Driving without brakes is one of the most distressing and dangerous situations that may ocur. In this article, we would like to guide you in order to stop the truck safely.
How to react if the brakes are out of control is difficult to explain. As it is imagined, brakes are the most important active safety element in a truck, because they have functions to stop it. Without brakes it would be impossible for us to easily control our speed, and the risk of an accident might be so high.
They are so important, all manufacturers pay special attention to brake caliper kits and air brake components. However, it is also essential to take care of the air brake parts, what to do if they stop working while driving and how to check truck air brakes.
Braking appropriately is essential. Braking well means braking for a short time with high intensity, not being “on the brake” for two or three hundred meters .We are supposed to see the curve, approach and, assessing our speed, the type of curve and the circumstances of the truck, brake decisively and take our foot off the brake as we enter the curve, as we turn the wheel. By braking lightly and for a long time, we warm up the brakes and it leads to lose effectiveness. Heat is the great enemy of brakes. We tire the brakes by warming them up.
It is worth reminding our mechanic to check them regularly. The wear of the pads and, in the longer term, that of the discs happens without us even realizing it, because the system automatically compensates for the wear and, without revision, we can find the pads worn, scratch the discs. On the other hand, truck braking systems may lead to low levels of braking force in case of maintenance deficiencies. The truck driver can manage to stop the truck for normal operations such as slowing for a stop sign. However, when a high level of braking force is required in an emergency, these deficiencies show up. Even though the driver pushes the brakes very hard, he will not be able to get the sufficient result. In this case, the brakes are capable of slowing down the truck, but not as quickly as the driver expects them to. The driver may think that the brakes are not working at all. In fact, the brakes are working, but they do not meet the requirements for an emergency application.
By using the truck every day, we get used to its wear and tear. Air brake parts deteriorate. There are two clear indicators that we are running out of brakes: the pedal sinks a lot or the pedal is harder. If it sinks a lot, it is because the pads have worn a lot or we have lost brake fluid. The second is even worse than the first. On the other hand, if the pedal is spongy, it is because there is air in the circuit, so we will not be able to adjust braking well.