

“This is particularly true when it comes to brake friction, where the aftermarket is more crowded than ever, and the wrong choice can actually harm your system and your vehicle safety,” Holley said. When it’s time to replace a component in your brake system, whether it’s at the wheel-end or in the air supply, be sure to select parts that won’t degrade the performance level or bring it below the original equipment manufacturer’s standards. Improperly adjusted brakes can also drag – impacting fuel efficiency and speeding up pad wear – or experience decreased stopping power. “The difference between these is the brake stroke, and its maximum length depends upon the brake chamber type and size.” “Measuring a drum brake’s chamber stroke is a matter of checking the distance from the air chamber to the clevis pin with the brakes released, and then again after a fully charged brake application,” Holley explained. Because air disc brakes include an internal adjustment mechanism, their brake stroke is not measured externally, as is the case with drum brakes. What you do in the shop and during pre-trip walkarounds – looking at every aspect of your vehicle – can make an important difference on the road and during a brake system inspection, simply by catching brake-related issues before they become problems.Īir disc brakes and drum brakes have a few differing maintenance needs where Brake Safety Week is concerned, key among them the measurement of brake stroke.
UTILITY BENDIX ABS LIGHT ISSUES DRIVERS
“Additionally, Bendix recommends that before drivers get on the road, they routinely perform 90- to 100-psi brake applications – with the wheels chocked and the parking brakes released – and listen for leaks that might be attributed to hoses and/or tubing.” “Any time you’ve got a vehicle in the shop, it’s also worth greasing the S-cam brake tubes and automatic slack adjusters: This quick process helps prevent rust and corrosion, and helps keep the slack functioning properly,” said Mark Holley, Bendix director of marketing and customer solutions – Wheel-End. Check for moisture in the air system to prevent contamination that leads to component deterioration and system leaks.Inspect drum brake linings for wear and cracks.Check air disc brake rotors for cracks.Perform a 90- to 100-psi brake application with the wheels chocked and the parking brakes released, and listen for leaks.Examine tubing and hose condition, positioning, and connections.

Different angles can indicate an out-of-adjustment brake or a broken spring brake power spring. Make sure slack adjusters on each axle are extended out to the same angle.Check for damaged or loose-hanging air chambers, pushrods, or slack adjusters.

What you do in the shop and during pre-trip walkarounds – looking at every aspect of your vehicle – can make an important difference on the road and during a brake system inspection, simply by catching brake-related issues before they become problems. The event involves local, state, provincial, territorial, and federal motor carrier safety officials in the United States, Canada, and Mexico inspecting large trucks and buses, focusing on brake system violations.

UTILITY BENDIX ABS LIGHT ISSUES FULL
“Now is the time for fleets and owner-operators to prepare, not just with the goal of passing inspections, but to help make sure vehicles are running at their safest, and that today’s higher-level safety systems like full stability and collision mitigation are supported by optimally maintained brakes at the wheel-ends.”īrake Safety Week is part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake initiative – an outreach and enforcement campaign that aims to reduce the number of highway crashes caused by faulty brake systems on commercial motor vehicles. “So many of these out-of-service violations – situations that present actual hazards to roadway safety for the drivers and everyone around them – are preventable through proper maintenance practices and regular equipment examination,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director – demos, sales, and service training.
