Your brakes are your vehicle’s most important safety feature, which is why it’s critical to keep your brakes in strong working condition—not spongy, not slow, and not squealy. So, how do you know if you need to replace brakes or any brake system components? The truth is it’s not always obvious… for an obvious reason. Your brakes are designed to wear out gradually, so you have time to take your car in for brake service or a brake repair, before your brakes fail entirely. Read on for more information about car brake repair and what to watch out for when it’s time to replace brakes.
Air Brakes on a Truck Versus Hydraulic Brakes
The components of truck air brakes are what make up your truck’s entire braking system, any one of which may need to be repaired or replaced if you’re experiencing braking performance problems. Basically, these components are:
- Linings
- Drums
- Shoes
The brake drum is what houses the braking mechanism, so when the truck air brakes are engaged the lining and the shoe get pushed against the inside wall of the drum. The resulting friction is what slows or stops your truck. The drum is designed to take a lot of heat, and that comes from engaging the truck air brakes. The exact amount of heat depends on the drum, but it also depends on how hard and long the brakes are applied. If too much heat builds up, your brakes would stop working entirely.
Truck Brake Inspection Guidelines
In most cases, you can identify if your brakes need to be serviced or further examined by doing your own inspection. Here are some simple steps to doing so:
- Examine the air compressor drive belt’s shape and tightness to make sure it’s in good condition.
- Ensure that your truck is parked on a leveled surface and wedge your wheels to prevent movement.
- To shift the slack adjusters, make sure the parking brakes are released.
- You’ll know that the slack adjuster needs adjusting if it moves more than an inch where the push rod links to it.
- Check to see if your brake drums have splits longer than half the width of the friction area.
- Air hoses linked to the brake chambers should not be split or damaged because of rubbing.
- Linings shouldn’t be less than ¼ inch, unsecured, and must not be drenched in oil or grease.
Trust us With Your Brake Repair Needs
If you find that any of your braking system components is compromised in any way, our truck repair shop can take care of the brake repair or brake service you need to get back on the road in a safe and reliable rig. Call us today to schedule a brake inspection diagnostic, and we’ll get to the root of the problem that’s making you nervous about your brakes. If it’s simply been a while since you had your brakes serviced, we can also perform a brake maintenance check to put your mind at ease.