Part 1 Mechanical brakes and hydraulic brakes

Mechanical Brakes


 

These are brakes that operate entirely with the help of mechanical systems only. The main parts are the lever, linkage, cam, bell crank and pedal. Mechanical brakes are no longer used as service brakes. These are now mostly used as parking brakes.

However, they are also used as a primary brake in some two-wheelers and light motor vehicles. Drum brakes are used as mechanical brakes. The brake shoes located inside the drum are secured to the drum by a retractor spring.

 This movement reaches the cam through the link rod‌ and the lever when force is applied to the pedal to apply the brake. When the cam turns, the brake shoes are inserted against the pressure of the retractor spring and they are able to sit on the drum and brake.

Brake Compensators


 

Brake compensators If the wear and tear of the front and rear wheel brake linings are not the same, the brakes will not work evenly. Proper braking occurs on wheels with less wear of the liner and less braking on wheels with more wear. Some special mechanisms are attached to the brake linkages to avoid such failures. These are known as brake compensators or equalizers. Compensators do not have the ability to apply the same brakes on two brakes with different friction characteristics.

Hydraulic Brakes

Hydraulic brakes are based on Pascal's law. Pascal's law explains that the pressure felt above the liquid in a vessel is felt evenly on all sides of the vessel's surface. When the driver exerts force on the brake pedal, the master cylinder is elevated and transferred to the wheel cylinder or caliper through the pipelines. Drum brakes or disc brakes on all wheels on conventional vehicles, or disc brakes on the front wheels and disc brakes on the rear wheels.