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Home   >   Resources   >   Keys to a Good Brake Life

Keys to a Good Brake Life

Written June, 2023, Revised January 2024

FleetPride Mechanic Next to Semi Truck

Read your old brake drum shoes and drums. There is a story.

Before Disassembly

Before you begin maintaining your truck’s braking system, gather all the required tools and safety equipment. Safety is paramount!

  1. Apply brakes per CVSA procedures at 90 psi to check slacks for :
    1. Applied angles. They should be equal on all wheels.
    2. Equal stroke length.
    3. If manual slacks, they should not violate the 90° rule.
  2. Check wheel endplay. If too loose or too tight, replace all the bearings and races.
  3. Check all air hoses and brake lines for wear or cracking.
  4. Check air chambers for wear or leakage, including center seals of spring disc brakes.

Pull Wheels, But Before Removing Shoes . . .

  1. Check brake shoes for:
    1. Uneven wear top to bottom per drive wheel
    2. Uneven wear across the axle
    3. Uneven wear front to rear if a tandem
    4. Glazing
    5. Heat checking
  2. Check brake drums for :
    1. Wear over .080 or uneven wear
    2. Glazing
    3. Heat checking
    4. Hard sports or evidence of overheating

Remove Old Shoes and Hardware

  1. Replace drums as needed.

The Heavy Duty Experts™ Tech Tip

When replacing drums, replace both across the axle, preferably all 4 if tandem.

  1. Inspect spider for wear and squareness.
  2. Check S-cam for wear at both bushing surfaces.
  3. Replace all cam bushings
  4. Inspect brake chamber brackets for damage.
  5. Check for wear at clevis pin area of slack adjusters
  6. Inspect bearings and cups. When replacing any bearing, always replace the cup.
  7. Replace all oil seals.
  8. Check axle vents if drive axle and/or replace all filler plugs in hub caps.
  9. Replace hubcap if leaking or face is cloudy.

Re-Assemble Foundation Brake

  1. Replace all shoes. Be careful to replace like for like design as many shoes make look similar!
  2. Replace all attaching hardware lubricating the applicable components.
  3. Inspect/replace axle nuts and keepers as needed.
  4. After wheel is reinstalled, adjust bearings per axle manufacturer specifications.
  5. Adjust all slack adjusters.

Road Test When Ready, and After Road Test . . .

  1. Re-check air chambers for proper operation and equal stroke.
  2. Re-check applied brake slack angle. Do not violate the 90° rule if manual slacks.
  3. Re-check and re-adjust bearings if needed.

* The forgoing is provided for informational purposes only. Please consult your local FleetPride Heavy Duty Experts to verify the suitability of a part for the intended application.

References

FAQs: Brake Systems and inspections. CVSA. (2023).