Bendix Offers Comprehensive Brake Safety Week Upkeep Tips
In support of the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance’s annual Brake Safety Week, Bendix is offering upkeep tips for drivers and fleets.
Part of CVSA’s Operation Airbrake, Brake Safety Week is an annual outreach and enforcement campaign aimed at improving commercial vehicle brake safety. This year’s event takes place from Sept. 11-17 and will include thousands of inspection on large trucks and buses conducted by local, state, provincial, territorial and federal safety officials in the U.S. and Canada.
“The road to safer vehicles may begin with new technologies and improved braking components, but it also requires supporting them through proper maintenance and ongoing, proactive training and technical knowledge,” said Fred Andersky, Bendix director of government and industry affairs. “The best-equipped vehicle out there is not running at its safest without the right upkeep and know-how both in the garage and on the road.”
Maintenance Matters
Friction selection, air system care, and upkeep of components affecting brake stroke all contribute to brake performance– which means they have a role to play in preparation for Brake Safety Week.
Whether a vehicle uses foundation drum or air disc brakes, it’s important to know when new friction is needed. Check friction regularly for cracks or missing pieces, ensure adequate thickness, and examine drums and rotors for signs of dragging brakes or overheating linings. For reference, the American Trucking Associations’ Technology and Maintenance Council’s Recommended Practice 627A aligns directly with CVSA inspection guidelines and provides visual illustrations for acceptable and out-of-service conditions.
When relining brakes on vehicles affected by federal Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) regulations, ask suppliers for evidence of compliance. Not all replacement friction marketed as acceptable under RSD will actually perform to the standard.
Because an effective and safe air braking system is dependent on maintaining clean air, Bendix recommends monthly checks for moisture in the system, supported with the use …Read the rest of this story
