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Important Truck Brake Repair Facts

ByTsukasa Azuma-May 22, 2018

Like in vans and cars, truck brake failure is a common problem. In any vehicle, the braking system is the most important part. A heavy vehicle cruising at a high-speed may be hard to brake or slow down, if, especially, there is a brake problem. Brake manuals are available for large commercial vehicles, detailing the usage of the air brake. So, having necessary knowledge of doing a truck brake repair is necessary.

 

Common Problems

As like in passenger vehicles, you should replace master cylinders, brake pads, and wheel cylinders in large trucks as well. Since large trucks regularly cover long distance, frequent maintenance is essential. If you happen to be a driver of heavy trucks, then you are more likely to be familiar with truck brake repair. Air brakes are prone to different problems. So, there are many things to look out for. Apart from this, you can take some preventive measures to avoid truck brake failure.

 

Air Brakes

We need to replace the truck brake parts most of the time because of all the work it goes through. Just imagine when you have to drive on a steep road with 30 tons of load and have to stop or brake hard. Pressurized air is used in air brakes to halt a vehicle. And, there are some basics to follow when it comes to air brakes. 100 psi is the minimum effective for a large truck. And it should not take any more than 2 minutes to raise it from 85 psi to 100 psi. This is commonly known as the pressure buildup rate. Finally, the cut-out pressure rate has to be in between 120-135 psi.

 

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Common Problems with Air Brakes

To avoid truck brake failure, water build up in the air lines should be avoided. This is problematic, especially when you are trying to stop the vehicle during cold spells. Modern trucks come with automatic drain valves to counter this problem.

Air leakage from the line is commonly the result of faulty rubber seals. If there is too much leak, the air will not move. If it is the case, check the air couplers. Newbie drives often tend to brake the vehicle too much; this locks up the brake and leaves skid marks on the road. The brake system in modern trucks consists of dual brakes – one is for the anti-locking purpose.

Though air brakes are more effective than a regular braking system, there are many components that need be checked on a regular basis to avoid an untoward situation while driving. If you are the driver of a heavy truck, you should at least have some knowledge of how to adjust truck brakes.

 

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AuthorTsukasa Azuma
Tsukasa Azuma is an awesome car blogger of Car From Japan. He owns a car repair shop at downtown Osaka, and he put all that experience to good use in his sharing posts. Tsukasa’s blog is one of the best resources for information about keeping your favorite imported car running smoothly. Moreover, because of being passionate to learn about the recent happenings in auto industry, he doesn’t only provide great car maintenance tips, he also always updates latest trends in among car brands and share them in his own interesting viewpoint.

Comments

Marcus Coons06:53 June 04, 2019
Reply

It helped when you mentioned how you can have an air leak with your brakes. I can see that doing some research can help you find the best way to care for your type of car. As I see it, taking the time to compare several mechanics can help you find the best way to keep your type of truck in proper working order.

Yoshiko Flora11:18 April 10, 2019
Reply

Since you said that a truck driver should avoid getting water build up in its air line, my suggestion is to send it to a repair service as soon as possible in case this happens. Doing this will help extend its lifespan after getting it restored there. This will also prevent it from heading into an accident in the near future.

Caden Dahl11:44 October 23, 2018
Reply

With our big trucks, we have to replace worn parts just as we would on our cars. Now for me, I don’t have a large semi truck but if I did, I would for sure want the brakes to be working at all times. As you said, you should check the air brakes for any type of malfunction as you don’t want those to go out on you. I’d also have to have someone change them out for me if they needed replacement as I don’t know how to do that.

Livia Ann21:40 September 17, 2018
Reply

Thanks for sharing such an important article about the braking system of the vehicle. The brakes play a critical role in the performance of the vehicle as it could reduce the speed of the vehicle. So, it plays a crucial role to prevent any kind of major accidents which could endanger the life of a passenger. So, it is really essential to inspect the condition of the brakes at a regular interval and replace the abnormal components to ensure the smoother performance of the vehicle.

Jillian Church13:11 September 17, 2018
Reply

A friend of mine will be purchasing a truck for the business that he will start in the near future. I thought it would be helpful if I researched the things that he needs to be aware of, and I saw this article. You pointed out that trucks cover a lot of distance and frequent maintenance is essential for it to continue running smoothly. It’s good to know that there’s someone who shares the same sentiments as I. I will mention this to him since, for some reason, he usually forgets to maintain the brakes.

Millie Hue15:32 June 21, 2018
Reply

I wanted to thank you for the explanation about why the truck needs to have regular maintenance. Like you said, they cover long distance travels that is why it is essential, and the brakes of this type of vehicle are prone to problems. I will make sure that my uncle knows about this since he will be buying trucks this year to start a hauling business. He discovered that there is no such business in our neighborhood, so he thought that he can open this type of business without competition. This information will help him maintain his future trucks in good condition. Thanks!

Deb Pearl22:43 March 16, 2018
Reply

Thank you for all the information about air brakes. My husband really likes trucks and he is trying to repair an older truck. I’m glad you mentioned that pressurized air is used to halt the vehicle and you need a minimum of 100 psi for a large truck. I will have to let my husband know.

Taylor Bishop00:17 November 08, 2017
Reply

Thanks for helping me learn more about truck brake repairs. It’s interesting to think that this is usually repaired often because of how often it is used. I’m interested to learn if there is a repair schedule that you should adhere to, like if the brakes should be fixed about every few months.

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