BRAKE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE

SG04 – Brake Service TC040-18-01H

OBJECTIVES

After completing this section, the technician will be able to:

 Explain the brake judder characteristics

 Classify brake problems

Activities in this section:

Activity # Description Location

NA

SG04-1
BRAKE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
SG04 – Brake Service TC040-18-01H
BRAKE JUDDER REPAIR HINTS

Characteristics

Brake judder concern has the following 3 characteristics:

1. Steering wheel vibration

The steering wheel vibrates in the rotation direction. This characteristic is most
noticeable when applying brakes at a vehicle speed of 100 - 140 km/h. Thickness
variation of disc rotors may contribute to the steering wheel vibration (steering judder)
when exceeding 0.02 mm.

2. Floor vibration
When applying the brakes, the vehicle body shakes back and forth. The seriousness
of the shaking is not influenced by vehicle speed.

3. Brake pedal vibration

When applying the brakes, a pulsating force tries to push the brake pad back. The
pulsation is transmitted to the brake pedal.

Possible causes

The following are the main possible causes of brake judder:

1. Uneven thickness of the disc plate due to an excessive run-out (side-to-side

wobble) of the disc plate
- If the run-out is more than 0.05 mm at the position 10m from the disc plate edge,
uneven wear occurs on the disc plate because the pad contacts the plate unevenly.
- If the run-out is less than 0.05 mm, uneven wear does not occur.

2. Deformed disc plate by heat

- Repeated panic braking may raise the temperature in some portions of the disc
plate up to approximately 1,000°C. This results in a deformed disc plate.

3. Change of disc plate thickness and/or friction coefficient due to corrosion

- If the vehicle is parked in damp conditions for a long time, corrosion occurs on the
friction surface of the disc plate.
- The thickness of corrosion is uneven and sometimes appears like a wave pattern,
which changes the friction coefficient and causes a reaction force.

SG04-2
BRAKE SYSTEM MAINTENANCE
SG04 – Brake Service TC040-18-01H
BRAKE PROBLEMS

Brake system failure can cause a fatal accident. Technicians are required to inspect
brake systems thoroughly.

Hydraulic system failure

In brake system, no brake fluid leakage is allowed. Carefully check every joints, seals,
and washers. Damage on the dust boots eventually causes a fluid leakage because it
allows water to intrude sealing surface of the pistons.
Ask your colleague to depress brake pedal while you check the hydraulic systems
with a pressure.

Brake drum locked by return spring failure

If a return spring was broken, brake shoe will not return. Once the shoe contacts with
the drum, because of its self-energizing effect, it exert a sufficient brake force to lock
the wheel and tire. If it occurs while driving at a high speed, the vehicle will be in
danger to lose its control.

Nock back
Caliper pistons are pushed in by being knocked by the disc rotor. This can cause a
prolonged ineffective stroke causing brake operation delay. Possible causes are as
follows:
- Disc rotor run-out
- An excessive wheel bearing play

Fade
Most friction materials is chemically stable below 200°C. But if the temperature
exceeds 200°C, the friction coefficient drops. This phenomenon is referred as Brake
fade phenomenon. When exceeding the thermal decomposition temperature of
bounding and organic materials, those materials are gasified, which acts as lubricant.
This lowers the friction coefficient.

More gases will be generated when brake pads or brake shoes are new. This is
called an initial fade.

SG04-3