AIR BRAKES

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AIR BRAKES

AIR BRAKES
AIR BRAKES USE COMPRESSED AIR TO MAKE THEM WORK. YOU CAN APPLY ALL THE BRAKING FORCE YOU NEED TO EACH WHEEL OF A VEHICLE, EVEN TRACTORS PULLING TRAILERS. IF MAINTAINED AND USED PROPERLY THEY WILL SAFELY STOP LARGE VEHICLES.

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AIR BRAKES

BRAKE SYSTEMS
SERVICE BRAKE SYSTEM: THIS SYSTEM APPLIES AND RELEASES THE BRAKES WHEN THE BRAKE PEDAL IS USED PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM: THIS SYSTEM APPLIES AND RELEASES THE PARKING BRAKES WHEN THE PARKING BRAKE CONTROL IS USED. EMERGENCY BRAKE SYSTEM: THIS SYSTEM USES PARTS OF THE SERVICE AND PARKING BRAKE SYSTEM TO STOP THE VEHICLE WHEN A BRAKE SYSTEM FAILS. Air Brakes
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AIR BRAKES

PARTS OF AN AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

AIR COMPRESSOR: PUMPS AIR INTO THE AIR STORAGE TANKS AIR COMPRESSOR GOVERNOR: CONTROLS WHEN THE AIR COMPRESSOR PUMPS AIR INTO THE STORAGE TANKS.
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AIR BRAKES

PARTS OF AN AIR BRAKE SYSTEM

AIR STORAGE TANKS: HOLDS COMPRESSED AIR. THE NUMBER AND SIZE OF AIR TANKS VARY AMONG VEHICLES. COMPESSED AIR: USUALLY HAS SOME WATER AND COMPRESSOR OIL IN IT, THAT IS BAD FOR THE AIR BRAKE SYSTEM. ( FOR EXAMPLE) THE WATER CAN FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER AND CAUSE BRAKE FAILURE.
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AIR BRAKES

TYPES OF BRAKES
THE MOST COMMON TYPE OF FOUNDATION BRAKE IS THE S-CAM. THE S-CAM PUSHES BRAKE SHOES OUT WARD ON THE DRUM TO STOP VEHICLE. WEDGE BRAKES IN THIS TYPE OF BRAKE, A WEDGE PUSHES BRAKE SHOES APART. DISC BRAKES IN THIS TYPE OF SYSTEM A POWER SCREW CLAMPS THE BRAKE PADS ON THE ROTOR. NOTEWEDGE AND DISC BRAKES ARE LESS COMMON THAN S-CAM BRAKES.
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AIR BRAKES

BRAKE CHAMBERS
BRAKE HOSES/LINES, DRUM BRAKE, BRAKE LININGS WHEN CHECKING CHAMBERS LOOK FOR LEAKING, CRACKED, DENTED, AND MOUNTED SECURELY. LOOK FOR WORN, OR LEAKING HOSES, LINES, AND COUPLINGS, ALSO LOOSE OR MISSING BOLTS. ON SOME DRUMS, THERE ARE OPENINGS WHERE THE BRAKE LININGS CAN BE SEEN FROM OUTSIDE THE DRUM, CHECK THE BRAKE LININGS .THEY SHOULD NOT BE WORN DANGEROUSLY THIN.
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AIR BRAKES

STOPPING
THE FOLLOWING FACTORS AFFECT YOUR ABILITY TO BRING YOUR VEHICLES TO A STOP: CONDITION OF ROAD SURFACE -CONCRETE, ASPHALT, OR GRAVEL FOREIGN MATERIAL ON THE ROAD - SNOW, ICE, LEAVES,OR MUD ROAD CONFIGURATION - UPHILL, DOWNHILL, STRAIGHT, CURVE, HIGH CROWN, DIP TIRE CONDITION - TYPE, TREAD,TIRE INFLATION BRAKES -TYPE, STATE OF REPAIR, ADJUSTMENT
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AIR BRAKES

AIR BRAKE USE

NORMAL STOP - FOR NORMAL STOPS, PUSH THE BRAKE PEDAL DOWN. CONTROL THE PRESSURE SO THE VEHICLE COMES TO A SMOOTH AND SAFE STOP. EMERGENCY STOPS FOR EMERGENCY STOPS, BRAKE SO YOU CAN STEER AND CONTROL THE VEHICLE TO STAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE.

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AIR BRAKES

AIR BRAKE USE

EMERGENCY STOPS
CONTROLLED BRAKING - PUT ON THE BRAKES AS HARD AS YOU CAN WITHOUT LOCKING THE WHEELS. DO NOT TURN THE STEERING WHEEL WHILE DOING THIS. IF YOU MUST, MAKE LARGE STEERING ADJUSTMENTS OR IF YOU FEEL THE WHEELS SLIDING, RELEASE THE BRAKES. BRAKE AGAIN WHEN THE TIRES GET TRACTION.
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AIR BRAKES

AIR BRAKE USE

EMERGENCY STOPS
STAB BRAKING -PRESS ON THE BRAKE PEDAL AS HARD AS YOU CAN. RELEASE THE BRAKES WHEN WHEN THE WHEELS LOCK UP. WHEN THE WHEELS START ROLLING, PUT ON BRAKES FULLY AGAIN. IT CAN TAKE UP TO ONE SECOND FOR THE WHEELS TO START ROLLING AFTER YOU RELEASE THE BRAKES. STAY OFF THE BRAKES LONG ENOUGH TO GET THE WHEELS ROLLING AGAIN. OTHERWISE THE VEHICLE MAY NOT STAY IN A STRAIGHT LINE.
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AIR BRAKES

MOUNTAIN DRIVING
WHEN GOING DOWNHILL, BRAKES WILL ALWAYS HEAT UP. THEY ARE DESIGNED SO BRAKE SHOES OR PADS RUB AGAINST THE BRAKE DRUM OR DISCS TO SLOW THE VEHICLE. THIS CREATES HEAT. BRAKES ARE DESIGNED TO TAKE A LOT OF HEAT. HOWEVER, BRAKES CAN FADE OR FAIL FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT CAUSED BY USING THEM TOO MUCH.
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AIR BRAKES

MOUNTAIN DRIVING
THE USE OF BRAKES ON A LONG AND STEEP DOWNGRADE IS ONLY A SUPPLEMENT TO THE BRAKING EFFECT OF THE ENGINE. ONCE THE VEHICLE IS IN THE PROPER LOW GEAR, THE FOLLOWING BRAKING TECHNIQUE STEPS SHOULD BE EMPLOYED.

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AIR BRAKES

MOUNTAIN DRIVING
1. APPLY THE BRAKES JUST HARD ENOUGH TO FEEL A DEFINITE SLOWDOWN. 2. WHEN YOUR SPEED HAS BEEN REDUCED TO APPROX. 5 MPH BELOW YOUR SAFE SPEED, RELEASE THE BRAKES.( ABOUT 3 SECONDS) 3. WHEN SPEED IS INCREASED, TO SAFE SPEED, REPEAT STEPS 1 AND 2.
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AIR BRAKES

EXCESSIVE USE OF SERVICE BRAKES

RESULTS IN OVERHEATING AND LEADS TO BRAKE FADE. BRAKE FADE RESULTS FROM EXCESSIVE HEAT CAUSING CHEMICAL CHANGES IN THE BRAKE LINING THAT REDUCES FRICTION AND CAUSES EXPANSION OF THE BRAKE DRUMS.

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AIR BRAKES

EXCESSIVE USE OF SERVICE BRAKES

AS THE OVERHEATING DRUMS EXPAND, THE BRAKE SHOES AND LININGS HAVE TO MOVE FURTHER TO CONTACT THE DRUMS AND THEN THE FORCE OF THIS CONTACT IS REDUCED. CONTINUED OVERUSE MAY INCREASE BRAKE FADE UNTIL THE VEHICLE CANNOT BE SLOWED OR STOPPED.
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AIR BRAKES

ADJUSTMENT AFFECTS FADING

TO SAFELY CONTROL A VEHICLE, EACH BRAKE MUST DO ITS SHARE OF THE WORK. BRAKES OUT OF ADJUSTMENT WILL STOP DOING THEIR SHARE BEFORE THOSE THAT ARE CORRECTLY ADJUSTED. BRAKES CAN GET OUT OF ADJUSTMENT QUICKLY, CHECK THEM FREQUENTLY FOR PROPER FUNCTION.
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AIR BRAKES

EMERGENCY DRIVING PROCEDURES !

TIRE BLOWOUTS WARNING: LOUD REPORT( NOT ALWAYS HEARD) OR VEHICLE IMMEDIATELY STARTS TO SWERVE OR SWAYING DANGEROUSLY.

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AIR BRAKES

EMERGENCY DRIVING PROCEDURES !

TIRE BLOWOUTS

CORRECTIVE ACTIONS: HOLD STEERING WHEEL FIRMLY, STEER IN A STRAIGHT LINE, APPLY ENGINE BRAKE, (DONT APPLY BRAKES UNTIL ENGINE SLOWS AND VEHICLE IS UNDER CONTROL), DONT CHANGE LANES UNTIL YOU ENSURE CLEARANCE, THEN MOVE TO ROAD SHOULDER.
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