Brake Maintenance - Trucks

by Mark Keegans Heavy Vehicle Tool Manufacturers

A vocational truck with several hundred heavy brake applications in a shift will generally need shorter brake system maintenance intervals than an on-highway truck with fewer applications per day. But an on-highway truck could experience more brake system issues than the vocational vehicle because very little heat is generated in the brakes. It is just as important to have in place a proper preventive truck brake maintenance for an on-highway truck as for a severe-duty vehicle. In addition to unsafe conditions like increased stopping distance and reduced braking capacity, brake failure can cost the driver up time and expensive repairs. And if the driver is caught with malfunctioning brakes by a roadside inspector, he risks being cited.

Vehicle Duty Sequence

Truck brake maintenance, particularly maintenance intervals for heavy-duty trucks, depends primarily on the vehicle duty sequence. There is a world of difference between a refuse truck that experiences 200-300 heavy brake applications in a shift and an over-the-road truck that may have two applications a day. Oddly enough, the easy-duty application present more problems than severe service, because very little heat is generated in the brakes. Over-the-road trucks might see 125-150 degrees in the brakes on average, where a refuse truck may well have brakes running 450-500 degrees. These severe applications result in premature lining wear out in as little as two months, requiring brake replacements every three times the shoes or pads are exchanged.

Over The Road Truck Maintenance

As far as over-the-road trucks are concerned, brake maintenance is usually done when mechanics routinely lubricating the chassis peer through the access holes in the dust shields - when they are fitted - to discover the linings are worn thin. One way to go about truck brake maintenance is to look at the date the truck is placed in service and the mileage at which 50 per cent of the brake block has been worn away as indicated by the gauge.

Set Up A Routine Plan

One should set up a truck brake maintenance routine plan for having a professional service the brakes on the truck. Ensure that the right tools are used for brake maintenance like Brakemate® which has been specifically designed as an elevated service platform thereby eliminating the need for manual lifting, this in turn reducing service time and is very cost effective. It is advisable for truck drivers to have the brakes inspected and maintained every time the truck's oil is changed to ensure on-road safety.

Summary: Resorting to short-cuts regarding brake jobs could cause uneven wear and substandard braking performance. Braking systems are vital to any vehicle, but a truck is perhaps the most critical type of vehicle when it comes to the importance of brakes.