Advice on lock-up

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Mon 12 Dec 2005 23:41
Advice on lock-up - Teapot42
I wonder if anyone can advise me on the following...

Driving home tonight I had a last-minute change of mind at some traffic lights (further than I estimated away when they changed to amber plus conscious there was a camera on them) so I braked - harder than normal but not excessively hard. Got quite a surprise when the car veered left and tried to change ends - luckily I controlled it without too much trouble.

Now, I'm wondering what would cause this to happen? The wheel locked as it swerved but I didn't feel a skid so unlikely to be ice (temperature was showing above 0 anyway). I'm wondering if it could be related to an accident I was in a few months back. That was a straight-on hit but I'm not massively confident with the job the repairers did. The car doesn't noticable pull in normal driving but there is a bit of a judder at 70ish+ on the motorway.

Alternatively, a few years back the council put in some very bad speed bumps near me that you can't help but hit badly and at an angle (would be nice if they actually put them parallel to the kerbs and kept the ramp up to them angled rather than at 90 degrees..) and I wonder if maybe these have just worn out my suspension? That said, I braked harder trying to avoid the accident and the car didn't deviate from straight-on at all....

Any advice, suggestions on how I can get it checked out and things to try to determine the problem most appreciated!
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Tue 13 Dec 2005 00:33
Advice on lock-up - David Horn
What car was it? I had a similar problem after hitting a patch of diesel or oil with one wheel on the motorway during hard braking last year when a car pulled out of out of a sliproad after misjudging the distance.

One front wheel locked, the other didn't, and the back started to swing out. I controlled it (due more to dumb luck than any particular skill) and took the car at slow speed to the nearest garage. They did a brake test and confirmed it was all OK, though it scared the hell out of me.

Most places will do a free brake test if you ask nicely.
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Tue 13 Dec 2005 16:55
Advice on lock-up - mike hannon
Sounds as though it could have been a diesel spill and not the fault of the car. I had it happen a couple of years ago when I braked the Volvo 940 estate I was driving for a light-controlled junction in the normal way and the old brick outhouse just sailed straight on. Luckily, nothing was crossing...
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Tue 13 Dec 2005 21:11
Advice on lock-up - Glaikit Wee Scunner {P}
Try similar braking on a quiet bit of road (make sure no-one is behind you!). As said before ,likely to be Diesel spillage or even a rusty brake disc. If problem still occurs then you'll need to investigate further.
--
I wasna fu but just had plenty.
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Wed 14 Dec 2005 09:22
Advice on lock-up - sierraman
Just the other day,on braking,my car pulled hard to the right as though the N/S calliper was not working.It has been fine since,so must have been something on the road.
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Wed 14 Dec 2005 09:40
Advice on lock-up - Armitage Shanks {p}
Probably was some substance on the road. Areas where vehicles regularly stop are heavily contaminated with noxious drippings from the undersides of vehicles. For a good example go and look at the stopping areas in your local bus station, if you have one - they are really vile.
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