Hello friends!

In my wife's 2000 Disco, there is a strange issue where it feels as if the brake calipers are engaging at different times. If I'm putting along in traffic at 1-15mph, and lightly press the brake, I have to hold the wheel with a lot of force to keep it from turning 45-90 degrees in either direction.

It's always one direction OR the other, but there's no clue as to what makes it decide which way to go.

At normal speeds, it's completely normal (or undetectable).

At slow 1-15mph speeds, if I press hard, it does not do it.

It's never had the three Amigos, and still does not.

Have any of you felt, or heard anything like this?

Thank you!!

Pat

 

Yes I have experienced that. Could be a stuck caliper, tire pressure different, bad alignment, loose or bad suspension component, bad tires, shot tie rod end etc...

 

Thank you much for the reply!

The tires are in perfect repair- I've just had them checked, moved around, and adjusted. Also- it's done it for quite a while, even when it had old rims and tires on it.

I'm not sure if it could be the alignment either, since it drives perfectly. The course of the vehicle is only altered when you touch the brake.

Could it be a stuck caliper? I don't think so... it seems to be releasing fine. If anything, I'd say perhaps a "slow" caliper, or something- where one caliper depresses slightly slower than the other. But I question that a caliper could be bad, because it doesn't always pull to the same side.

The brake petal has excellent response time, and there is no delay in it. The fluid level is good.

Tie Rod end? The steering is very tight, and there are no clunks, and there is no play.

I guess I am not sure about the suspension component thing, but I doubt this as well, since from 0-15 on a paved road, it seems like the suspension would have MORE of an effect if I spiked the brakes that if I was being gentle.

In this case, being gentle brings the issue out- spiking doesn't.

Thanks for the feedback, I hope this gives you some more ideas!

Pat

 

Instead of spending too much time writing about something that could be dangerous to your wife, get the brakes inspected and don't worry if any of us have had this problem.

 

Mike, please do not question my judgment in regards to the safety of myself or my wife.

-Pat

 

My concern is that per your thread and since you didn't mention anything about having checked everything pertaining to the brakes before posting, that tells me you probably don't have the mechanical ability to find and correct this problem and in the end, you will be taking it to a shop.
Nothing personal, just what may be the reality of it all.

 

Mike, I appreciate your concern and assurance that your comment was not personal, but in re-reading your first reply, I'm sure you'll see what I took it the way I did.

Even if I thought that this problem warranted a mechanic's troubleshoot (which I do not), I would probably still have posted here. Why?

A) To save my mechanic time, if someone here had experienced the issue.

B) To record the issue, and later post the resolution for those who may experience this.

In this case though, I will not be taking it to a mechanic. I have inspected the pads and rotors, and they are fine. I've driven vehicles with severe on-going brake problems, and the brakes on this Disco are flawless... except for the occasional pull when applying very light pressure at speeds from 0 to 15mph.


Could it be a sign of an impending brake-failure that leads to a death and destruction? Sure. Though I doubt it.

Could it be normal for a 2000 Disco? I wouldn't know that until I wasted time writing about it here, would I?

Could it be a simple fix from a common problem? It could be, though I wouldn't know that either, until I wasted time writing about it here, would I?

Yours,

Pat

 

Have you flushed your brake fluid in the past two years?

 

Man, that is one deadly avatar.

I haven't, but the previous owner did (according to his records) a year ago this summer, when he replaced all four rotors and pads.

I wonder if I should have it flushed again? Do you think that maybe air bubbles could cause something like this?

An old wood-hauling pickup I had lost most of its break fluid once, and after I topped it off (without bleeding), only the front left caliper would engage, lol. The only thing that throws me, is that it seems to be random, which way the Rover pulls... It's never only left, or only right, and it only does it about half the time...

Thanks, 98 Rover!

 

Sound like your front brake rotors are warped. Do you feel pulsation in the brake pedal as well as the steering wheel shaking?