Descriptively, a braking system is a mechanical process that is initiated to stop a vehicle or in technical terms to dissipate or absorb the kinetic energy (through friction) that makes a car move. Thus, a heavy-duty braking system is a mechanically engineered hydraulic or air brake system fitted in heavy vehicles such as trucks, trailers, and tractors. In essence, given the mass and thus the potential terminal velocity of a heavy-duty vehicle, the brakes are among the most vital pieces of safety components that have a direct and significant impact or influence on the performance of the heavy-duty vehicle. In essence, this stopping system can determine the outcome of a life or death situation. Thus, the braking system including the brake pads should regularly be checked and inspected for wear and friction as part of the regular maintenance program. As discussed, this will not only save one’s life but also the medical and repair costs in the case of an accident.
Regular heavy-duty vehicles have common parts of a full-power hydraulic braking system such as a rotor or a massive flywheel accompanied by a caliper that holds the brake shoes to the rotor. Nonetheless, most modern heavy-duty vehicles have evolved in their braking system design including components such as the power brake booster placed between the brake pedal and the master cylinder. Descriptively, the power booster is a small vacuum booster that looks like a dark cylinder that allows the driver to apply more pressure to the master cylinder, and thereby, the breaks.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
While previous heavy-duty models were fitted with a full-power hydraulic brake system, current and advanced models have an air brake system –indicating advancement in mechanical engineering. For the latter, though elementary in design, it is complex in its systemic function. Thus, the following are the components of an air brake system of a heavy duty vehicle;
Compressor: Its purpose is to build up and maintain air pressure until when required or needed to operate the air-powered brakes.
Reservoirs: These are pressure-rated tanks used to store a supply of compressed air until when needed in braking.
Foot valve: This is a foot-operated valve that helps the driver modulate the amount of air supplied to the breaks.
Service-brake chambers: This component converts compressed air pressure energy into mechanical energy and movement which essentially helps in the application of heavy-duty vehicle brakes.
Brake shoes and drums: These are S-cam brake assembly components used on trailer and truck axles whereby the brake shoes through friction with the brake drum surface generate the heat required to stop a moving heavy-duty vehicle by absorbing the heat and dissipating the excess to the atmosphere.
The rationale behind the transition from hydraulic to air brake system is the fact that a significant amount of force is required to stop a heavy-duty vehicle, especially if it is moving at high speed. As such, given the weight of these vehicles, the force exerted by the drivers’ foot was noticed to be insufficient in the hydraulic braking system thereby necessitating the use of air as a medium of energy supply and transmission. The proffered advantages by this system other than being more powerful include no leaking problems, reduced costs because air is a free naturally available resource, no pressure drop, and the air is transmitted much faster thereby allowing for quick brake application in an emergency. Also, adding to its credit as well as efficiency, the heavy-duty air brake system incorporates yet another system referred to as the balancing brake system. This system essentially helps in applying equal air pressure to each brake chamber at the same time. This concept is fundamental in preventing permanent wheel lockup that could result in an uncontrollable jackknife movement potentially life-threatening. Thus, it is advisable that when repairing the air brake system to
Never substitute components with those of different sizes or lengths from the originals,
Ensure that straight fittings are never replaced with elbows, and
Ensure that there is a slack adjustment to achieve proper brake balance.
