'96 Miata pulls right under hard braking

I bought a 1996 Miata (47k miles!) a couple months ago and just got around to installing some fresh Hawk HPS pads on all corners. During the bedding in process, I noticed she pulls to the right under threshold braking. The steering wheel does not pull during braking, but the rest of the car certainly wants to. Tire pressures are even & correct and all of the floating pins are free (calipers are like new).

I'm thinking either bad suspension bushings or rear brake issues...any thoughts?

Drive it down a straight, empty road for a short distance using as little brake as possible. Get out and see if the right rear wheel is hotter than the left.

I brought my infrared temp gun along for your test, they were within a degree.

Are the rear calipers adjusted with the same gap left to right? You can adjust this the adjustment allen head screw on the back of the caliper under the 14mm cap bolt.

CGLockRacer wrote: Are the rear calipers adjusted with the same gap left to right? You can adjust this the adjustment allen head screw on the back of the caliper under the 14mm cap bolt.

I forgot about those...

I fiddled with that adjustment several times and have concluded it only really effects the E-brake. That said, I DID adjust it according to what the manual says when I was done.

I'm thinking it's clapped out right front control arm bushings now... For most of this week it will be cold & wet in Wisconsin, great weather to get sick & die under a car. =o[

Another person in Wisconsin! Welcome to the nut house.

I think you are right.

sounds like a suspension problem.

Have you checked the alignment to eliminate that possibility?

Well, it has been a couple months since it was on the rack but no, not since this braking problem.

I did get under the car today, and found rubber 'strings' hanging out of the right front upper control arm bushings. This didn't register in my mind relevant 'till now, but the previous owner stored the car on jack stands...with suspension fully extended. I don't think preloaded rubber bushings like being treated that way, correct me if I'm wrong.