The brake pedal is the brake system component that the driver fundamentally has contact and through its action wait the response of the whole system. Each OEM defines during vehicle conceptualization the behavior of brake pedal that characterizes the pedal feel that in general reflects not only the characteristic from that vehicle but also from the entire brand.
Technically, the term known as Pedal Feel means the relation between the force applied on the pedal, the pedal travel and the deceleration achieved by the vehicle. Such relation curves are also analyzed in conjunction with objective analysis sheets where the vehicle brake behavior is analyzed in test track considering different deceleration conditions, force and pedal travel.
On technical literature, it is possible to find some data and studies considering the hydraulic brakes behavior. However, for pneumatic brake systems, the pedal feel theoretical study is not usual, where is normally used for these developments, exclusively the subjective evaluation which become necessary to have more specialists to define the brake pedal behavior.
Throughout this article will be revised the characteristics concepts of brake pedal and what impact in pedal feel in pneumatic brake systems. Vehicular measurements will be also presented which provided important information on comfort curve definition of commercial vehicles pedal feel, correlating these measurements with subjective analysis and also considering technologies like ABS and EBS. Such study creates a methodology with objective parameters for the future vehicles to be developed by the brand.
