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Don't panic if the truck brakes pull to one side; remember these handy tips.
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Brake pull is a common vehicle malfunction. Many truck drivers pay close attention to it at first, but sometimes even after repairs the problem reoccurs. Repeated repairs, combined with the fact that the degree of pull may not be severe, can lead to fatigue in maintenance, ultimately resulting in accidents. Many drivers likely know real cases where accidents were caused by brake pull.
▎Four major causes of malfunctions: the main problem lies in torque
There are mainly four causes of brake pull. The first is a large difference in tire pressure between the two sides, causing the vehicle to be unbalanced left and right, and the difference in friction leads to brake pull.
The second reason may be that the wear levels of the left and right tires are inconsistent, resulting in a significant difference in friction and causing braking deviation.
The third reason is that for models without brake clearance self-adjusting arms, the brake clearance difference between the left and right wheels is too large, which causes the braking time to differ from the very beginning. Different response times will lead to braking deviation.
The fourth reason is vehicle deviation caused by different braking torques. Significant differences in braking torque are mainly due to variations in brake air pressure, uneven wear of brake pads, or the presence of oil on brake shoes or discs (for disc brake vehicles).
▎Increased probability of scraping and skidding, brake deviation can be terrifying
After clarifying the possible factors that cause brake deviation, let's talk about the potential dangers. Here is a real case for truck drivers, which happened to an uncle of mine.
At the time, he was driving a 9.6-meter three-axle small cargo truck. After unloading cargo in Pingliang, Gansu, he was returning empty to Tianshui, Gansu, in a hurry to pick up new cargo. He was driving a bit fast because there was no highway between Tianshui and Pingliang, only the national road. When approaching a curve, he needed to slow down. After pressing the brake, the front wheels deviated, causing the truck to skid and lose control. It then crashed into a mountainside. Fortunately, there were no other vehicles nearby, or the consequences could have been unimaginable. The cab was crushed, the front wheel burst and got stuck in a drainage ditch, and repairing the truck cost a lot. Including lost work time, the total loss was at least 30,000–40,000 yuan.
In most cases, when brakes pull to one side, people simply adjust the brake clearance and keep testing, without performing a thorough inspection. It is only when an accident occurs, or during a vehicle inspection when it fails to pass, that people consider repairing it. It's better to check and repair early to ensure safety.
▎How to maintain and repair: Remember a few handy tips
First, when inflating the tires, pay attention to maintaining balanced tire pressure. Generally, the tire pressure of our trucks is around 12-13 psi. If there is braking deviation, you can check whether any tire is slowly losing air, leading to insufficient pressure, and it should be repaired or inflated in time.
After a truck has been in operation for a period of time, it is important to check the degree of tire wear. To save money, drivers often try to use their tires to the fullest, sometimes even using them when the tread is worn flat. At this time, tire adjustment is necessary to try to balance the wear between the left and right sides, which helps maintain stability when braking. For example, if the rear tires are more worn, the front tires can be moved to the rear (if the front and rear tires are of the same specification) to help balance the friction on both sides as much as possible.
Driving a vehicle without an automatic brake clearance adjustment arm means that adjusting the brake clearance is a routine operation for us truck drivers. If our brake response times differ, it becomes necessary to adjust the brake clearance. By adjusting the brake clearance, we can balance the brake response times to ensure uniform braking force across the vehicle. If repeatedly adjusting the brake clearance does not effectively alleviate the issue, the vehicle should be promptly taken to a service station or repair shop for inspection. The entire braking system should be checked for contamination by oil, faults in the brake air lines, excessive and uneven wear of the brake friction pads, and so on. ● Editor's NoteBrake pull issues may not seem significant at first, but they are not insignificant either. It might just give you a scare without causing an accident, but once an accident happens, it can very likely lead to loss of vehicle control and result in immeasurable damage. Therefore, as soon as a vehicle shows signs of problems affecting safety or normal operation, it should be inspected and repaired immediately. Do not delay! What starts as a minor issue could ultimately become a 'cancer' of the vehicle.
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