Brake Fundamentals

Chapter 57

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Objectives
Explain the basic principles of braking, including
friction, pressure, and heat dissipation
Describe hydraulic system operation, including
master cylinder, control valves, and safety
switches
Understand the operation of power brakes

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Introduction
Kinetic energy: energy that wants to stay in
motion
Apply brakes to stop a car: dry friction changes
motion energy to heat energy
Temperature in brake linings can be 600F
Friction resists movement between surfaces
Coefficient of friction varies
Temperature, rubbing speed, surface condition
During a stop
Vehicle weight shifts to front brakes
Front breaks wear out faster
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 Brake Linings
Linings are bonded or riveted to disc backing
Newer pads integrally molded
Lining types
Asbestos linings: health hazard
Semimetallic linings: sponge iron and steel fibers
Metallic linings: used in heavy-duty and racing
conditions
Ceramic linings: use ceramic and copper fibers
to control heat

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Drum and Disc Brakes
Drum brake
systems
Metal brake drums
bolted to wheels
Disc brake systems
Rotor and caliper,
similar to bicycle

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Hydraulic Brake System
Operation
Brake pedal depression
Moves piston in master cylinder
Fluid under pressure is pushed to slave cylinder
Slave cylinders are located at each wheel
Pascals Law:
Pressure in an enclosed system is equal and
undiminished in all directions
Force = Pressure x Area
Force applied to brake linings increases with
larger diameter wheel cylinder

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Hydraulic Brake Fluid
Glycol-based fluids are hygroscopic
Absorb water
Brake fluid
Higher boiling point than water
DOT specifications
List both dry and wet boiling points

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 Brake Hose and Tubing
Steel hydraulic brake tubing
Runs the length of the vehicle
Rubber hoses connect steel tubing to other
components
Flexibility needed to allow wheels to pivot
Brake lines
Made of double-walled steel tubing coated with
rust-preventative material
Replacing brake lines: copy originals as closely
as possible

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Hydraulic System Operation
Driver depresses the brake pedal
Linkage applies force to piston at rear of master
cylinder
Master cylinder operation
Supplies hydraulic pressure to wheel cylinders
Primary cup compresses fluid when pedal is
depressed
Secondary cup keeps fluid from leaking out
Seal lips are directional
Seal installed backwards will leak

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 Low Brake Pedal
Low pedal
Brake pedal moves closer to floor before brakes
applied
Tandem master cylinder
Cylinder bore with two pistons and chambers
Master cylinder reservoirs
Prevented from vacuum locking
Rubber diaphragm in cover or plastic float
Master cylinders
Mounted on bulkhead
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 Split Hydraulic System
Longitudinally split system
Front and rear brakes: separate hydraulic
systems
Used on rear-wheel-drive vehicles
Diagonally split system
Operates brakes on opposite corners of vehicle
Used on front-wheel-drive vehicles
Front suspension geometry
Negates brakes tendency to pull to one side

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Quick Take-Up Master Cylinder
Some disc brake calipers are designed to have
less drag when brakes are not applied
More fluid needed to take up clearance
Quick take-up master cylinder
Moves larger amount of fluid when pedal first
applied
Rear of primary piston larger diameter than front
Larger part of bore allows piston to move large
volume of fluid more quickly

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

 2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning
 Drum Brakes
Found in some rear brake applications
Good initial stopping
Inexpensive, mechanical parking brake
Dual-servo drum brake
Self-energizing: during stopping, leading shoe
digs into brake drum
Servo action: small force applied to make larger
force
Leading-trailing brake
Non-servo brake with anchor at bottom end of
each shoe
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 Drum Brake Adjustment
Brakes wear: clearance increases between lining
and drum
Typical drum brake adjust has threaded shaft
attached to integral starwheel
Dual-servo self-adjusters operate when brakes
are applied during a stop when backing up
Brake fade: results with excessive brake heat
Drum brakes do not dissipate heat as well as disc
brakes
Increased heat causes drum to expand
More effort required to stop the car
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 Disc Brakes
Disc brake system has rotor and caliper
Caliper clamps friction pads against rotor
Rotors are solid or ventilated
Lightweight solid used in lighter cars
Ventilated have more surface area
Used in heavier vehicles
Brake calipers
Fixed caliper: pistons on both sides
Floating caliper: one to two pistons on one side

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 Disc Brakes (cont'd.)
Caliper pistons hollow and cup-shaped
Installed with open side against friction pad back
Rear disc brake systems
Have fixed or floating calipers
Linings are fastened to metal back
May have tabs on pad back that need to be bent
during installation
Some include wear sensor
Metal tab rubs against rotor when lining wears thin

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 Hydraulic System Valves and
Switches
Tandem systems have a hydraulic safety switch
Alerts drivers when half the system fails
Some master cylinders have a fluid level switch
Several designs

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 Hydraulic Control Valves
Metering valve
Used on front disc brakes when car has rear drum
brakes
Prevents front brakes applying until rear shoes
overcome spring pressure and contact drums
Unnecessary with four-wheel disc brakes
Proportioning valves
Prevent rear wheels from locking during hard stop
Newer cars
Equipped with antilock brakes
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 Power Brakes
Brake booster
Allows master cylinder to have larger bore
Brakes apply with less pedal travel
Has check valve to provide reserve braking
Vacuum-suspended power brake
Metal chamber divided by rubber diaphragm
Air enters through filter behind pedal pushrod boot
Other power brake types:
Hydraulic power assist, electric power assist, and
hydro-boost systems
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 Parking Brake
Must operate independently of service brakes
Cable connected hand brake or foot brake and to
an equalizer
Cable from each rear wheel is attached to both
sides
Pivots in center and applies each rear parking
brake equally
Warning light indicates when brake is applied
Helps prevent damage to braking system

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 Types of Parking Brakes
Drum brakes use integral-type parking brake
Cable-actuated bar applies drum-type brake
Drum-in-hat brake uses miniature drum and
shoes housed in rotor center
Parking brake may be integral to rear disc
service brakes
Independent-type emergency brake
May be internal-expanding type or external-
contracting type

2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning

Stoplight Switches and Antilock
Brakes
Stoplights are turned on by a stoplight switch
Pedal is depressed
Contacts complete circuit
Antilock brake systems (ABS) keep wheels from
locking up
Sensors and computer monitor wheel speed
Hybrid vehicle brake systems have same parts
as conventional systems
Regenerative braking and computer controls
operate hydraulic brake
2012 Delmar, Cengage Learning