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Brake chamber construction allows for a finite stroke for pushrods during brake application. As such, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Regulations (FMCSRs) mandate maximum allowable strokes for the various chamber types and sizing. Brake strokes are often measured during compliance inspections and post-accident investigations in order to assess vehicle braking performance and/or capability. A number of studies have been performed, and their results published, regarding the effect of brake stroke and function on braking force and heavy truck stopping performance [1] through [4]. All of the studies have relied on a brake supply pressure of 100 pounds per square inch (psi). When brake strokes are measured in the field, following the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) procedure, the application pressure is prescribed to be maintained between 90 and 100 psi.

This research paper builds onto the wealth of technical information that has been published in the past by engineers such as Flick, Radlinski, and Heusser. For this paper, the pushrod force versus chamber pressure data published by Heusser are supplemented with data taken from brake chamber types not reported on by Heusser in 1991. The utility of Heusser's braking force relationships is explored and discussed. Finally, a straightforward and robust method for calculating truck braking performance, based on the brake stroke measurements and published heavy truck braking test results, is introduced and compared to full-scale vehicle test data.

This paper discusses the improvement of a heavy truck anti-lock brake system (ABS) model currently used by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) in conjunction with multibody vehicle dynamics software. Accurate modeling of this complex system is paramount in predicting real-world dynamics, and significant improvements in model accuracy are now possible due to recent access to ABS system data during on-track experimental testing. This paper focuses on improving an existing ABS model to accurately simulate braking under limit braking maneuvers on high and low-coefficient surfaces. To accomplish this, an ABS controller model with slip ratio and wheel acceleration thresholds was developed to handle these scenarios. The model was verified through testing of a Class VIII 6×4 straight truck. The Simulink brake system and ABS model both run simultaneously with TruckSim, with the initialization and results being acquired through Matlab.

This paper discusses dry stopping performance comparisons of various foundation brake systems on Class-8 truck tractors (having a GVWR greater than 33,000 lbs.). For these studies, four configurations of foundation brakes were fitted to two modern 6x4 conventional truck tractors without modification to the control, application, or ABS systems. Foundation brakes compared include standard S-cam drum brakes on all six positions, high-output S-cam drum and then air disc brakes on the steer axles, and air disc brakes on all six brake positions. Discussions include analyses of stopping distance from 60 mph (96.6 kph) for all test conditions. The truck tractors were tested in two weight configurations, LLVW (i.e., bobtail) and GVWR (50,000 lbs. total axle weight, using an unbraked control semitrailer).

This paper discusses wet stopping performance and stability comparisons of various foundation brake systems on Class-8 truck tractors (having a GVWR greater than 33,000 lbs.). For these studies, four configurations of foundation brakes were fitted to two modern 6×4 conventional truck tractors without modification to the control, application, or ABS systems. The foundation brakes compared include standard S-cam drum brakes on all six positions, two hybrid configurations (high-output S-cam drum and then air disc brakes on the steer axles), and air disc brakes on all six brake positions. The truck tractors were tested in two weight configurations, LLVW and GVWR using an unbraked control semitrailer. Analytical analyses of wet brake-in-curve testing indicate that the hybrid brake systems (employing higher-torque brakes on the steer axle only) might degrade brake-incurve performance. This disadvantage appeared to exist for both load conditions.