specifically caliper slide grease?
I've driven for extended periods with one rattle clip missing, and had no pulling, so there's more to your issue than those clips...

 

[Cedar]

I've got thin coat of silicone ceramic grease on the pins, refreshed a couple times now over the last couple months. It only seems to pull after I've been driving in traffic for a bit, like only if it's warmed up.

If the mechanic left it off, then I drove probably 4-5,000 miles without an issue. Then about a year and a half ago it started pulling gently intermittently so I've been looking into it for another 4,000 miles. The truck would brake fine, then when I slow down coming into parking lot or making a turn, there would be a massive thunk under the car from the left side that made me worry my ball joint was failing, and all of a sudden the car would start pulling to the right. It did this for months as I looked over radius arms, pulled the calipers, I just never bothered to pull the inner pad all the way out. The pads are worn unevenly. I can't remember exactly but I thought the outer pad was worn further since the inner bad was getting jammed up and not applied to the rotor. Now that I've added the clip, having replaced the rears and bled all the brakes, it strangely pulls to the left intermittently. I don't get any more clunking out of it.

 

[RangerX]

Not sure if you're 4wd, but if so, that thunk and pull could be a failing hub...

 

[gmanpaint]

Have you checked all the joints, such as tie rod ends, pitman, and pivot bushing?

 

[Cedar]

Thunk disappeared with adding the rattle clip so not worried about the hubs. Now could be the radius arm bushing because there's now a loud groaning right under the drivers seat that's not the seat itself on braking and accelerating. I'll focus on the suspension and steering when I can find a place to get under it.

 

[Centaurious]

Check your Radius Arm Bushings and the brackets they mount to for wear or looseness.

 

[roscoe 0202]

the right radius arm bushing goes away because the exhaust comes together right there and burns up the bushing
roscoe

 

[massacre]

the right radius arm bushing goes away because the exhaust comes together right there and burns up the bushing
roscoe

Does anyone make a bushing that is more heat resistant? Could a heat shield or header wrap be used? Radius arm bushings are a pain to replace.
I know I have to do mine, would like not to have to do it again soon

 

[Cedar]

Found a spot to get under the car for a minute. Radius arm bushing seems worn to me, good bit of room to run around. Notes suggest its got 38,000 mi and 10 years on it.

Now I'm leaning more towards the steering being squirrely and the brakes being fine. It really seems to be pulled by even minor ruts and it's more effort than I'm used to keeping it tracking on a curvy offramp.

How do you diagnose issues in the steering column vs the steering box?

When I went to check wheel bearings, holding 3 and 9 o'clock, I got nothing because the wheels both just turn towards one side or the other even with one wheel on the ground. There's not much resistance from the steering box. Something seems wrong with the steering so loose. No movement in the drag link/tie rod ends. I'll need another set of eyes to tell if the lower ball joints are bad, the wheels turn before I can get much force on them.

This squirrely steering is sounding a lot like the threads I've been reading about worn steering box gears. I don't know if it's ever been replaced. Sounds like a weekend+ project.

 

[massacre]

Well you could try having someone wiggle the steering wheel back and forth with engine not running while you look at where the steering shaft meets the steering box. If the wheel is moving a lot but not a lot of movement at the box, then I would suspect some play in the steering shaft. If the shaft is moving a lot but the pitman arm is not moving, it could be play in the box.
My experience is more with big trucks- petes, kenworth international etc. but they are similar setup just way bigger.
This might at least get you looking in the right direction.