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2026
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04
Early brake wear may be due to issues with the main hitch matching.
As an anti-lock braking system (ABS), when a vehicle undergoes emergency braking and the tires lose traction due to skidding, it detects wheel speed changes through sensors and regulates the brake pressure in the vehicle's braking circuits to transition the wheels from a skidding state to a rolling state. This can ensure braking reliability in most situations and also prevent loss of directional control.
In recent years, with factors such as emissions upgrades and the replacement of old vehicle models, user vehicle replacement has reached a new historical peak. Additionally, relevant regulations have required that factory-produced vehicles must be equipped with ABS to achieve better braking performance. However, there are still many issues in the process of users purchasing vehicles.
Today, let's take the tractor as an example to talk about the issues in the braking system caused by a mismatch between the tractor and the trailer.
When a new tractor is combined with a trailer to form a complete vehicle, the following types of combinations generally occur:
In the first scenario, both the tractor and the trailer are equipped with branded ABS, and the ABS works well and effectively. In this state, the vehicle's braking system can provide excellent braking force.
The second situation is also a phenomenon that domestic users encounter quite frequently. Under the circumstances where relevant regulations are not strict and users do not pay much attention to the requirements for ABS, some manufacturers, in order to cater to users, will choose lower-quality generic ABS systems. The purpose is merely to pass the annual inspection once a year.
The third situation has been relatively common in the past two years: due to changes in emission regulations and the vehicle usage environment, the tractor market in our country has been exceptionally booming.
When users want to replace their vehicles, do they replace both the tractor and the trailer together? Of course not!
Because of historical issues, a large portion of trailers currently in normal operation on the market do not have ABS systems installed, or the ABS systems have already failed but users are too lazy to deal with it.
The fourth situation mainly involves user perception issues left over from large-scale transportation in previous years. They believe the original brakes were not very effective, and after purchasing a trailer, they would modify the brake system, 'upgrading' to something called 'Brake King'.
So when the ABS of the tractor and trailer are not coordinated, or if the tractor has ABS but the trailer does not, what would be the worst-case scenario during emergency braking?
In the early days, when tractors did not have ABS, some truck drivers would release the brakes on the steering wheels so that the steering wheels could still function while braking.
Early brake wear may be caused by a mismatch between the tractor and trailer.
Recently, we encountered a situation where early brake wear may be caused by a mismatch between the tractor and trailer.
The tractor is equipped with an ABS system,
but the trailer is not,
and the user has disabled the front axle brake system.
It is commonly reported that the brake pads on the drive axle have shown wear.
The main and auxiliary brakes are inconsistent; whoever 'acts' first wears out sooner.
01
When the vehicle is parked, the angle between the slave cylinder push rod and the adjuster arm should be kept around 90 degrees to maintain maximum braking leverage.
(In the picture, an angle greater than 90 degrees will result in reduced braking force).
On a tractor equipped with ABS, assuming the tractor has automatic slack adjusters and is well maintained, the braking system is reliable and effective. However, if the trailer does not have automatic slack adjusters and its brakes are not meticulously adjusted, or if it does have automatic slack adjusters but is poorly maintained, the braking performance of the trailer's braking system will decrease, or the trailer's brake system will engage slightly later than the tractor due to excessive slack.
Because the braking system engages 'a little earlier,' it causes early excessive wear on the braking system of the tractor.
Unreasonable Modification of Trailers: Tire Lock-Up Increases Brake Wear
02
Under extreme working conditions, for example, when the user performs an emergency stop, if unsafe brake components such as 'Brake King' have been installed, it can cause the trailer's tires to lock up (skid).
At this time, the tractor, due to the action of ABS, will still be performing a braking action of 'rolling while sliding' (alternating between slip and slide).
If the tractor's drive wheels have ABS, the steering wheels are released from braking, and the trailer's brake system responds poorly or has air valves like Brake King installed, the entire vehicle, during an emergency stop, will cause the tractor's drive wheels to remain in a braking and wear state for a long time, leading to early excessive wear.
At the same time, because the trailer's tires are completely locked, the tires have lost traction and begin to skid sideways. The driver is very likely to completely lose control of the vehicle, leading to a traffic accident.
"'Brake King' causes automatic slack adjuster failure
2.1
In addition, if the tractor has ABS, while the trailer does not have ABS or only uses a generic ABS for registration purposes, users may replace it with 'Brake King' or other unscientific brake components due to poor brake system performance.
If the trailer uses an automatic slack adjuster, using 'Brake King' will severely damage the normal operation of the automatic slack adjuster, easily leading to its failure.
What seems like 'well-intentioned' actions can cause premature wear of the trailer's brake system or brake failure, creating a significant safety hazard.
BPW400K axle incorrectly assembled (installed backward), resulting in reduced braking force in the forward direction.
In addition, there are cases in the market where the axle is installed incorrectly (installed backward) and the air valve is installed incorrectly, so users need to be careful when selecting a vehicle.
Given the current situation, under the condition that the compatibility between the tractor and the trailer is not very good, how can users operate the vehicle to ensure safety while also reducing abnormal wear on the vehicle's braking system?
★
For this reason, I consulted drivers who have a relatively high level of knowledge about car usage and engineers from the manufacturer, and they believe:
★
1. When purchasing a vehicle, in addition to the ABS of the main vehicle, it is best to choose a trailer brand with a good reputation, equipped with branded ABS, and ensure that it is always functional.
2. Under limited conditions, when the ABS of the main vehicle and trailer cannot be effectively matched, try to use auxiliary braking as much as possible to slow down the vehicle during driving.
3. When both the main vehicle and the trailer have branded ABS and are properly matched, in situations requiring emergency braking, the brake pedal must be pressed all the way down at once. At this time, the ABS system will automatically adjust the braking action of each tire through algorithms. It must not be braked intermittently or gradually like vehicles without ABS.
4. The vehicle's service braking system is mainly used for emergency braking and parking. Using it for deceleration increases the load on the service brakes, causing wear, and is not beneficial for fuel economy.
Since 2007, most vehicles in China have been equipped with auxiliary braking systems (such as engine braking or hydraulic retarders). Proper use can effectively extend the lifespan of the service brakes.
Although vehicle ABS systems are mandated by national regulations, when users choose cars, they often do not pay much attention to these safety features due to cost concerns. Some manufacturers, in order to cater to this customer demand, have turned ABS into a 'mere formality' just to comply with announcements and annual inspections.
Whether during the initial car selection or later usage, users should take the time to learn more about their vehicles and related knowledge, as well as proper driving methods, in order to operate more safely. At the same time, correct driving methods can reduce operating costs and maximize public safety.
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