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Tire wear, front end alignment and wheel bearings...
These are the only things i can think of that could have anything to do with the problem. Unless you have something majorly wrong like a bent spindle or something like that.

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Previous setup: 4.1 Buick V-6/TH 350
Current setup: 400 Small Block Chevy V-8/TH 350
9" ford rear end/short bed/blue
What do Water, Electricity and Humans have in common... They all travel the path of least resistance.

Are both of your rotors in the same condition or is the left one smoother?

Drive the vehicle for 5 minutes or so like you said, untill it starts pulling to the left. Stop and feel both calipers to see if one is warmer than the other. If the left is hotter the right one is not doing its share of the work like air in the line or a restriction somewhere. If the right side is hotter then that caliper is not releasing and overheating and fading out. Maybe that caliper is still sticking or something. If it is not too much trouble I would then swap the rotors side to side to see if the problem follows.
Had one do that one time and had to turn both rotors slightly (new rotors) to get it to brake evenly. Inconsistancy in the manufacturing process or something??

Back to one of your earlier questions if it is pulling left ti tis most like ley the left front caliper causing your problems.

After you come back from driving and it is still pulling to the left, jack up the front end and before you do anything spin the wheels. I bet the left front will feel stiff.

also check to see if the piston is easily pushed back in the caliper with a c clamp. if it takes a lot of pressure there is still something wrong with the piston and caliper binding.

if it is pulling there has to be a reason. Also left pull might be from lo pressure on the right side. Although this wold be very uncommon. not sure how to detect low pressure.

I just had the same hard left pull on one of my trucks that has sat avery long time and it was the rusty outer lip that 800xl described. you could not even get the piston to go into the caliper with a c clamp and I could not plow it out with 135psi of shop air.
good luck- don't give up you will figure it out.

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Did a v8 conversion in 1981 on my '76 luv
Current Fleet
#1 1980 Black 2wd, #2 1980 Blue 2wd, #3 1980 Black 4x4 #4 1980 black 2wd Long bed #5 1979 black 4x4 #6 1977 red 2WD
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thanks for your suggestions everyone! The rotors were brand new a month or so ago. They were different manufacturers though. Could this be it? The left one is definitely smoother than the right after a few hundred miles of driving and it pulling to the left. Also, when I put the new rotors in, maybe I tightened the nut on the drivers side spindle to a different torque than the pass. side. I didn't use a torque wrench. Would it be tire wear or alingnment if it only happens when I brake (it doesn't pull when I am just driving along)? The caliper(s) may be sticking though they were "new" (remanufactured). I am about to go to work and may not have computer access till Thursday. I will check back then and try these sugesstions! Thanks again!

Diff. manufactures of the rotors could use a slightly diff. material try swapping rotors side to side to check,also check the slides and make sure your calipers are moving freely,and here is one that will surprise you are your brake hoses new or used as one drop of oil will cause the hoses to swell shut, been there before.But make sure your calipers move freely first.

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1978 pro street step/side 455Buick, 4sp,4.11s, 31/18.5s

I am about to go to New Jersey for the weekend but will work on Dottie on Monday. The flexible brake hoses are brand new, so I don't think that they are the problem.

I am gonna swap the rotors from side to side as several of you have suggested and see if the problem follows. If so, I will have them (or just one) turned to match.

Meanwhile, the slides (is that the name for the metal shim looking things that are about 1/8 inch thick, bent lengthwise, and go between the caliper and the mount and you stick the little pins through to keep em from sliding out?) do have a lot of corrosion on them. I ground them down to as smooth as I could get em, but they are still rough. I can't find anywhere that sells new ones! I bought a brake hardware kit and it had everything BUT them. Do they even make new ones??? If so, where can I find em? Do any of you have a set of four that you don't need that are in good condition?

Thanks again for all your suggestions! I'll get her fixed sooner or later here!

SUCCESS!!!! I swapped the front brake rotors with one another and the problem seemed to follow. Instead of pulling to the left, it pulled to the right when I braked. I measured the brake rotors and they were very close with to one another (maybe less than a 64th of an inch off). I also smeared a LOT of caliper grease on the slides and they seemed a lot smoother going in. I figured since I was driving around anyway, I might as well give the inspection another shot. And I couldn't believe it, but she passed! I got my DC tags and registration too! I am super-psyched! Thanks so much everyone for your help with this, I couldn't have done it without you! I'm 'a ridin' high!

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Still ridin' high?? Is that with the windows rolled up too? Whoo!!!!

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'78 1.8L 4-speed Fleetside

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