Driving problems after new suspension parts fitted

Tiny
ROSEMARY SADLER
  • MEMBER
  • 2002 MAZDA 626
  • 2.0L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 150,000 MILES
New parts fitted in one day. O/S/F shock, wheel bearing, ball joint. N/S/F and O/S/F ARB links. Rear had N/S/R tie rod and both sides had new brake discs and pads. Drove it out of the garage and it is horrible to drive. Terrible vibration through floor, pedals, seat, dash and can see it on steering wheel. Pull to the left all the time. Steering Wheel position now 10 degrees to the right. I had front alignment done - no change. I had four wheel alignment done. No difference. The pull to the left happens even if I drive up the opposite side of the road. The vibration is like driving up a washboard but the car does not bounce, it's just the bump, bump, bump that I feel. The N/S/F tire is wearing on the outside. The O/S/F wheel gets hotter than the other 3 wheels during short journeys (20 - 25 miles) but on longer journeys it will be quite cool at the end. I have had a dial in measure on the wheels and last week a check on the brakes revealed that the O/S/F pads were worn. Both pads were worn thick to thin at the ends. Any ideas please. Would sticking brake on O/S/F cause car to pull to the left. If the strut mounts are old on O/S/F, could the new shock be binding and would this cause misalignment and affect the brakes.
Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 AT 12:16 PM

2 Replies

Tiny
JACOBANDNICKOLAS
  • MECHANIC
  • 108,310 POSTS
Welcome to 2CarPros.

Yes, if one front brake is sticking, it will cause it to pull. Also, if the brake is overheating, it can cause a vibration. What I would suggest is to safely lift the front of the vehicle and see if you can turn the left wheel.

If you find the brake is stuck on, support the vehicle and remove the wheel and tire. Open the bleeder valve and see if the wheel then turns. If it doesn't, confirm the brake pads are installed correctly and not frozen in the mount. Also, check the slide pins are not frozen. If all of that checks good, try to depress the caliper piston. If it doesn't move, replace the caliper.

I attached a picture of the caliper below. I highlighted the where the slide pins go as well as the bleeder.

Here is a link that explains how to replace a brake caliper:

https://www.2carpros.com/articles/brake-caliper-replacement

Let me know what you find or if you have other questions.

Joe
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Wednesday, August 28th, 2019 AT 6:39 PM
Tiny
ROSEMARY SADLER
  • MEMBER
  • 2 POSTS
  • 2002 MAZDA 626
  • 2.0L
  • 4 CYL
  • 2WD
  • MANUAL
  • 150,000 MILES
I need a O/S/F strut mount. Can anyone give me the correct part number please. Thank you
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Wednesday, September 4th, 2019 AT 3:56 PM (Merged)

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