Truck brake drums are hollow metal cylinders to which brake shoes are pressed. This results in decreasing the speed and stopping the vehicle. The component is tightly attached to the wheel hub and rotates together with it. The components are durable, efficient, and have a simple design.

Types of brake drums for trucks

Depending on the axle:

• rear;
• front;
• universal.

Rear and front brake drums for trucks have different dimensions and weight. Usually, the wider components are installed in the rear, while the narrower components - in the front. Many two-axle trucks have both front and rear components installed with the same parameters.

By the design:

• Composite. These are represented by two components: a cylinder and a flange. They are considered to be the most durable.
• Solid. These are relatively cheap cast items.

By the material:

• Aluminum. They are lightweight, dissipate heat well, and cool down quickly. They are highly resistant to corrosion, have an aesthetic appearance, and are relatively inexpensive. May warp if overheated.
• Cast iron. They are durable and do not warp at high temperatures. They take longer to cool down, and are more prone to corrosion in damp environments.

The components may have various diameters. Unlike brake drums in passenger cars for which this value is approximately 200 mm, this dimension for the truck components may reach and even exceed 450 mm.

Malfunctions and their reasons

The components are made of durable materials; however, due to mechanical and temperature loads, they wear out with time. As a rule, their service life is 100,000 km of mileage. The main defects include the increased inner diameter, as well as the appearance of bumps, chips, cracks, and rust. In case of such failures the components are not to be repaired - they require replacement.

How to detect faults

Operation of these devices directly determines safety; therefore the regular maintenance of the unit should never be ignored. During each maintenance, assess the state of the components through inspection holes in the shield. In addition, diagnostics is required if the truck decelerates at a lower rate than usual during heavy braking. Failure of the elements is also indicated by vibration of the steering wheel and difficult reversing.

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