Hey guys,

I have a question, i know the brakes on the X-Fire are excellent and do a great job halting this car fast without drama or is there drama? whats up with the damn jerking to the left or right at the wheel.

I've noticed this on both my X-Fires. When you hit the brakes real hard while driving say 60 mph to come to a sudden dead stop the car jerks to the left and right you can feel it at the wheel-it seems the tires are digging into the slightest road imperfection grooves causing this-its a Pain in the *ss. It makes me feel like the person behind me can see my car pulling to one side and is wondering if i know how to drive correctly. I mean i know stopping hard the car my tug a lil bit but this is like really tugging a bit more than the usual requiring both hands firm on the wheel.

Anyone experience this. BTW, No there's no problem with the calipers both my cars are new and they both do the exact same thing and have been checked by DC. I guess is the nature of the suspension vs tire or something...... any ideas????

 

i would certainly question whether you know how to drive correctly if you are making hard stops from 60 mph with someone behind you. :lol:

 

Mine pulled to the left or right when I was breaking at low speeds making a normal stop. Since I changed my fron't pads I haven't experienced that again.

 

Rob M

I do know how to drive correctly. You have never had a sudden stop on a highway at highway speeds with someone behind you???? I have raced many cars when younger as well on circuit, i know how to handle a car and i'm stating that the cars pulls to left and right when braking in those conditions, when it should not.

 

don't worry you'll get criticized probably at least once per post on this forum, don't take it personal. Its getting a little ridiculous though i think, never seen it on any other forum. i think its keeping alot of people with important things to say away.

 

You are right. The stock brakes do pull at times. Mine did, as I stated above, until I replaced the pads. This was a topic quite a few months ago.

 

X'ed- Thanks - I know people have nothing better to say and wind up causing problems for NO REASON.

WMichaels- Yeah that's what i figured, that other people might encounter the same problem, so the pads worked effectively to cure it? If so i might just do the same and while i'm at select pads that reduce the brake dust build up which is annoying.

 

Not only did the new pads cure the pull but they also provide a better feel. I was the first to do it and went with EBC Green Stuff Pads there are better pads out there now. The only problem I had with the Green Stuff pads was brake sqeel and had to put a coating on the backs and guides on the pads. Now they work fine.

 

sorry. i was joking though hence the :lol:

i've noticed any car with wide low profile tires will pull left or right while stopping and even when just rolling along when the road has grooves from wear. but from a high speed i've never seen a car pull left and right during the same stop. could there be issues with your traction control or abs systems?

 

no prob Rob,

though i'm experiencing the same problem with both my x-fire's. I think its the tires or the maybe the pads???

I have experienced a locked up caliper due to faulty abs sensor on my VW, however the fact that both my cars are doing the exact same thing makes we wonder that it might me something else thats why i was wondering if anyone had experienced it. It also does it at low speed braking but more noticeable at higher braking speeds.

 

My car pulls a bit too. There have been a few instances where I've had to suddenly reduce speed and I've found that my car likes to veer to the left during those times. It's an unsettling experience, to say the least.

 

Exactly it makes you feel like you have a flat or something it just pulls really noticeably to the left or right and i sometimes feel like i'm getting to close to the cars next to me when braking to the point where they give me a look of Where the f*** are you going- I need to really get to the bottom of the culprit and cure this on my cars cuz its getting really annoying. It really feels like a bad front caliper but mine have been looked at on both cars and are ok.

 

Brought the same issue to my service manager 2 weeks after delivery. Now in 3rd week of ownership. Occasionally at soft braking, steering wheel actual turns a couple of degrees to the right. Service Mgr says has to do with breaking in period and components have not "settled" into whatever they need to settle. He does not want to do anything on car until at least 3000 miles or the "perform oil service" light comes on. Interested in info given to anyone else from their dealer on oil changes & veering. I get the sense that unless you're talking to the mechanic who took the specialized courses in this car, any info from anyone else is generalized.

 

I sometimes get a pull to the left or the right when braking regardless of speed.

Since I now expect it, it is not so much of an issue. I will be mentioning it to the dealer when I get my first service.

 

I get this but as it wasn't happening all the time I thought it was just the tyres following the contours in the road. Hmm, maybe I'll pay more attention next time. It does make me feel like I don't have control of the car and sould I have to do an emergency brake at some point I don't want to find myself moving into the next lane on the motorway (highway) and hitting other traffic.

 

Anyone think that maybe it could be the ABS computer ?

 

I always turn of the traction control but HDDP could have a point about the ABS computer. Maybe it run a Microsoft OS.

On previous cars any brake pull was always to the same side as one side bit more than the other. Since this is both ways, it could be down to the computer assessing where I have grip.

Nice idea HDDP.

 

I also have my pull against when braking (typically at harder stops, but certainly not isolated to them) but I just thought it was part of the car's profile, and adjusted my driving to accomodate. Now I'll look deeper into the issue since other's think it's unusual.

 

Just a thought... But if you're getting random, unequal pull on hard straight braking... left, right, left, right... etc. I would assume that the ABS is doing the work for your foot and not doing it very well... And may just be tightening the calipers based on its programming and the data it is receiving... ABS will not turn off with the traction control, as you well know...

I have no idea how they would fix a problem like that...

If it's a constant pull to one side or the other, that can be tracked-down and repaired easily as you well know...

Let me know what you find out... it could be another TSB

 

I understood that it has a lot to do with the xfire having such a short wheelbase. It's the same effect that makes it wander on worn highways. It makes the car seem over sensitive to the road (mostly to the ruts from traffic wear) and if your on this irregular pavement when you hammer the brakes it makes it climb up the rut causing pull.

This was just something I read in a review of the Xfire quite some time ago and they were actually impressed with the cars handling for it's short wheelbase.