ALFAGTV6.COM

[Badger]

I have been reading the forum for years, but just registered. The information from the forum has saved me from giving lots of $$s to my mechanic and doing the work myself.

I have a problem with the rear right brake dragging that I can't seem to figure out. The dragging is more pronounced when turning left at slow speeds, to the point of loud grinding noise, not a constant grinding noise, but like a wrapped rotor grinding only a portion of the tire rotation. When driving straight or turning right the drag in minimal. The dragging will occasionally stop, but start back up when I slow down to turn.

I can adjust the pads, spin the rear wheel and it spins freely. I take the car off the jack and take it for a test ride - within 50 ft the dragging starts. The pedal is firm and doesn't sink, no issue with stopping power.

The short of what I have done:
New pads, new rear brake line, rotor resurfaced (rotor 1 1/2 years old), A new remanufactured caliper. I have bleed the lines with a power bleeder.

Any help or hints would be appreciated

Doug
1981 GTV6

[Hippo58]

Are you sure it is not a wheel bearing???

[Mats]

Exactly, wheel bearing.

[Badger]

Thanks for the replys.

Per instructions in the gtv6.org archive to check to see if the wheel bearings are bad:
"... simply jack the wheel in question off the ground and spin it. If the bearing is bad it will make noise. With the car on the ground you can grab the rear wheel at the top and pull it toward you. You should not feel any slop in the rear wheel bearing."

With the car on the ground I grab the rear wheel at the top and pull it toward me - I do not feel any noticable slop in the rear wheel bearing.
With the wheel in question off the ground and spin it, I do not hear any noise that would suggest a bad bearing.

Would I still suspect the wheel bearing is bad and causing the problem?

doug

[MD]

Doug,

If you are sure that the rear bearings are not the culprits and I would think you would not expect to feel a huge amount of play, it could be something else.

I have heard of a term called "end float" which refers to the differential I think. If I have this correct, excessive end float may cause the axle to move sideways just enough to rub the disc rotor on the brake pads due to lateral forces as you have described.

Of course it could be a cummulative thing so as to be a combination of some bearing wear and end float working together. I believe the end float could be adjusted to compensate for the wear.

What I do know is that I had the problem myself a GTV 2.0 but once I changed the transaxle on it for a completely different one, the problem has gone (which doesn't explain anything because I swapped over the entire rear assembly !)

Anyhow, something else to scratch your head over.

Any mechanics out there who could help clarify this, please feel free.

[Badger]

I had to give my 16 year kid and her friend a ride - I typically don't have anyone in the back seat but my 5 year old.

With the ~150 lb kid in the back right seat, the brakes would drag even going straight - where in the past is was mostly when turning left. The drag produced a grinding sound louder than it has before.

Would this still point to a possible bearing problem?

[Mats]

I would never suspect it to be brake drag really, sounds ver much like a wheel bearing.
The bearings can be really tight when you try to move the wheel by hand and still be totally shot.

How did you find out it was the right disc?
Load up the car until it "drags the brake" when going straight and drive around for a couple of minutes, stop and check the discs for heat. If they are like normal or the same warmth I'd say it's not the brakes.
I still think it's the left rear wheel bearing.

[Badger]

I had the both rear wheel bearings replaced last week ($350 in labor costs at the local Alfa mechanic), and the problem went away.

Thanks for the help - I should of listened and replaced the bearings a month ago - would of saved me a month of frustation.