Of all the maintenance items you must handle to safely operate a vehicle, brake inspection, brake service, and brake repair may be the most important. After all, you can’t drive if you can’t stop, and your braking system is what allows you to do so. If you suspect a problem with your brakes, you may be asking yourself, “How do I repair brakes on my vehicle without losing significant time on the road and money out of my pocket?” First, it’s important to understand your vehicle brakes, and find an honest mechanic who will give you straightforward advice for brake service and brake repair.
All About Car Air Brakes & the Parts that May Need Brake Repair or Service
The components of car air brakes are what make up your vehicle’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 car 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 vehicle. The drum is designed to take a lot of heat, and that comes from engaging the vehicle 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.
Vehicle Brake Inspection Guidelines
To test your truck brakes to see if you need a brake repair or brake service, after starting your truck, build up the pressure to 90-110 lbs. Check your parking brake by:
- Applying the parking brake
- Shifting into gear
- Releasing the clutch
- Attempting to move
You should not move. Next, charge your car’s air system and allow the airlines to fill. (It will take about a minute to be able to check for leaks.) Apply 90 pounds of pressure and hold for one minute. Three psi should be the maximum leakage. Pumping the brakes should cause the light/alarm to activate, and if you keep pumping, the car’s protection valve should pop out. Then, running and in neutral, check to see how long it takes for the pressure to build back up to between 65 and 100 psi. As the pressure builds, the air governor should blow out.</p>
Call Us for Brake Service & Brake Repair
Don’t risk your safety or the safety of those with whom you share the road. If there is an issue with any aspect of your vehicle’s braking system, you should go a car repair shop for a brake inspection, brake service, and/or brake repair. In most cases, we can take care of a brake repair before the situation is truly dangerous, and you can feel confident getting behind the wheel of your truck once again. And with scheduled brake service, we can keep your car in peak stopping condition, so you never have to worry.