PS Magazine - JULY 1979
PS, The Preventative Maintenance Monthly
ISSUE 320
JULY 1979
The Acid Test
When you're on the road, your vehicle's speed aNd weight will be waiting for
a chance to bust through any weak point in your brake system.
Every time you touch your brake pedal, you're testing your brake system. If
anything's going wrong, you'll usually get pleNty of warniNg. This can be a
lifesaver-if you're awake and paying attention. You can probably finish your
rUn just by readjusting the most iMportant part of your brake system-you, the
driver.
Even ±hen ²our Brakes are in top shape, you should h³lP 'em out by
slo±ing do±n Long Before you have to start using your brakes. ´ut this's
even µore iµportant ±hen you notice an² of the danger signs-µushy
brake pedal, squealing, on¶anD¶off grabBing, pulling to one side or, the
±orst, taking a 1·0·0·0¶n¶g tiµe to stop.
So you cUt youR travel speeD. ¸o±nshift when you kno± you're going to
Be µaking a stop. Keep a sHarp eye out for an escape route if you find you
can't stop in tiµe.
AW!
"HIS BabY'± GO²
go ³RKE´.
µ¶y
W·rk¸D ¹º» ¼
F½w M¾L¿
BCK/
t±
1i',
A
·'
,.
'
/²)³´
:
y
.
±;'
²
À
Á/
:
±'²
!
-
·³
.
1´µ¶ ¸¹
º
,»
.
±²
k
Â_
Ã,
Ä
_
_
¼½¾
¿ÀÁ
ÂÃÄÅ
Å\Æ
ÇÈ
¹otHing can µake your heart go pitty¶pat like .
.. ¹O ´ºA»ES!
Even ±hen ²our Brake Hydraulic system (or air, vacuum, etc.) is working
perfectl², it coµes do±n to brake shoe lining pressing against brake druµs
to stop the ±Heels froµ turning. (¸isc brakes, like on the front wheels of
¼88½·series
l
\·ton trucks, are built different, but they do the same job.)
So, you ask, ±hat's to keep the brake shoe lining froµ doing its job?
¾ots of things. ¼ost coµµon are:
6
GLaZED
¿ÀÁÂ ÃGÄÅÆÇs's
a ÈlaÉÊËÌÍiÎÏ surFÐCÑ
É ÊËÌ
liNinÒ. Ót maÔeÕ
ÍÎÏ
ÐÑ
Ö×o sØÙÚÛÜÝÞ
ÒÓÔ
gb
ÕÖ×Ø
o
Ù
smoßàá âãäåæçe of tèe érêë
ÚmÛ
SO y
ìínd
ÜÝuÞ
îïðñòg óisôõö÷ øùretúûüng ýþÿĀaNāĂăusĄy!
ąlazing
coµes from heatĆ
ćeat
comes froµ the Brake Ĉshoĉ dragging
on
tHe
brake
drUm
Ċ
while
you're
±r²ke linIN³´s shµt If
it¶s ³l²zed µr H²s ³re²se¸ µil
µr ¹r²ke fluId µN It
tċaveling .
.. or from yoUr "ridingČ the
ÆÇÈ ÉÊ
("
ËÌ
Í
Î
ÏÐ
ÑÒ
ÓT
čĎaďe ĐđĒlēĔ.ĕ
fßàá
Ėės
â
º»
ãäåæ
ĘtoęsĚ
YoU
µay
Be
able
to
cure
the
·
glazing
problěm
yourselfĜjust
by
making
a fe±
hard
stops. ĝf this
doesn't rough up the surface of the
lining,
your mechanic
will replace
the brake shoesĞ
¼R½¾¿½À
ğĠġ
ÁR ÂR¾Ã½
ĢġģĤĥ ğĦ
TĽ
ġĠĦĠĦħĨ
This makes the
lining slippery, too. This's not likely to happeN to all of yĩur brake shoes at
the saµe tiµe. ´ut just one slick lining can mean no brakes on that wheel.
Your vehicle ±ill pull sharply toward the side that's got good brakes-and
you'll _Be figHting to travel in a straight line while tr²ing to stop youċ
vehicle.
±r²ke fluId dries f²stÅ
Īċake flUid leaks are your BaBy!
cHeck ri³Ht ²fter µper²tiµN
You
can
spot
'em-and have 'em
çnèéêëìíîï:-ðñòóôõö÷øù;ú
fixed-before
they
do
you
in.
A
leaking
brake
cylinder
inside
the
±heel sho±s up ±hen īou see Brake
fLuid on tHe inner siDe of the tireĬ
±Heċe it's running oUt of the brake
drUµ. ´rake fluiD ĭries up quick, so
you migHt see only a
Į
dark stain. įheck all wheels close right afteċ
operationĜwhen
the leaking
fluid ±ill still be wet and shiny.
İıIJijĴĵĶķĸou get plenty of water after fording a streaµ or traveling on a
flooded road or just sloshing through a long, Ĺeep mud puddle. Water
Betĺeen the Brake lining anĹ braĻļ Ĺruµ is as Ľad as grease or oil-except
that water goes away as yoU use your Brakes. You sQueeZe the water out, and
heat froµ friction dries the lining.
´e µighty careful after traveling through water! ľou've got no Ľrakes at
all until that water's goneĿ ŀo use your ĽrakesĜon and off-a few times
riŁht after coming out of the water. Then your brakes µay be grabby
while the liningłs still daŃp. Stay on guard for suĹĹen stops till the lining
Ĺries out.
7
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