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2026
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Most common but hard to detect: Three main reasons for brake failure
The braking performance of trucks is directly related to driving safety. In order to ensure that their trucks have the best braking performance, many truck drivers are even willing to spend a lot of money to maintain and modify the braking system. However, sometimes the brakes still don't work well. What exactly is going on? In fact, any issue in the braking system can lead to a decrease in braking force. Today, I will share with you three of the most common, yet easily overlooked reasons that cause insufficient braking power.
1. Malfunctioning adjustment arm
For heavy trucks, brake force deficiency caused by the slack adjuster is very common, mostly because the adjuster has lost its self-locking function. If your vehicle had very good braking performance right after adjusting the clearance, but the performance declines again after a short period of driving, it is most likely due to some slack adjusters losing their self-locking function. The method to check this is quite simple: readjust the brake clearance, and whichever adjuster has a larger clearance is the one that is damaged and needs to be replaced.
2. Brake Drum Oil Contamination
Brake force deficiency caused by oil entering the brake drum is also very common, generally occurring at the drive axle. It is usually due to damage to the axle shaft seal or hub seal, causing grease to leak into the brake drum. If the oil leak is minor and only contaminates the brake lining, it may go unnoticed. If the leak is severe, such as in the photo where oil has flowed to the outside of the brake drum, it is very easy to identify.
Here I’ll teach you a little trick that can be used to indirectly determine if there is oil leaking inside the brake drum. After frequently using the brakes (for example, going down a long slope) causing the brake drum to heat up, stop and check if there is any smoke or burnt grease smell coming from inside the brake drum. If there is, it can basically be determined that oil has leaked inside the brake drum. Take it to a repair shop to clean it and replace the axle shaft and wheel hub oil seal.
3. Insufficient brake pad friction coefficient
It is difficult to detect insufficient braking force caused by brake pads because most people only pay attention to their thickness, thinking that as long as the thickness is sufficient, there will be no problems. This notion is actually incorrect. Brake pads vary in quality, and the friction coefficient of inferior pads often does not reach the level of genuine ones. If you use low-quality products, it is very likely that insufficient braking force will occur, and this issue is difficult to detect. Therefore, you must carefully distinguish the quality when replacing brake pads to avoid being deceived.
The above three points are just some of the more common yet easily overlooked factors that cause insufficient braking force. There are many other causes of this issue. So, when servicing brakes, it is essential to perform a thorough and systematic inspection rather than blindly repairing or modifying them, in order to avoid unnecessary expenses.
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