Braking Systems Flashcards
What are the 3 needs for brakes?
- The vehicles own kinetic energy will keep it moving considerable distances
- The driver must be able to slow or stop the SAE in a controlled and safe manner
- The driver operator must be able to hold the vehicle in a parked or stationary position.
What is kinetic energy mainly converted in to in a braking system?
Heat Energy
What controls the rate of deceleration/retardation?
The speed of energy conversion
What causes the conversion of kinetic energy to heat energy?
The contact of a non rotating object against a rotating object
How many ways does there need to be to stop a car?
2 ways
What does a mechanical braking system provide the operator with?
- The means to safely slow down and stop ASE under controlled conditions
- The ability to prevent ASE movement when parking
What do the adjustable rods do in a mechanical braking system?
Link the cross shaft to the brake operating levers
What does the cross shaft do in a mechanical braking system?
Balances the application of the brakes to all four wheels.
What are put in place in a mechanical braking system to take up any unequal adjustment?
Compensators
What does a fully compensated brake system ensure?
- Each brake is applied at the same time
- Each brake receives its equal share of the braking effort
How many compensators does a mechanical braking system need to achieve full compensation and where are they?
- 3
- Front
- Rear
- Centre (to equalise the front and rear)
What are the purposes of a back plate?
- Acts as a mount for everything
- Acts as a seal to stop the ingress of debris, dirt and water
What is the purpose of the brake shoe anchor?
- To prevent the brake shoes from rotating
- Provides the leverage point for the shoe to act against
- Houses an integral adjuster to adjust the shoe drum clearance
What is the purpose of an adjustor in a drum brake?
To maintain a small gap as the brakes wear to provide instant braking
What does a cam expander do?
- Provides a locating point for the brake shoes
- Provides the leverage to force the brake shoes against the brake drum
What two methods are friction lining attached to the web?
- Bonded
- Riveted
What are steady posts also known as?
Brake shoe hold downs
What are the purpose of steady posts?
To ensure maximum contact and surface area of the lining against the drum
What two types of steady posts are there?
- Spring stead post (hold on)
- Adjustable steady post (hold off)
What is the major disadvantage of drum and shoe brakes?
- Brake fade
What are the purpose of return springs?
- To return the brakes to the off position
Why are return springs different colours?
To differentiate between different strengths
What mechanism does a basic handbrake use to lock it in place?
A pawl and ratchet
What are the two types of handbrake designs?
- Rear wheel
- Transmission brake
What is self energizing or ‘self wrapping’?
Where the shoes come into contact with the drum that enhances brake effort disproportionally to the effort exerted by the driver at the pedal
What two arrangements of brake shoe are there?
- Leading shoe
- Trailing shoe
how do you identify a leading shoe?
It is the first shoe after the expander in the direction of rotation
Wat is the main advantage of a leading and trailing shoe set up?
It gives equal braking effort in reverse, as the shoes change roles
How can the braking effort be increased even further? And what is it called?
Make both the shoes leading so that are both self energizing.
Called twin leading shoes
How can you achieve a twin leading shoe set up?
Place another cam expander at the bottom to make the trailing shoes contact point lower
What is the disadvantage of twin leading shoes?
In reverse the twin leading shoes becoming twin trailing shoes and reduces brake effort
What is the best brake set up for a 4 wheeled ASE?
Twin leading on the front axle and leading trailing on the rear axle
What problems does a hydraulic braking system overcome?
Routeing rods and linkages around moving parts of suspension and steering systems
What properties must brake fluid have?
- Low viscosity
- Compatibility with rubber components
- Other fluid compatibility
- Resistance to chemical ageing
- High boiling point
- Low freezing point
What is the disadvantage of brake fluid?
It is hygroscopic (absorbs moisture from the air)
When should brake fluid be changed?
- When laid down in the AESP
- When found to be contaminated
To avoid severe damage to seals, what type of brake fluid must be used and what shouldnt?
- Mineral based should not be used
- Vegetable based should be
What is the most common brake fluid used in the RAF?
OX8
Why must there be free play in the brake pedal?
To ensure the full release of the brake
How many seals are mounted on the piston in a hydraulic brake system? And what are they called?
- 2
- Primary cup and secondary cup (primary in front of the piston)
What is the check valve for on a hydraulic cylinder?
- To allow fluid flow in both directions
- Maintain a pressure in the lines to aid in bleeding
What causes fluid to move in to the front chamber when the brake is off?
Atmospheric pressure in the reservoir is higher than the pressure in the front chamber
What is the major disadvantage of a single piston barrel type master cylinder?
If there is a break in the brake pipe the braking ability will be lost
How was the issue with a single piston barrel type master cylinder overcome?
A system was designed called a divided-line braking circuit where the braking system is split into two circuits
What type of cylinder does a divided-line braking circuit use?
A double acting/tandem master cylinder
What two reservoir options are there in a double acting master cylinder?
- 2 reservoirs
- 1 reservoir with 2 chambers
What 3 configurations of divided line circuits are there?
- Front/Rear split
- X split
- L split
What is the pressure differential warning indicator used for?
Signals when the pressure between the two lines of a split system is unequal
What are characteristics of brake pipes?
- Narrow bore
- Usually made of steel
- Seamless
Why are brake hoses made of rubber?
To absorb steering and suspension movement
What 2 common types of wheel cylinder are there?
- Double acting
- Single acting
What 3 types of manual adjuster are there?
- Snail cam
- Wedge and tappet
- Screwed plug type
What is the name of the peg that is attached to the back of the brake shoe?
- Striker pin
What are the two variants of automatic adjuster?
- Foot brake adjuster
- Handbrake adjuster
Where are hydraulic brake systems most commonly used?
On light vehicles
What are the advantages of a hydraulic braking system?
- Fully compensated (pressure is passed to each brake evenly)
- High efficiency
- They allow for suspension and steering movement
- Distribution of brake pressure from master cylinder can be changed
What two types of rotor are there in a disc and pad configuration?
- Solid Rotor
- Vented Rotor
What is the purpose of a groove in a brake pad?
To aid in the removal of dust
What designs of calliper are there?
- Opposed twin piston brake calliper
- Single feed 4 piston
- Twin feed 4 piston L split system
- Floating calliper
What retracts the piston in a calliper when the brakes are released?
The seal between the piston and the cylinder
What are the 3 purposes of the seal in a calliper?
- Prevents the leakage of brake fluid
- Returns the pads to there original position
- Acts as a self adjuster when pads wear
What is the main purpose for having a single feed 4 piston calliper?
Space saving
What is the main purpose for using a twin feed 4 cylinder over a single feed cylinder?
If one feed fails there is another feed to compensate
What are the advantages of disc brakes?
- Improved heat dissipation and greater resistance to brake fade
- Braking torque proportional to the applied force
- Weight saving
Because there’s no self energizing in disc brakes, what else is in place?
Brake servo
What gives you greater assistance in a servo?
A larger diaphragm
What component in a brake servo allows the driver to feel the load applied to the brake?
The reaction disc
What makes the brake effort proportional to the vehicles weight?
Load Sense Valve (LSV) / Load apportioning valve