Braking System

We all have fun pushing down on the brake pedal which slows a car to stop. But many are not aware that, how does it happens? Do you know how does your car transmit the force from your leg to the wheels? How does it multiply the power so that it is sufficient to stop something as big as a car? In this section we are aiming to give information about brake system, we would follow the chain of events from the pedal to wheel, and explaining all the parts of brake system. It also contains information on parking brake cable and brake lever.
Brake
Brake Drum
Brake Hose
Brake Pedal
Parking Brake Cable
Parking Brake Lever
Types of Brake System

Brake

Brake is an equipment used in automobiles or machines to slow down a running object by changing the kinetic energy into heat energy. Brake is used to stop an object or equipment that is running.
Brakes generally apply friction to change the kinetic energy into heat energy, however in renewing brake the kinetic energy is changed into useful electrical energy or potential energy which is in type of pressurized air as an alternative to heat energy.
The brakes in automobile stores the heat in the drum brake or disc brake while braking then carry out it to the air regularly. When traveling downward few automobiles use its engine to brake.
When brake is pushed the caliper holding the piston pushes the pad near brake disc to slow down the wheels of automobile. On brake drums it is same as the cylinder pushes the brake shoes to the drum which slows the wheels of the automobile.

Brake Drum

The Brake Drum is very heavy flat-topped cylinder that is usually sandwiched between the wheel rim and the drive wheel. The inside exterior of the drum is acted upon by the friction fabric of the brake shoes. When the brakes are functional, the friction material of the brake shoes is forced into contact with the brake drums to measure the rotation of the wheels. The friction connecting the tires and the road surface then slows the car's speed. Drum brakes are found on the rear wheels of most cars, but they are ever more being phased out in favor of rear disc brakes. Drum brakes were normal equipment on the front wheels of most cars until the early 70's.

Brake Hose

The master cylinder is associated to each wheel by brake lines and hoses. Brake hoses are specially constructed elastic tubes with metal ends for transmitting fluid under extreme pressure. The entire hydraulic system is filled with a particular brake fluid, which is forced through the hoses by the association of the master cylinder's pistons. If they appear cracked or brittle, the hoses must be replaced immediately. Close inspection of the brake hoses is a high-quality way to prevent catastrophe!


Brake Pedal
 

The brake pedal is placed on the left side of the accelerator pedal. Stepping on this pedal begins the process of slowing down or may stopping a vehicle. The pedal is solidly mounted to the firewall, and the works as a force-multiplying lever. If the power assist fails, the pedal's leverage is intended to allow the driver to still generate thousands of pounds of force at each wheel cylinder.

Attached to the piston within the master cylinder via a pushrod, the brake pedal is a majority important item indeed, unless you're a crash dummy! When the brake pedal is pressed, the brake shoes and the friction pads are forced into contact with the brake drums and rotors to measure the rotation of the wheels. The friction between the tires and the road surface then slows the pace of the vehicle. A brake pedal must not sink more than an inch or two, no matter how hard it is pushed with the foot; and the driver should not feel as if he were stepping on a wet sponge: a spongy pedal spells difficulty in the braking system. ANY change in the "feel" of your brake pedal must be a cause for serious concern. With brakes, there is no excuse for the poor maintenance.

Parking Brake Cable

 

The Parking Brake Cable is a brake cable in the parking brake is typically changeable for length which is made of steel. Parking brake cable is connected directly to the brake device on one end and another end is connected to the brake lever of the rear wheels that is activated by the driver. When brake lever is pulled, it transmits the force to the brake system. The force is transmitted by the brake fluid which runs through the cable. In automobiles with rear drum brakes, the parking brake cable regularly activates these drums mechanically with less force than is available through the hydraulic system.
Parking brake cables are available in different sizes like 1/8", 3/16" and also in custom designs. 1/8" brake cable is designed and produced for used in light to medium duty automobiles. These cables are used at 1,200 pounds or less. 3/16" brake cables provide the similar traits as the 1/8" brake cables. This 3/16" brake cable is suggested for higher load up to 3,000 pounds.

Parking Brake Lever

The Parking Brake Lever in automobiles is a hand activated system which is also called as hand brake. In cars the parking brake lever is like a handle on the bottom among the driver and front seat passenger. It is less commonly a handle bar placed on the bottom of the dashboard near to the steering wheel or between the driver and car door. Otherwise the lever is on the bottom in the form of pedal in front of the driver which is positioned to the far left separated from the other pedals.
In buses the parking brake lever is outfitted with a hydraulic brake system will have a hand brake lever which is situated on the driver left side near to the floor. It is activated by pushing the lever down with hand to apply the brake, and pulling it upwards to free the brake.
In large vans when the parking brake lever is pulled it will activate a valve that lets air or hydraulic pressure or vacuum into the cylinder which provides power to the brake shoes and makes applying the handbrake easier. In many cases a little lever in the automobile is coupled to a valve which admits air to parking brake cylinders to discharge the parking brake, or discharge the air to apply the brake. In some recent automobiles the valve is activated electrically from a lever in the automobile.

Types of Brake System

Air Brake System
Air Brake System is the brake system used in automobiles such as buses, trailers, trucks, and semi-trailers. George Westinghouse created air brakes for utilizing it in trains for railway service. A secured air brake was patented by him on 5th, March 1872. At first air brake is produced for use on trains and now it is used common in automobiles.

Anti-lock Brake System
An Anti-lock Braking System abbreviated as ABS is a braking system or security system which prevents the wheels on an automobile from locking up while braking. The wheels revolving on the road let the driver to maintain steering control under heavy braking by preventing a skid and allowing the wheel to continue interacting tractively with the road surface as directed by driver steering inputs.

Disc Brake
Disc Brake is a brake device for stopping or slowing the rotation of the automobile wheels. It is also called as Disk brake. This brake has a brake disc which is also called as rotor is made up of cast iron or ceramic compounds like carbon, Kevlar and silica is linked to the wheel and/or the axle.

Drum Brake
Drum Brake is a brake in which the friction is caused by a set of brake pads or brake shoes that push against the inner surface of a rotating drum. The drum is coupled to a rotating wheel. The drum brake was invented by Louis Renault in 1902.

Hydraulic Brake
The Hydraulic Brake system is a braking system which uses brake fluid usually includes ethylene glycol, to transmit pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the driver, to the actual brake mechanism, which is near the wheel of the vehicle.