Medium and heavy-duty trucks use air brakes as they’re more effective and durable than hydraulic brakes. Since commercial trucks can weigh up to a hundred thousand pounds, ensuring your air brakes are in good shape through regular maintenance and repair is a necessity.
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 shoes into the brake drum. This brings your truck to a stop.
12425 US Highway 19 N Clearwater, FL
Monday - Friday // 7am to 4:30pm
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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 pad is worn down. Without brake adjusters, your pushrods would have to travel a significantly farther distance, which in turn makes your brakes less effective.
At Blackwater Diesel, we offer both brake repair and maintenance services to fleets of all sizes. We’ll maintain your brakes by replacing your brake shoes/pads and inspecting your air brake lines. As for repairs, whether you need to calibrate your brake adjusters or replace a warped brake drum, you can count on Blackwater Diesel to have your back.
To book an appointment for medium and heavy-duty brake service, give Blackwater Diesel a call today!
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