Automotive

Brake System
Automotive Brake
System
 Introduction

 The modern automotive brake system has been refined

for over 100 years and has become extremely dependable
and efficient.
 Automotive brakes are the most important safety
devices for automobiles.
 Braking is the mechanism in the motor vehicle which is
used to slowing down and stopping the vehicle to rest in the
shortest possible distance.

 While operating the braking system the K.E of moving

vehicle is converted in to HEAT ENERGY.
 Functions of Brakes
Brakes have the following functions:

 It is used to stop the vehicle.

 It is used to control the speed where and when
required.
 It is used to control the vehicle while descending along
the slope.

 To park the vehicle and held it in stationary position

without the presence of Driver.
Requirements of Automobile Brakes:
 It should work efficiently irrespective of road condition and
quality.
 The retardation must be uniform throughout its application.
 The pedal effort must be within the convenient capacity of the
driver.
 It must be reliable and should not be affected by heat, water
and dust.
 It should be in minimum weight.
 It should have long life.
 It should be easy to maintain and adjust.
 Noise and vibrations are to be minimum.
 There should be provision for secondary brake or parking
brake.
Stopping distance and Braking efficiency
 For practical measure for braking efficiency that of the
minimum distance in which it can be brought in to rest after the
brake is applied. The stopping distance depends upon
◙ Grip between the tire and road surface.
◙ Tire tread condition.
◙ Tire inflation.
◙ Nature of road surface.
The stopping distance is calculated by d=kv 2
Where d = stopping distance in kilometers,
k = Constant depending upon the road and tire inflation.
v = velocity of the vehicle per hour.
The value of k is 1/25 for 4 wheel braking system.
1/12 for 2 wheel braking system.
The braking efficiency is calculated by the equation:
η = v2/3d
where v = velocity of the vehicle
d = stopping distance.
Stopping distance and Braking efficiency

Condition of Brake Braking efficiency in %

1. Perfect 90%
2. Excellent 77%
3. Good 70%
4. Fair 60%
5. Poor 50%
6. Bad 37%
7. Very bad 30%
Below Fair is very dangerous.
 Classification of Brakes
1. By Method of Power. 4. By method of Braking
a. Mechanical brakes. Contact.
b. Hydraulic brakes a. Internal Expanding Brakes
c. Vacuum brakes. b. External Contracting
d. Air brakes. Brakes.
e. Electrical brakes. 5. By Method of Applying
f. Magnetic brakes. Brake force.
g. Air assisted hydraulic a. Single Acting Brakes.
brakes. b. Double Acting Brakes.
2. By Method of Application.
a. Service or foot brakes.
b. Parking or hand brakes.
3. By Method of Operation.
a. Manual
b. Servo
c. Power operation
 By Method of application
 Service brakes. Operated by foot pedal. Most
automotive service brakes are hydraulic type. Some
vehicles use air or pneumatic brakes. Service brakes used
in cars are of two types:
 Drum brake.
 Disc brake

 Parking brakes. Operated by hand lever which hold

the veh stationary when applied.
 Types of Mechanical Brakes

 Drum Brakes (Internal Expanding or

External Contracting).

 Disc Brakes (Single or Two caliper).

Drum Brakes
 The drum brake has a metal
drum that encloses the brake
assembly at each wheel - the
drum is attached to the wheel.
 Two curved brake shoes are
pushed outward by wheel cylinder
pistons which hold the drum by
friction force.
 Brake shoes are made of
metal and faced with friction
material called brake lining which
is riveted or cemented to the
shoes.
 The lining is made of heat
resistant materials like fiber glass
or a semi-metallic material.
The main components of drum brakes are
 Brake drum , Back plate , Brake shoes
 Brake Liners, Returning Springs, Brake Linkages
 Wheel cylinder, Adjusting mechanism
How a Drum Brakes Works
When the pedal is
pressed the fluid pr
pushes the shoes
outwards through
linkages, there by
coming in frictional
contact with the rotating
drum. As soon as the
brake pedal is released
the retaining springs help
the brake shoes to bring
back and release the
brakes.
Disc brakes
 It has a metal disc or rotor
instead of a drum and the
braking is achieved by lined
shoes or pads that are forced
against a rotating disc.
 The pads are held in a
caliper that straddles the disc.
 The caliper has one or
more pistons which are
activated by fluid pressure
from the master cylinder.
 Types of Disc brake

There are three types of disc brakes:

 Fixed-caliper disc brake.
◙ It has pistons on both sides of the disc,
sometimes one on each side and sometimes two.
◙ The caliper is rigidly attached to the steering
knuckle.
 Floating-caliper disc brake.
◙ It has one piston on the inboard side of the disc.
◙ The caliper moves or floats on rubber bushings on
one or two steel guide pins.
Types of Disc brake
 Construction Disc brakes

 The discs are made of gray cast Iron.

 It consists of rotating disc and two friction pads which
are actuated by the four hydraulic wheel pistons contain in
two halves of an assembly is called a caliper.
 The caliper assembly is secured to the steering knuckle
in a front wheel brakes.
 The road wheel is fashioned to the outer surface of the
disc.
 The friction pads rides freely on each side of the discs.
 They are in position by the hydraulic systems.
 Hydraulic brakes

Hydraulic brakes make used of hydraulic pr to force

brake shoes out words against the brake drum based
on PASCAL’S LAW.
The main components of the service braking systems is
a. Master Cylinder.
b. Wheel Cylinder.
Hydraulic brakes
When the brake pedal is pressed the piston is forced in to the
master cylinder, the hydraulic pr is applied equally to all wheel
cylinders. The pistons in the wheel cylinders pushed outwards
against the brake drum.

When the driver release

the brake pedal, the
piston in the master
cylinder returns back to
its original position due
to the return spring
pressure. Thus the
pistons in the wheel
cylinder come back in
its original inward
position. Thus the
brakes are released.
Master Cylinder
The Master Cylinder is the heart of the
hydraulic brake system. It consists of
two main chambers. The fluid reservoir
which contains the fluid to supply to the
brake system, and the compression
chamber in which the piston operates.
The reservoir supplies fluid to the brake
system through two ports.
When the pedal is pushed down, the
piston pushed toward the closed end of
the MC and sends the fluid from the front
pr chamber to the front wheel brakes.
Fluid from the rear chamber is sent to
the rear wheel brakes. All four brakes
then operate to slow or stop the veh.
If there are two pistons in the master
cylinder - known as the dual braking
system. Dual braking system adds to the
vehicle safety.
 Master Cylinder
1. The Master Cylinder is the heart of the hydraulic brake system.

2. It consists of two main chambers. The fluid reservoir which contains

the fluid to supply to the brake system, and the compression chamber
in which the piston operates.

3. The reservoir supplies fluid to the brake system through two ports.

4. When the pedal is pushed down, the piston pushed toward the closed
end of the MC and sends the fluid from the front pr chamber to the
front wheel brakes.

5. Fluid from the rear chamber is sent to the rear wheel brakes. All four
brakes then operate to slow or stop the veh.

6. If there are two pistons in the master cylinder - known as the dual
braking system. Dual braking system adds to the vehicle safety.
Vacuum Booster
Wheel Cylinder
 It consists of two pistons
which can move in opposite directions
by the
fluid pr and a spring in between. It is
rigidly mounted on the brake shield or
backing plate.
 Wheel cylinders are larger than
the master cylinders and again, the
front-wheel cylinders are larger than
the rear-wheel cylinders.
 When the brakes are applied the brake
fluid enters the cylinder from a brake line
connection inlet between the two pistons.
It causes to force out the two pistons in
opposite directions. This motion is
transmitted to the brake shoe. Directly or
through links force them against the brake
drum, thus applying the brake.
Electric brake
• Electric drum brakes are activated by an electric signal that comes
from a brake controller in a vehicle. The brake controller senses
when press the brake pedal and sends a signal through your trailer’s
wiring to the brakes. This signal energizes the brake magnet, which
then sticks to the armature (magnetic) surface of the hub. The
rotating hub pulls the magnet, which causes the actuating arm to
engage, which then causes the brake shoes expand and squeeze
against the hub, creating the friction needed for braking.
Parking brakes
 Parking brakes are mechanically operated brakes
generally applied to the rear wheels to hold the vehicle
stationary when it is parked. The two types of parking brakes
are:
Mechanical Brake
Electric Parking Brake WORKING PRINCIPLE
Conventional parking brakes employ a cable that connects
handbrake lever and brake shoes. When the driver operates the
lever, tension in the cable increases thereby forcing the brake shoe
(or pads) on brake drum (or disc). Thus, wheels cannot move
further.
When the driver operates the switch, it sends a command to
Module which senses that parking brakes are required to be
operated. Later, this module commands the actuators or electric
motors installed in the brake calipers to operate. Thus, brake pads
are forced on the disc thereby restricting the movement of wheels.
Due to the use of electronic components, the operation of this
system is almost instantaneous and efficient. Also, it improves the
reliability of braking because of the absence of mechanical
connection. This brake deactivates automatically when the driver
presses the accelerator pedal.
COMPONENTS
Electric Parking Brake, works with the help of following main
components:
1. Electronic Brake Module 2. Actuator or electric motor
3. Electric Switch in cabin
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGE
of EPB
Advantages :
• Modular architecture, scalable clamp load and durability with reduced
hysteresis
• Significant weight savings compared to mechanical park brake systems
to support enhanced fuel economy and reduced emissions
• Vehicle coverage from small car to light truck segments
• Electronic control allows for integration with other safety technologies
• The response time of this system is very short.
• The operation is highly reliable.
• Improves control of the vehicle while starting from standstill condition
on a slope.
Disadvantages
•This system is costly.
•It needs a skilled professional for troubleshooting.
 Imp Point to be Noted
 If both disc and drum brakes are used in a car, the front
one is generally the disc brake.
 Disc brake provides more braking force than the drum
brake
 During hard braking, more vehicle weight transfers to
the front wheels
 A proportioning valve is used in the brake line with front-
disc and rear-drum brakes
 If same braking force is applied to both front wheels and
rear wheels, the rear wheels become locked and try to skid.
How To Tell If Brake System Parts Are Wearing
Out?

1. The Steering Wheel Vibrates

2. Brake Inefficiency
3. Odd Noises
4. Car Pulling To One Side
5. Brake Light Flashing
6. Brake Overheating
7. Pool Of Fluid Under Your Car
8. Air Bubbles
Anti-lock braking system (ABS)
 An ABS is designed to modulate braking pr to attain the
peak coefficient of kinetic friction between the tire and the
road, and thereby prevents wheel lockup & skidding.
 An ABS, under hard braking conditions, is designed to
reduce stopping distances under most conditions, while
maintaining vehicle stability and steer ability.

 When the wheel skids, kinetic friction results and when

the wheel still rotates the friction is static.
 Static friction is generally more than the kinetic friction,
i.e. static friction gives better braking force.
Working of Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS)
• The controller (ECU-Electronic Control Unit) reads the signal from
each of the speed sensors of the wheel.
• As the brakes are suddenly applied by the driver, this makes the
wheel to decelerate at faster rate and may cause the wheel to Lock.
• As the ECU reads the signal which indicates the rapid decrease in the
speed of the wheel, it sends signal to the valve which makes the
valve close and the pressure to the brake pad reduces and prevents
the wheel from locking.
• The wheel again starts to accelerate, again the signal sends to the
controller, this time it opens the valve, increasing the pressure to the
brake pad and brakes are applied, this again reduces the speed of
the wheel and tries to make it stop.
• This process of applying brakes and releasing it happens 15 times in a
second when a driver suddenly applies the brake harder. Due to this
the locking of the wheel is prevented and the skidding of the vehicle
eliminated. During braking with ABS system, the driver can steer the
vehicle and reduces the risk of vehicle collision.
Working of Anti-lock Braking System
(ABS)
• The controller (ECU-Electronic Control Unit) reads the signal from
each of the speed sensors of the wheel.
• As the brakes are suddenly applied by the driver, this makes the
wheel to decelerate at faster rate and may cause the wheel to Lock.
• When the ECU detects that a wheel is slowing down quickly, it sends
a signal to the valve to close. This reduces the pressure of the brake
fluid, prevents the wheel from locking up
• As the wheel starts to spin again, the ECU sends another signal to the
valve, this time telling it to open. This increases the pressure to the
brake pad and brakes are applied, this again reduces the speed of
the wheel and tries to make it stop.
• This process of applying brakes and releasing it happens 15 times in a
second when a driver suddenly applies the brake harder. Due to this
the locking of the wheel is prevented and the skidding of the vehicle
eliminated. During braking with ABS system, the driver can steer the
vehicle and reduces the risk of vehicle collision.
Advantages
•It prevents the locking of the wheel and thus eliminates the chance of
skidding.
•The skidding of the vehicle is completely removed, which results in
excellent control during braking?
•A better steering control is obtained with the ABS system.
•It reduces the chance of collision by 30 %.

Disadvantages
•A vehicle equipped with ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) is costlier as
compared with a vehicle without ABS.
Typical ABS Components
 Wheel Speed Sensors (up to 4)

 Electronic Control Unit (ECU)

 A Brake Master Cylinder, with

accompanying Hydraulic Modulator Unit
and Solenoid Valves

 Vehicle’s Physical Brakes