Chapter 28

Truck Brake Systems

Objectives (1 of 3)

• Identify the components of a truck air brake

system.
• Explain the operation of a dual-circuit air
brake system.
• Understand what is meant by pneumatic and
torque imbalance.
• Discuss the effects of the Federal Motor
Vehicle Safety Standard No. 121 (FMVSS
No. 121) on present-day air brake systems.
Objectives (2 of 3)
• Identify the major components of an air compressor.
• Describe the operation of desiccant and aftercooler-
type air dryers.
• Outline the operating principles of the valves and
controls used in an air brake system.
• Explain the operation of an air brake chamber.
• Outline the functions of the hold-off and service
circuits in truck and trailer brake systems.
Objectives (3 of 3)
• Describe the operation of S-cam and wedge-
actuated drum brakes.
• Describe the operating principles of manual and
automatic slack adjusters.
• List the components and describe the operating
principles of an air disc brake system.
• Describe the major components and operation of
parking and emergency braking systems.
• Define the principles of brake balance.
Highway Tractor Air
Brake System with ABS
Trailer Air Brake System with ABS
Air Brake Sub-systems

• The air supply circuit

• Primary circuit
• Secondary circuit
• Dash control valves–parking/emergency
circuit
• Trailer circuit
• Foundation brakes
Pre-ABS Tractor, Trailer, and Dolly
Supply Circuit Components
Typical Air Compressors
Air Compressor Components
Air Compressor Operation
Governor
Shop Talk
• FMVSS No. 121 requires that governor cut-out be
set within the range of 115 psi to 135 psi. The ATA
TMC recommends that governor cut-out be set at
125 psi.
• It is a legal requirement that governor cut-in occur at
no more than 25 psi less than governor cut-out
pressure.
• If the difference between governor cut-out and cut-in
is less than 20 psi, the result is too frequent cycling
of the compressor loaded and unloaded cycles.
Typical Air Dryer Installation
Shop Talk

• Air dryers must be fitted with a safety valve.

• Because the system safety valve is located in
the supply tank, if the hose from the dryer to
the supply tank got plugged (with ice or
contaminants) or kinked, the governor would
not cut out the compressor effective cycle,
and the resulting high pressure could explode
the air dryer.
Warning

• Alcohol evaporators MUST be located

downstream from the air dryer in the supply
circuit.
• Alcohol will turn air dryer desiccant into mush
if pumped through the system.
Air Dryer
Typical Air Reservoirs, Dump Valves,
Check Valves, and Low Pressure Indicators
Auxiliary Air System Valves
An Older Truck’s Service
and Parking Brake Circuits
Tractor Emergency Circuit
Pre-ABS System
Pre-ABS Spring Brake Valve Circuit
Dash Control Valves
Shop Talk

• Make sure you understand the function of

each dash control valve in the system.
• Block the wheels and get into a truck with a
fully charged air system.
• Use the controls and observe the effect.
Tandem Axle Trailer Service and
Parking/emergency Circuits
Gladhands
Caution

• When coupling a tractor to a trailer not

equipped with spring brake chambers,
always connect the gladhands and charge
the trailer with air before attempting to couple
the fifth wheel.
Foundation Brake Types
Cam Geometry
Brake Shoe Rollers
Q-brake
Wedge-actuated Brake System
Air Disc Brake
Dual Circuit
Application/Treadle Valves
Typical Dual Circuit Brake Valve
Shop Talk

• One OEM survey of warranty returns

indicates that over half of the foot valves
submitted function perfectly.
• This misdiagnosis results from a failure by
the technician to understand how the valve
operates normally.
• Take some time to understand exactly how
this important valve masters the operation of
the service brakes.
Relay Valves
Primary Circuit
Quick Release Valve
Ratio Valves
Caution
• If a tractor is converted to a straight truck, the
bobtail proportioning valve must be replaced
with a non-proportioning relay valve.
• In a case in which a long-wheelbase tractor
was converted to a wrecker, the operator
complained of lazy service braking until the
treadle was floored, when the brakes would
lock. Replacement of the bobtail
proportioning valve with a standard relay
valve rectified the problem.
Caution

• Because air is delivered to the trailer hold-off

circuit before the trailer tanks are charged,
the trailer can be moved before any service
braking is possible.
• You should charge trailer tanks before
attempting to move the trailer.
Spring Brake Circuit
Shop Talk
• Current spring brake control valves must prioritize
air to the hold-off circuit over air to the air tanks.
– This means that when air builds up in the air system,
it is first delivered to the hold-off circuit, enabling the
release of the parking brakes.
– This enables a vehicle with a disabled air supply
system to be moved much more quickly. A much
smaller volume of air has to be transferred to the
vehicle before release of the parking brakes becomes
possible.
Tractor Protection Circuit
Shop Talk

• FMVSS No. 121 requires that the TP valve

isolate the tractor air supply from that of the
trailer when pressure drops to between 20
and 45 psi.
In-line Single Check Valve
Double Check Valve
Air Brake Chambers
Cutaway of a Typical Air Chamber
Typical Spring Brake Chamber
Caution

• The spring force in a spring brake chamber

can kill.
• Never take any risks with spring brake
chambers.
Spring Brake Chamber Operation
Caution

• Spring brake chambers should be regarded

as being potentially lethal.
• Be sure you read the setup and disarming
instructions in Chapter 31, and always
observe the OEM precautions.
Manual and
Automatic Slack Adjusters
Stroke-sensing
Automatic Slack Adjuster
Shop Talk

• Slack adjusters without a grease fitting

should not be assumed to be functional.
• Slack adjusters should be lubricated with a
low-pressure grease gun.
Note

• Around 95 percent of braking on a loaded

tractor/trailer combination involves brake
application pressures of 25 psi or less; 85
percent of braking involves brake application
pressures of 15 psi or less.
Summary (1 of 4)
• An air dual-circuit brake system is composed
of a supply circuit, primary circuit, secondary
circuit, parking/emergency control circuit,
trailer circuit, and foundation brake
assemblies.
• Air compressors are single-stage,
reciprocating piston air pumps that are either
gear- or belt-driven.
• Air dryers are used to help eliminate moisture
and contaminants from the truck’s air system.
Summary (2 of 4)
• Dual-circuit application or foot valves, trailer
application valves, bobtail proportioning valves,
ratio valves, quick-release valves, relay valves, TP
valves, dash control valves, double check valves,
and check valves are some of the critical valves of
an air brake system.
• The potential energy of compressed air is changed
into mechanical force in an air brake system by
slack adjusters and brake chambers.
• The most common type of foundation brake
assembly used on air brake-equipped trucks is the
S-cam type.
Summary (3 of 4)
• Slack adjusters multiply the force applied to them by
the brake chamber into brake torque.
• Brake torque applied to the S-camshafts results in
the shoes being forced against the drum.
• Air discs operate by using an air-actuated caliper to
squeeze brake pads against both sides of a rotor.
• Wedge brakes use a drum, a pair of shoes, and air-
actuated wedges are used to force the shoes
against the drum.
Summary (4 of 4)

• Brake torque balance refers to the ability of a

brake system to apply balanced mechanical
brake force at all the foundation brake
assemblies.
• Pneumatic timing refers to the ability of an air
brake system to time the air control and
actuation circuits so all the foundation brake
components are applied at exactly the same
moment.