Pulling Problem
Short answer: A car that pulls or fishtails under hard braking, with all brake parts already replaced, usually comes down to the front drum brakes being out of adjustment (they’re not self-adjusting in front on 1967–69 and aren’t forgiving) — or a front-end issue.
- Diagnose in an empty lot: brake hard and note which way it pulls / which wheel locks. Use the parking brake (rear/drum only) to check if the rears are the issue. Pump the pedal first — if it stops straighter, there’s air in the system.
- Manually adjust the front drums (and check the “self-adjusting” rears anyway). A veteran trick after a drum rebuild: drive while braking firmly and repeatedly to seat the shoes.
- Also check the spindle ball-joint tapers (can wear out-of-round) and upper control-arm bushings (cause erratic steering). Finish with a proper 4-wheel alignment.
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Content last modified: June 13, 2026 at 10:06 am
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Mine did the same thing. When I took it in to get the alignment done as well as tires rotated and balanced, I found out that all but two shims were left (driver side), the bushings (upper & lower), ball joints, sway bar bushings, along with any other suspension piece that requires a buffer or bushing were old, cracked, and chipped/ partially missing. All these items along with obvious tire ware from improper alignment were factors in the pull at braking.
I’m in the process of removals and replacements along with a list of other needs attention items. Didn’t see the post date on this or if the issue has been resolved but hope this helps.