BRAKE SPRINGS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 152, 19 February 1932, Page 7

BRAKE SPRINGS

PROPER ATTENTION AND CARE NECESSARY SAFEGUARD. There, are many springs associateds with the brakes of a car, semi-expos-ed and some hidden from view. With one or two exceptions, however, brake springs need no attention; nevertheless, they will not fu'nction correctly if they are neglected, or rather if they are called upon to do impossibilities arising from neglected lubrication of the brake-shafts and joints. Thus, there are the brake-shoe springs that pull the shoes away from the drums, and keep them thus, when the brake pedal or lever is released. These springs cannot always or fully overcome the frictional resistance of unlubricated and rusty shaft bearings. Spring-time work on springs should therefore include thorough lubrication of all brake-shaft bearings and joints. To make sure that they all work freely, let the lever movements be watched by one person while another operates the pedal and handlever. Do not use the grease or oilgun perfunctorily; make sure that the lubricant is really going into the bearings. The springs on brake adjusters should be examined to make certain that they are functioning freely. They are intended to lock the adjuster automatically and prevent the adjustment from slackening back.- Some oil on the adjuster details and the springs themselves will assist the latter to do their duty. There is a spring on the hand-brake trigger; make sure that this is really effective in holding the pawl in en§;agement with the toothed quadrant. A weakened or broken spring might allow the lever to slip to the "off" position while the car is unattended; ind if that happened on a hill — well, :he possibilities for harm are obvious.