The following was published in CCJ's Air Brake Book, 11th edition, sponsored by SilverbackHD. CCJ's Air Brake Book is a complementary industry resource, courtesy of our partnership with SilverbackHD, the Technology and Maintenance Council and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. You can download the entire Air Brake Bookhere.
ALLMAX Product Page
In trucking applications, friction is the force that slows the vehicle. The brake system is the means by which that force is applied, but the brake lining is actually the component that bears the brunt of all the heat, weight, energy and force created during braking.
Brake manufacturers conduct extensive laboratory testing to establish performance baselines for new linings. “Then we do field testing in addition to that to make sure they perform as intended, and that field testing can be several years,” said Scott Corbett, director of technical service and warranty for Haldex. “Some of the linings have as many as 11 different tests to pass, evaluating factors such as fade, wear characteristics, overall component and material performance and high- temperature performance.”
“… the golden rule of truck parts is that you get what you pay for … In everything there is cheap garbage, there is middle of the road reliable and there is high performance.” – Keith Roth, SilverbackHD Vice President of Operations
Additionally, Corbett said, tests are conducted on peripheral characteristics such as lining squeal and vibration. In all, he noted, it is not unusual for linings to undergo more than five years of extensive testing before being released into the marketplace. “Whether you’re working on a motorcycle or you’re working on a severe- duty off-highway vehicle, the concepts are basically the same,” said John Hawker, a retired consulting engineer that previously worked with Bendix and Dana. “You’re transferring energy and motion – kinetic energy – and converting it to heat. That’s what the friction material in a brake pad or shoe does.”
To understand exactly how a brake lining accomplishes this, think of the process of applying a brake pedal as a controlled burn. “Just like you burn fuel to make the vehicle go, you wear friction material to make the vehicle slow down,” explained Hawker.
Because brake linings are designed to wear as they do their job, it makes sense for manufacturers to design linings to last as long as possible to keep maintenance costs down and assure solid braking performance even in abrasive or severe operating conditions.
Each manufacturer guards the compound list for its proprietary brake lining materials with the same sort of zeal that Coca-Cola and KFC guard the ingredients in their products. “Brake linings are made out of many different materials,” Corbett noted. “You’ll find carbon and fiberglass. And there used to be asbestos until we removed it. But all lining manufacturers have special materials they put in lining, and the higher grade or more expensive the lining is, the more premium materials go into that lining.” Most brake linings consist of different amounts of materials blended together in such a way to maximize heat rejection and component life. These include but are not limited to: • Fiber materials, usually comprised of steel, carbon, fiberglass, synthetic or ceramics. • Abrasives such as aluminum oxide, magnesium oxide, zinc oxide and silicon carbide. • Friction modifiers. • Fillers, including inorganic, metallic and organic materials. • Binders, usually phenolic resins and rubber compounds. • Carbonaceous compounds such as coke, carbon and graphite. Each manufacturer blends these compounds in various amounts under computer control. The mix is pressure-cured in long slabs, then baked, cut and shaped. Rivet holes are drilled, and the lining is affixed to a shoe or pad. Samples are pulled and checked to ensure quality and durability, including analysis of moisture content, acidity, fiber size and ash content, among other tests.
Gauging lining life
Choosing the proper replacement and knowing when to replace brake linings is critical for performance, so manufacturers and industry organizations such as the Technology and Maintenance Council and the Society of Automotive Engineers go to great lengths to simplify the selection process when selecting replacement linings.
Common tools are friction thickness or lining thickness gauges built into a shoe or pad to enable technicians to determine at a glance how much useful life is left in the component. Many brake wear gauges have a minimum thickness check, but also have a 50% checkpoint on them. So, they not only will tell you when they need to be replaced, they also can allow you to project the remaining life left on the shoe or pad and schedule the brake maintenance for that vehicle in advance. Another point worth noting is that the majority of brake shoes are sold in kits, which typically consists of two shoes with all the applicable wheel-attaching hardware in the box so technicians will replace all of the wear components that are associated to that wheel end – such as anchor pins, springs, retaining springs and bushings – as well as check radial play in the camshaft and others items that are associated with that brake.
All quality brake shoes and pads will be marked with edge codes on the side of the friction material. These codes give crucial data about the part and help technicians ensure they are replacing it with one that offers comparable performance. Most edge codes start out, typically, by identifying the brand of the material in the pad. Naturally, the manufacturer will be noted as well. If the friction material is designed for extended service, for example, other information such as FMSI identification will follow along with mounting information that tells you if the shoe requires single or dual anchor pins. It also will have a coefficient of friction generated by the material – an alphabetical sequence designating the coefficient of friction for the lining material. Coefficient of friction can be identified as EE, FF or GG, for example. The higher the alphabet scale, the more aggressive the material.
A final piece of data on the edge code tells the batch – or specific manufacturing data – pertinent to the component. This is so that if there is a failure or performance issue with the material, it can be traced back to its manufacturing date, and even down to the exact time of the manufacturing process.
According to Hawker, the most important thing about the edge code of any friction material is the manufacturer’s name. “You need to know who manufactured that part so you know it’s being backed by somebody,” he stressed. “There are many ‘will fit,’ ‘could fit,’ ‘might fit,’ copycat and even counterfeit parts out there on the market today. One part may very well look like the one you’ve just pulled off a truck. But if there’s no name on it, I sure wouldn’t put it on a vehicle, because I wouldn’t want the liability and responsibility that I installed something that’s suspect.”
A fine line
The alphabetical codes found on the side of a brake pad or shoe also can help you select the appropriate lining material mix for the application at hand, said Corbett. “If you have a severe-duty cycle application, like cement mixers, you’re going to need a different material grade than you would for a linehaul-type application,” he noted. “But don’t just depend on edge codes alone.”
All manufacturers provide weight charts that detail how a particular lining corresponds to the weight a vehicle hauls. It’s an easy way to make sure that you’ve done your homework and you’ve chosen the appropriate lining on for the job.
But simply increasing the level of friction material aggressiveness to meet more severe duty cycles is not always the best course of action when optimizing brake linings. “It is a balancing act,” Hawker stressed. “You have to take other factors beyond the friction material into account as well.”
Those factors include air valves, drums, slack adjusters and chamber size. Naturally, a different working environment or driving condition may necessitate changes to a vehicle’s brakes. But simply putting an aggressive brake lining on and assuming that will fix everything is a mistake.
One final piece of the puzzle is the driver. As Corbett noted, nothing affects lining wear like bad habits behind the wheel.
If you are looking for more details, kindly visit heavy duty truck brake lining.
“Excessive braking, running up on stoplights and hitting the brakes at the last minute – all of that takes a toll,” he said.
Heat is another critical factor. “Drum-type brakes are effective up to a certain temperature, and then they start to fade away,” said Corbett. “If a driver keeps his brakes cool and doesn’t abuse them, he’s always got that maximum amount of stopping power if he gets into an emergency. If a driver rides the brakes or overheats them and gets into an emergency situation, he may not have enough stopping power to do what he needs, so it’s important to coach drivers and get them to help you get the most out of the brake linings on that vehicle.”
OEM or aftermarket?
OEM quality or equivalent parts are recommended to ensure that fleets install the same (or better) high-quality components that were designed for the vehicle, but SilverbackHD Vice President of Operations Keith Roth said OEMs can be in a tough spot in that most components are designed to meet certain minimum performance characteristics specified by the engineering department of a component and vehicle manufacturer.
“These specifications are often a balance between meeting certain government required regulations, along with considerations for price and life cycle,” he said. “In the aftermarket, you have the OEM original component as the benchmark, with various performance and cost alternatives competing with this benchmark.”
On one side are the lower cost options. Relined shoes, for example, will perform ok but not as well the as new steel shoes with the same friction, because relined shoes usually have some roughness to the table due to previous corrosion. That, in turn, provides uneven reduced heat dissipation versus a new shoe that will provide a longer life span, according to Roth.
On the other hand, a better performing product is often available in the aftermarket versus the original OEM product – for example, an advanced friction formula that may provide longer life versus the original OEM design, but the OEM chose not to use it because of an increased cost in the production of the vehicle.
“An example of this would be the piston-style spring brake that was subject to high corrosion rates on the exposed piston, which all North American truck OEMs used for vehicle production up until the mid-s when fleets demanded that truck OEMs start using the superior double diaphragm design () sold only by the aftermarket,” Roth said. “That is now still the standard today.”
Roth said the golden rule of truck parts is “that you get what you pay for, so be careful who you choose as a partner parts supplier. In everything there is cheap garbage, there is middle of the road reliable and there is high-performance,” he added. “Fleets need to make sure they are buying replacement components from reliable part supplier partners that are committed to lowering their cost per mile.”
The safety of drivers and passengers on the road depends on a well-maintained semi-truck. One of the most important components of a truck's safety system is its brakes. Keeping the brakes in good working order is essential to prevent accidents, minimize the impact of wear and tear, and ensure that the vehicle can stop quickly when necessary. In this article, we will discuss when you should replace your semi-truck brake lining.
Signs That Your brake lining Needs to Be Changed
The brake lining for each brake should be no less than in truck.
The brake lining is part of the truck's brake system that comes in direct contact with the brake drum or rotor. Over time, the lining wears down and needs to be replaced. There are several signs that indicate that your brake lining needs to be changed. One of the simplest and most obvious signs is when the lining has worn down to its limit and has become too thin to perform efficiently. If you notice that your semi-truck's brake pedal has less resistance and takes longer to stop, it's time to check your brake lining. When you examine your Brake Pad, if you find that it has less than ¼ inch thickness of lining, it's time to replace it.
Another warning that your brake lining is worn out is squeaking or grinding noises when you apply the brakes. This sound is caused by the metal backing of the brake pad coming into contact with the metal rotor or drum. It's crucial to address such sound immediately as it can cause further damage to the brake and rotor.
The Importance of Replacing Brake Lining on Time
Replacing the brake lining is critical to your truck's safety as it plays a significant role in the vehicle's braking performance, which translates into stopping the truck quickly and reliably. If you neglect to replace your brake lining on time, it can result in a brake failure that can cause an accident on the road. Failing to change the brake lining on time can cause the brake's metal backing to rub against the metal rotor or drum; this can cause costly damage to the truck's braking system.
How Often Should You Replace the Brake Lining?
The average lifespan of a semi-truck brake lining varies depending on the driver's operation habits and the type of roads they drive on frequently. However, for most trucks, brake linings should be replaced every 100,000 miles. Occasionally, frequent hard braking or hauling heavy loads can significantly shorten your brake lining's life - in these instances, you should replace them more frequently.
Contact us for more information about semi-truck maintenance.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the brake system is the most important safety feature of a semi-truck. Keeping your brake lining in good condition is necessary to minimize the impact of wear and tear and to ensure that your truck can stop promptly and efficiently. Signs that your lining needs replacement include a ling brake pedal and metal on metal sounds. Replacing the brake lining is critical for your safety and your truck's maintenance, and it's necessary to replace your brake lining every 100,000 miles - with more frequent replacements, if necessary. If you have any questions or concerns about semi-truck maintenance, please feel free to contact us. As your trusted supplier, we are more than happy to help you keep your truck in excellent condition.
We are commitment to offer you the aggressive price tag ,exceptional products and solutions high-quality, as well as fast delivery for High Quality Brake Pad Supplier,Passenger Car Brake Pad,Disc Brake Pads,BPW Brake Pads,Truck Brake Pad Supplier,Passenger Car Brake Pad,Heavy Duty Truck Brake Lining,heavy duty truck brakes
Contact us to discuss your requirements of Truck Brake Pads manufacturer. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.
Comments
All Comments (0)