leon losing brakes at full steering lock

[Transtellar]

Right guys, don't know if anyone can shine any light on this, I'm having quite a dangerous problem with my brakes, iv had a search but no luck.

Basically at full steering lock I'm losing all feel out the pedal, as in it hits the floor, this.first happened when parking, I thought it was due to finding a leak on the osr brake calliper, but after fixing this, and completely re bleeding the system today I thought I'd solved it. Pedal is hard as can be when steering straight, yet hit full lock either left or right and the pedal hits the floor. Return the steering to straight and a few pumps brings the pedal back to full stiffness.

Obv this is.dangerous and I'm refusing to drive it till its fixed.

As a reminder, I'm about 60mm down, with whiteline front and rear and adjustable droplinks, whether this has anything to do with I do not know. But I'm all out.of answers.

Please help!!

Cheers Tony

 

[bruceR]

Have you checked to see if at full lock you are crimping a brake line or something??
But yeah I agree, don't drive it 'til you get this sorted...............let us know how you get on

 

[Transtellar]

No pipes being crimped, but it does feel like something's binding at full lock. I think ill need up on a 4 poster to see properly.

Na defo not driving it, when it first happened I was reversing into a space.... And the only thing that stopped me was a.concrete bollard :/ 100 quid to repair the bumper!! Although I'm pleased it wasn't a person behind me at the time!

Ah I have so much to do to get ready for UD!

 

[cocadave]

You say that you've just blead the brakes? Did you pressure bleed them as that's the only way these can be done?

 

[James_R]

What model is this on?

Does this happen when you're parked up, on the move or both?

Sounds like and issue with either a flexi, possibly bulging or the pistons compressing when your on full lock, what condition are the discs and pads in?

I've seen it where seized caliper slides cause the piston to retract slightly on lock, when its pushed back it requires a few pedal pumps to get the feel of the pedal back as it pushes the piston out.

You should clamp one side at a time and try it to try and isolate the problem.

 

[Transtellar]

Hi Guys,

So, iv found the problem will write it up in detail so no-one else gets this problem, as its bloody dangerous!

As said in my first post, im running a whiteline front arb, id been having proplems with the bottom bend hitting the wishbone. After asking DPM if i needed adjustable droplinks i was given the choice of 2 (BTW, this is not a post to slag damian, his service is top notch and he is a really helpful guy, im just trying to stop anyone else putting themselves at risk!)

The first choice was:

http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk/vma...i-19tdi-cupra-19tdi-fr-19tdi-1199-p-2510.html

Second choice:

http://www.dpmperformance.co.uk/whi...i-19tdi-cupra-19tdi-fr-19tdi-1199-p-9254.html

I had a look into both of these and found alot of people on the Mk4 forums complaining that the whiteline droplinks did not last and were a waste of money, so on this advice bought the cheaper ones.

Now this is where the problem started, with the original dogbone mounts i had the arb on its hardest setting, unfortunately with the new droplinks i could not get the droplinks to sit at the right angle - and with them being polybushed had no give. Because of this i moved the droplink to the front hole on the arb, with the droplinks on their shortest setting i tried it - still catching.

So gradually i had been extending the droplinks till they cleared the wishbone when driving..... this is when i encountered total brake failure. Like i say, the car only did it at full lock - i was driving for a few days and it was fine, i obviously never used full lock!

So, heres the problem - pictures are not even at the steering lock, as i couldnt turn the steering wheel and take the picture - caliper should be another 10mm into the droplink

As you can see, the droplink is actually hitting the back of the calliper - which in turn was pushing the piston back in the caliper, in some pictures theres a bolt head visible, although it looks like it binding on this its actually hitting the droplink (i tried with the countersunk capscrew at the top and it did the same!!)

Only thing i can think has maybe caused this with me is having new discs and pads, as it means the carrier sits so far back, but obv in any case, this shouldnt happen!

So the conclusion i have come to is....... These dont fit my car!

This is the clearance with it back on the standard links

 

[Harris.]

Correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like your anti roll bar is fitted the wrong way? I thought it went over the shaft rather than under it? .i think that is the reason you are having all your problems and it can be fitted the wrong way and does hit the wishbones if fitted the wrong way.

 

[Transtellar]

Whitelines definitely go under matey no one used to have this bother with the wishbones until whiteline put an extra bend in the phase 2 arbs which they now supply

 

[Transtellar]

Has anyone else had this problem??

What droplinks are you using with your whiteline?

 

[cuprastoffs]

I would be sending an email and all those pictures to whiteline, looks to me like the anti roll bar is ment to be fitted with droplinks to the strut like a cupra r or is unfit for purpose.

Edit. Bit obvious but have you centred the arb?