Introduction

The Brake System

Braking action on wheeled vehicles is the use of a controlled force to hold, stop, or reduce the speed of a vehicle. Many factors must be considered when designing the braking system for an automotive item. The vehicle weight, size of tires, and type of suspension are but a few that influence the design of a system.

The power needed to brake a vehicle is equal to that needed to make it go. However, for safety reasons, brakes must be able to stop the car in a very short distance. As an example, a passenger car equipped with an 80-HP engine can normally accelerate from a standstill to 60 MPH in about 36 seconds. On the other hand, the brakes must be able to decelerate the vehicle from 60 MPH to a stop in 4 1/2 seconds. You can therefore see the braking force is about eight times greater than the power developed by the engine.

Each part in the braking system must operate with a very positive action to accomplish this tremendous braking effort. The job of a wheeled vehicle mechanic is to maintain the braking components in a state of repair that ensures serviceable brakes when needed. For you to keep brake system components in a working shape, you must understand how the system works. In this lesson, we will discuss the principles of operation for components contained in various types of braking systems.

Braking action is the use of a controlled force to slow the speed of or stop a moving object, in this case a vehicle. It is necessary to know what friction is to understand braking action.
Friction is the resistance to movement between two surfaces or objects that are touching each other. Friction is always measured for pairs of surfaces, using what is called a coefficient of friction.

A low coefficient of friction for a pair of surfaces means they can move easily over each other. Ice and metal have a low coefficient of friction, so metal ice skates slide easily on ice.
A high coefficient of friction for a pair of surfaces means they cannot move easily over each other. Rubber tires and dry road surfaces have a high coefficient of friction, so they tend to grip each other. That means tires don't slide easily when you apply the brakes or turn your vehicle into a corner.

An example of friction is the force which tries to stop your hand as you apply pressure and slide it across a table or desk. This means that by forcing the surface of an object that is not moving (stationary) against a moving object's surface, the resistance to movement or the rubbing action between the two surfaces of the objects will slow down the moving surface. Automotive vehicles are braked in this manner.

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Article Pages
1. The Brake System
2. Introduction
3. Principles Of Braking
4. Braking Requirements
5. Factors Controlling Retardation
6. External-Contracting And Internal-Expanding Brakes
7. Brake Types
8. Brake Drum Construction
9. Brake Shoes
10. Rotating And Non-Rotating Units
11. Self-Energizing Action
12. Disc Brake
13. Comparing Disc And Drum Brakes
14. Floating Caliper
15. Fixed Caliper
16. Hydraulic Brakes
17. Master Cylinder
18. Wheel Cylinder
19. Hydraulic Brake System Insepction
20. Before Road Test Inspection
21. Road Test Inspection
22. After Road Test Inspection
23. Air-Hydraulic Brake System
24. Air-Hydraulic Master Cylinder
25. Air-Hydraulic Cylinder
26. Air Compressor
27. Air Governor
28. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Components
29. Trailer Coupling Hoses And Connectors
30. Air-Over Hydraulic Cylinder
31. Operation Of Air-Hydraulic Brakes
32. Air-Hydraulic Brakes Of Large Trucks
33. Trailer Air-Over-Hydraulic Brake Systems
34. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Inspection
35. Before Road Test Inspection
36. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Road Inspection
37. Trouble Shooting Air-Hydraulic Brakes
38. Air-Brake System
39. Air-Brake Quick Release Valve
40. Air-Brake Relay Valve
41. Air-Brake Chamber
42. Air-Brake Slack Adjuster
43. Air-Brake Auxiliary Components
44. Semi-Trailer Air Brake Systems
45. Operation Of Straight Air-Brake System
46. Miscellaneous Air-Brake Components
47. Troubleshooting Straight Air Brake Systems

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