Brakes and Steering

[av4625]

Ive just got a 197 that I'm getting ready for sprints and hillclimbs next year. I have a few questions about it

When I brought the car home i noticed it pulled a little to the right when braking. Drove straight when driving. Now I know the front pads are very low but I didn't mind as I wanted to put good ones on, something like PFC Z rated or something in that price range. Could this be because the pads are low, or is it likely to be a sticky calliper or any other known issues?

Also when I was moving the car around the driveway, I noticed when going lock to lock that there was a little clunky feeling at times. The word clunk sounds harsh as it was very slight. Im nearly sure the guy I bought it off said it already had a steering rack. So maybe look at track rods, joints, etc? I also saw in the pinned post about this on this forum a guy got a bush and it solved it and another guy got a new nut and bolt and solved it.

The car also came on spacers, not sure the size yet as haven't had them off, stating this incase it affects anything. Im not a mechanic or anything so i may have messed up the name of some things

 

[Big Ben]

Clonking seems more likely to be a lower ball joint. Common problem

 

[Dumdum]

Jack the car up and on each side in turn take a firm grip of the wheel top and bottom and attempt rock the wheel, then do the same left to right, top to bottom is potentially one of the ball joints, left to right is a track rod end, I’d expect a new rack to come with rack ends

 

[av4625]

Jack the car up and on each side in turn take a firm grip of the wheel top and bottom and attempt rock the wheel, then do the same left to right, top to bottom is potentially one of the ball joints, left to right is a track rod end, I’d expect a new rack to come with rack ends

Couldn't really find any movement when jacking the car up

 

[av4625]

This is what it sounds like. Sounds worse when you do it fast back and forth like that. The video also seems to make it louder that it maybe is. I don't think you can really hear the sound outside the car. Sounds like it is near the steering wheel or maybe near that joint that the steering wheel turns behind the pedals.

 

[Dumdum]

Might be worth nipping the Universal joint up (that joint that moves near the pedals) but If that doesn’t cure it you need to put your hand on the shaft (ooerrr missus) and get someone to rock the steering back and forth so it makes the noise, move your hand up and down and watch your fingers don’t get squished/crushed/trapped feel up and down the shaft towards and away from the UJ and see where it feels worse/better, maybe apply a finger and thumb to the UJ and see if you can feel it clicking in time...