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2026
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After four-wheel maintenance, the brakes pull to one side. Let's see how an experienced driver fixes it.
▎Sharing some car repair experiences
Currently, the maintenance interval for light trucks is roughly: engine oil every 10,000 km, four-wheel maintenance around 20,000 km. Many truck owners have reported that after doing the four-wheel maintenance, the car pulls to one side as soon as they step on the brake. Even after repeating the maintenance, replacing the brake pads with original parts, and checking that the wheel hubs are within normal wear thickness, adjusting the brakes again still gives the same result.
● Specific Example 1
A customer came to a FAW Jiefang service station in Quanzhou for four-wheel maintenance. After finishing, they went out for a test drive and found severe brake pulling (pulling to the front right). The front two wheel brakes were readjusted several times, but it was still the same.
After re-removing and inspecting, the front two wheels had just been replaced with original factory brake pads, which were found to be too hard. I used an angle grinder to guide the front and back corners on both sides, and rubbed the wheel hubs with gauze for a few minutes to roughen the surface. Reinstall, brake adjustment again, test drive, problem resolved.
● Case 2
A customer at a service station in Quanzhou had their four-wheel maintenance done outside, and the brakes were still unevenly positioned. They came to the service station for inspection, and after disassembly and inspection, they ground the brake pads and hubs. After readjusting the brakes on all four wheels, they found it was still a bit lacking. They checked the brake valve, air pipeline, and adjustment arm, and found no issues.
After readjusting the rear brake pad, I found that the gap between the left brake pad and the hub was too large. I adjusted the rear brake again, then continued the test drive to solve the problem.
● Solution:
1: Factory brake pads tend to be stiff, so use an angle grinder to guide the brake pads to create a curve from both sides of the brake, then use gauze to roughen the brake pads to increase contact with the hub and provide more force. Then rub the rim with gauze for a few minutes to make the inside of the hub extremely rough.
2: Check if the brake lines have any wear or leaks, and if the brake calipers are leaking.
3: Check whether there is too much play in the brake adjustment arm and if the brake adjustment bolt also has too much play.
4: Check if the rear brakes on the left and right are balanced and if the brake gap is too large.
▎Solutions for Brake Pulling to One Side
1: If you’ve replaced the brake pads, use an angle grinder to sand them a bit, creating a curve on all sides, front and back. Then use some sandpaper to roughen the surface of the brake pads. Do the same for the inside of the wheel hub with sandpaper.
2: If the brake caliper is leaking air, you can replace the brake caliper piston seal—it’s not necessary to spend money replacing the whole caliper assembly.
3: Check the gap on the brake adjuster arm bolts. The normal gap should be around 0.5 mm. If it's too big, it's recommended to replace the adjuster arm.
4: If the rear wheel brakes are unbalanced, it can affect brake pulling on the front wheels. With the rear brakes working normally, tighten the front brakes and then loosen by three clicks on each rear wheel and four clicks on the front wheels.
Many truck drivers find that a few days after their four-wheel maintenance, the rear wheels often start leaking oil, causing the brakes to be ineffective and increasing the risk of traffic accidents.
● Specific Example 1
In 2020, a truck driver went to the Jiefang service station for repairs: after just having four-wheel maintenance done, he drove a few times on the highway and noticed that the rear wheels were leaking oil and the brakes weren’t working properly, almost causing a traffic accident.
After inspection, there was no issue with the wheel hub clearance. Upon disassembly, it was found that the rear wheel oil seal was damaged. Checking the clearance between the rear wheel hub and the bearing revealed that the bearing clearance was too large, and the ball bearings were abnormally worn. Replacing the wheel hub oil seal and bearings solved the problem.
● Specific Case 2
A truck friend went to a service station for a four-wheel maintenance and reported: although maintenance is done regularly, after driving two to three thousand kilometers each time, the left rear wheel often leaks oil. The wheel hub oil seal is replaced each time, but the leakage still occurs.
After disassembly and inspection, the wheel hub bearing, oil seal, and whether the wheel hub was misaligned were all checked and found to be normal.
When checking the hypoid gear backlash, it was found to be too large. After further inspection, it was confirmed that the problem was caused by excessive rear axle backlash, which triggered resonance and caused the rear wheel oil seals to continuously leak.
● Solution for Rear Wheel Oil Leakage
For each maintenance visit, it’s best to replace the rear wheel oil seal and the axle oil seal. Check the wheel hub clearance, bearing clearance, and whether the wheel hub is misaligned. Also, check whether the differential hypoid gear backlash is too large (excessive backlash can cause resonance, which can also lead to rear wheel oil leakage).
▎Summary:
Our vehicles are our best earning partners on the road. The performance of the vehicle directly affects operational efficiency, attendance rate, and even our safety as drivers.
The chassis, driving system, and brake system are especially critical. Every single bolt matters. As truck drivers, we need to be able to judge a vehicle’s performance and identify any faults. This isn’t just about improving attendance but ensuring our own safety on the road and the safety of other road users.
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