Are Your Techs Putting in Air Disc Brake Calipers Accurately? – Upkeep

Air disc brakes (ADBs) have been confirmed to ship benefits on the street, within the service bay, and for a fleet’s backside line. Their success in heavy-duty purposes is driving a continued improve in adoption and commonplace positioning throughout a variety of autos and trailers. And since their stopping energy makes ADBs probably the most logical alternative for supporting superior driver help applied sciences resembling collision mitigation, we’re more likely to see much more air disc brakes on North America’s industrial autos as these security programs change into extra commonplace.

That is why the newest installment of the Bendix Tech Ideas sequence covers what to do if it’s time to interchange an air disc brake caliper and how one can shield your funding within the expertise.

Know the Indicators of a Unhealthy Caliper

Common ADB preventive upkeep consists of inspecting and addressing points that would result in caliper harm and the potential for a voided guarantee, based on Mark Holley, Bendix director of promoting and buyer options, wheel-end.

“Don’t neglect to examine information pin motion and try tappets and boots for harm and contamination, as an example, together with checking seals and bushings. The potential for caliper harm is one cause Bendix recommends changing ADB put on elements with real substitute components throughout a pad change — pad retainer, pad retention springs, and shear adaptors — and consists of them in an entire friction substitute package.”

Within the store, technicians conducting an annual wheel-off inspection ought to be sure that the caliper slides freely. Take a second to look at the rotor. Take a look at the general situation of the rotor and consider the colour. If the rotor is a brilliant rusty-red shade, it could possibly be an indicator to examine the caliper extra intently.

For additional data, seek advice from your air disc brake producer’s service information sheet.

Select the Proper Alternative

Holley notes that there have been important developments in ADB expertise since they had been first launched within the heavy-duty market in 2006.

“ADB adjusters at the moment are extra sturdy than earlier generations and may higher preserve the correct operating clearance,” he mentioned. “Some …variations can over-adjust, rising the potential threat for dragging brakes and thermal occasions.”

In case you’re exploring remanufactured calipers as a substitute choice, be sure that to ask concerning the reman course of.

“True remanufacturing adheres to the identical rigorous processes and requirements used to make OEM calipers. Remanufacturing additionally at all times includes changing or repairing a core’s elements to deliver the half as much as OEM specs.”

What to Bear in mind within the Storage

When you’ve made your caliper alternative, consistency is vital: In case you’re shopping for a caliper, for instance, (both remanufactured by the OEM or service new) be sure that it has the identical design so that you preserve all of the options of your authentic brake, Holley instructed. He sid non-genuine calipers is not going to have the identical adjuster as your authentic brake, so you’d lose that profit.

Take into account that if you buy an aftermarket caliper, then you will have to buy two calipers to keep up efficiency throughout the axle, similar to when a slack adjuster is changed. Even minor variations in caliper building and efficiency may cause brake pull or lead one brake to tug and overheat.

For comparable causes, friction sorts additionally should match throughout your entire axle. As well as, as a result of they could match the wheel-end envelope in a different way, aftermarket calipers might intervene with suspension clearance, which impacts brake efficiency and may harm the suspension.

Different key factors throughout new caliper set up embody:

• Holding the caliper solely on the outside. To forestall damage, by no means insert your fingers between the caliper and service.
• Making certain the newly put in caliper slides freely and will be moved by hand stress solely over your entire size of the information pin association.
• Ensuring the hose routing association doesn’t limit the total journey of the caliper.
• Not overloading or damaging the adjuster. 
• Torquing bolts to correct spec and correct sequence. 

Longer life cycles are one other good thing about air disc brakes. The best half choice and upkeep practices will show you how to preserve them working safely and ship decrease complete price of possession

Yow will discover extra data from the Bendix Tech Ideas sequence within the Bendix multimedia middle at knowledge-dock.com. Extra tutorial movies and interactive schooling on wheel-ends, air programs, and electronics are additionally accessible on the Bendix On-Line Brake Faculty, www.brake-school.com, and at B2Bendix.com. You’ll be able to attain the Bendix Tech Staff at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE, choice 2.