Chapter Six

Braking System

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 Braking System
❑ Once the vehicle begins to move, it is kept in motion by two forces:
1. The power created by the engine.

2. The momentum of the vehicle.

❑ Once a vehicle is in motion, it will stays in motion unless another

force stops it.

❑ The brake system does this by changing the vehicle’s kinetic

energy back into heat energy. By applying resistance, or friction, to
a turning wheel, a vehicle's brakes cause the wheel to slow down
and eventually stop, creating heat as a byproduct.
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 Braking System
❑ The rate at which a wheel can be slowed depends on several
factors including vehicle weight, braking force and total braking
surface area.

❑ The friction between the stationary brake pads or shoes, and the
rotating rotor or drum, enable a brake system to slow or stop a
vehicle.

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 Requirement of Braking System
➢ An equal amount of power must be expended to stop the car.

➢ The energy from the engine plus that due to the momentum of the vehicle absorbed in the
form of heat must be dissipated into the stream of air passing around the vehicle.

➢ It should stop the vehicle as quickly as possible

➢ The vehicle should stop without any jerk and the retardation should be smooth

➢ The rate of retardation should be equal to the pedal effort and the effort applied by the
driver to stop the vehicle should not be excessive.

➢ The rate of wear should also be low.

➢ The brake system should not be affected by water, heat, and dust etc.

➢ It should require a very low maintenance and durable.

➢ The brake system must be capable of locking all four (4) wheels, and stopping the vehicle
in a straight line. 4
 Factors Governing Braking
❑ Pressure
➢ The amount of friction generated between moving surfaces contacting
one another depends in part on the pressure exerted on the surfaces.
❑ Coefficient of friction
➢ The amount of friction between 2 surfaces (pads and rotors or shoes
and drums)
❑ Frictional Contact Surface
➢ The amount of surface, or area, that is in contact.
❑ Heat Dissipation
➢ The tremendous heat created by the rubbing brake surfaces must be
conducted away from the pad and rotor (or shoe and drum) and be
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absorbed by the air.
 Classification of Brakes
❑ METHOD OF ACTUATION
✓ Mechanical brake

✓ Hydraulic brake

✓ Electric brake

✓ Vacuum brake

✓ Air brake

❑ CONSTRUCTIONAL BASIS

✓ Drum brake

✓ Disk brake
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 Hydraulic Brake
❑ The driver presses the brake pedal (mechanical force), which forces
a piston against the brake fluid and creates pressure (hydraulic force).

❑ Pascal’s law: When pressure is applied to liquid in a confined

space, the pressure will be transferred equally in all directions.

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Hydraulic Brake

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 Hydraulic Brake
❑ Master cylinder:

➢ When we press the brake pedal, it pushes on primary piston through

a linkage.

➢ The pressure between the primary and secondary piston forces the
secondary piston to compress the fluid in its circuit. If the brakes are
operating properly, the pressure will be same in both the circuits.

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 Hydraulic Brake
❑ Proportioning valve:

➢ The proportioning valve balances front-to-rear braking

action during high deceleration stops and prevents
premature locking of the rear wheels.

➢ Almost all non ABS equipped vehicles have some type

of mechanical proportioning valve.

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 Hydraulic Brake
❑ Drum brakes

➢ With drum brakes, fluid is forced into

the wheel cylinder, which pushes the
brake shoes out so that the friction
linings are pressed against the drum,
which is attached to the wheel, causing
the wheel to stop.

➢ The friction between the shoes and

drum is used to stop the vehicle.

➢ Require periodic adjustment. 11

 Hydraulic Brake
Parts of Drum Brake

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 Parts of Drum Brake
• Brake Shoes (5, 12)

• Backing Plate (14)

• Return Springs (3, 13)

• Hold Down Springs (11)

• Self Adjusting Parts (4, 7, 8, 10)

• Wheel Cylinder

• Parking Brake (6, 9)

• Drums
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 Parts of Drum Brake
❑ Brake Shoes: Is a steel shoe with the friction material or lining riveted or
bonded to it. The linings eventually wear out and must be replaced.

❑ Backing Plate: The backing plate is what holds everything together. It

attaches to the axle and forms a solid surface for the wheel cylinder, brake
shoes and assorted hardware.

❑ Brake Drum: The brake drum is a cast iron or cast and steel composite
drum that fits over the lug bolts or studs of the wheel. It rotates with the rear
wheels and completely encloses the other brake components.

❑ Wheel cylinder: It is mounted near the top of the backing plate and is
responsible for expanding the brake shoes against the drum.
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Parts of Drum Brake

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 Disc Brake
• Disc brakes use a cast iron disc (rotor),
instead of a drum.

• Both sides of the rotor are machined

smooth for the brake pads to rub against.

• Usually the 2 surfaces are separated by a

finned centre section for better cooling
(ventilated rotors).

• The pads are attached to metal shoes,

which are actuated by pistons housed in
the brake calliper.
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Disc Brake Parts

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 Disc Brake Operation
• A piston inside the caliper
pushes the brake pads
toward each other

• The rotor is located between

the pads

• The squeezing effect causes

friction which slows the car

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 Types of Disk Brake Calipers

❑ Floating Caliper
• Piston pushes pad against
the inner rotor surface,
reaction force causes the
caliper to slide and contact
the outer surface.

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 Types of Disk Brake Calipers
❑ Fixed Caliper
• has at least one piston on
each side. Each piston drives
it’s corresponding pad into
contact with the rotor

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 Power Brake: Vacuum Assistance
• Power booster reduces pedal force
required to stop vehicle

• Engine vacuum is used to actuate a large

diaphragm

• When the pedal is depressed, vacuum is

applied to only one side of the diaphragm
and force is applied to the master cylinder
push rod.

• Booster stores sufficient vacuum for

several brake applications if the engine
fails. 21
 Power Brake: Vacuum Assistance
• In the released position the vacuum
control valve is open and the
atmosphere control valve is closed.

• The unit is said to be “vacuum

suspended”. Since there is equal
vacuum levels on both sides of the
diaphragm no force is produced.

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 Power Brake: Vacuum Assistance
▪ In the applied condition, the
vacuum valve is closed and the
atmospheric valve is partially
opened allowing atmosphere to
enter.

▪ The resulting pressure differential

across the diaphragm generates
the boost force.

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 Brake Fluid
❑ Important characteristics of brake fluid

• Constant viscosity

• Must not boil (high boiling point)

• Must be compatible with brake parts material

• Must lubricate internal parts

• Must not evaporate easily

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Parking Brake

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 Air Brakes
❑ Air brakes uses compressed air to operate the braking system.
❑ When brake paddle is pressed , the compressed air rotates the brake
cam which in turn pushes the brake shoe to the drum, applying
brake. These are mostly used in heavy vehicles like trucks etc.

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 Anti-lock Braking System
❑ The skidding and loss of control is caused by the locking of wheels.

❑ Antilock braking systems (ABSs) are electronic systems that improves

vehicle control during braking, and reduce stopping distances on slippery
road surfaces by limiting wheel slip and minimizing lockup.

❑ The release and reapply of the brake pedal will avoid the locking of the
wheels which in turn avoid the skidding.

❑ When the brake pedal is pumped or pulsed the pressure is quickly applied
and released at the wheels. This is called pressure modulation. ABS can
modulate the pressure to the brake as often as 15 times per seconds.

❑ ABS precisely controls the slip rate of the wheels to ensure maximum grip
force from the tire and it there by ensures maneuverability and stability of
the vehicle. 27
Anti-lock Braking System

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Anti-lock Braking System

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 Anti-lock Braking System
Components:
➢ Accumulator

➢ Antilock hydraulic control valve assembly

➢ Booster pump

➢ Hydraulic control unit

▪ Main Valve: two position valve and is open only in the ABS mode

▪ Modulator unit: controls the flow of pressurized brake fluid to the individual
wheel circuits.

▪ Solenoid valves: electrically operated by signals from the control module.

➢ ABS control module

➢ Brake pedal sensor

➢ Wheel speed sensor 30

 Anti-lock Braking System
ABS Types:
▪ Four channel, four sensor ABS:- there is speed sensor on all four
wheels and a separate valve for all the four wheels.

▪ Three channel , three sensor ABS:- This scheme is commonly

found on pick up trucks, has a speed sensor and a valve for each of
the front wheels, with one valve and one sensor for both rear
wheels.

▪ One channel , one sensor ABS:- it has one valve ,which controls
both rear wheels , and one speed sensor, located in the rear axle.

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 Distance Travelled During Braking
➢ Assume that the forces acting on the vehicle will be constant
throughout a brake application.

➢ Stopping distance, SD is given by;

𝐹𝑥𝑡 = 𝑡𝑜𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑙𝑜𝑛𝑔𝑡𝑢𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑠

𝐷𝑥 = −𝑎𝑥 = 𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑒𝑎𝑟 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝑉𝑜 = 𝑣𝑒𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔
𝑀 = 𝑚𝑎𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑒ℎ𝑖𝑐𝑙𝑒

➢ The energy absorbed is the kinetic energy of motion for the vehicle, and is thus dependent
on the mass.
And average power absorption

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 Example –1
Consider a light truck weighing 16168 N, performing a full stop from
100 km/hr on a level surface with a brake application that develops a
steady brake force of 8896 N. Neglect aerodynamic and rolling
resistance forces. And determine the;

• Deceleration,

• Stopping distance,

• Time to stop,

• Energy dissipated and

• Brake power at initial application and averaged over the stop.

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