FAQs

Drum brakes are far more complicated than that of disc brakes for they have significantly more moving components. Each drum brake assembly will have a service chamber, a pushrod, a brake adjuster, a S-cam, brake shoes, brake pads, and of course, a brake drum. To start the process, compressed air enters your service chamber and puts pressure on a diaphragm within it. This diaphragm in turn moves a push rod, which causes your S-cam to rotate. This rotating force causes your brake shoes to expand and compresses your brake pads into the brake drum. This brings your truck to a stop.

Ever wonder what happens to your drum brake assemblies when your brake shoes wear down? As each pad wears, your brake adjusters will take up slack in an effort to keep your brakes working effectively. Every brake drum assembly has its own brake adjuster, meaning that each wheel will receive the same amount of braking force regardless of how much each brake shoe is worn down. Without brake adjusters, your pushrods would have to travel a significantly farther distance, which in turn makes your brakes less effective.

Wire damage can happen for a variety of reasons. If you’ve been in a collision, one of the wire harnesses in your fleet truck may get pinched, therefore damaging its inner wiring. If you have weatherproofing issues and your wiring is exposed to water, or for that matter, if you drive through deep water in a storm, your electrical systems may malfunction. Another common cause of wire damage is mouse and squirrel infestation. If your truck has been sitting outside for a prolonged period of time, small animals may decide to make a home in your truck and ruin much of your electrical system.

If your drivers are reporting that their transmissions are difficult to shift, we highly recommend bringing your trucks in for service. Difficulty shifting is typically a sign that your transmission fluid is old and needs to be changed. Old fluid breaks down and fails to lubricate metal components properly, hence the difficult shifting. Fortunately, by flushing out the old fluid and introducing new fluid to the system, we’ll get your transmission back up and shifting like brand new!

If your transmission is overheating, you may have a problem with your transmission cooler. Transmission coolers are designed to disperse the heat collected by your transmission fluid in the same way that a radiator disperses heat collected from your engine coolant. If this cooler gets clogged, or your fluid isn’t absorbing enough radiant heat, your transmission will overheat. Call today to get an overheating transmission repaired at Blackwater Diesel!