During Brake Safety Week, commercial motor vehicle inspectors emphasize the importance of brake systems by conducting inspections of commercial motor vehicle brake system components and removing commercial motor vehicles found to have brake-related out-of-service violations from our roadways.
10 Brake Lining and Pad Tips
The focus of this year’s Brake Safety Week is on the condition of the brake lining and pad. Brake lining and pad issues may result in vehicle violations and could affect a motor carrier’s safety rating. Here are some tips from commercial motor vehicle inspectors to help ensure your brake linings and pads have no issues during a roadside inspection.
1. Inspect visible portions of the brake lining and pads as part of your pre- and post-trip inspections.
2. Look for signs of missing lining, such as grooves in the drum from rivet contact.
3. Look at the shoe-to-drum clearance and ensure there is adequate lining on the shoe.
4. Look for any signs of leaks from the hub or other components that may be contaminating the lining/pad surface.
5. Ensure there are no missing lining blocks.
6. Check for visible cracks or voids in the lining block.
7. Check for any exposed rivets or lining blocks that look loose on the shoe.
8. On disc brakes, pay particular attention to the condition of the rotor, such as
heavily rusted rotors across the entire friction surface on either side or metal-
to-metal contact.
9. Make sure all repairs are consistent with the brake manufacturer’s requirements
and guidelines.
10. Note any issues in your driver vehicle inspection reports and report them to the motor carrier to have the defective linings/pads repaired
For more information, visit: www.OperationAirbrake.org
