BRAKE LINING FOR TRANSIT BUSES--BONDED VS. BOLTED

This report points out an often cited complaint from urban transit agencies concerning the Advanced Design Bus: the relatively short brake lining life. Despite design improvements made by the equipment supply industry since the introduction of the ADB in 1978, many transit operators and maintenance managers remain dissatisfied with the low mileage between brake relines, especially on ADBs used in downtown service. In order to reduce associated maintenance costs and increase the availability of the vehicles for revenue service, some transit agencies are changing the method of attaching the lining to the brake shoe, using an adhesive bonding process that increases the useable lining thickness by eliminating the need for bolt head space. This report gives an examination of the effectiveness of the use of brake bonding on the ADB. Since the ADB was introduced, short brake lining life has forced operators to perform frequent and expensive relining. The Detroit Department of Transportation, the Southern California Rapid Transit District and other transit agencies have recently used adhesive bonds instead of bolted linings to reline brake shoes. Using data from these transit authorities, the study considers factors of safety and cost-effectiveness on bonded brake shoes on S-cam and wedge-type brake systems. The report points out that if brake relinings are included as one part of a regularly scheduled brake overhaul program, the use of bonded brake linings can extend the interval between brake overhauls and that this is especially true for buses equipped with wedge-type foundation brakes.

• Corporate Authors:

  Transportation Systems Center

  55 Broadway, Kendall Square
  Cambridge, MA  United States  02142

  Urban Mass Transportation Administration

  400 7th Street, SW
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Publication Date: 1985-6

Media Info

• Pagination: 61 p.

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Brake linings; Brakes; Buses; Maintenance management; Preventive maintenance; Service life; Supply; Vehicle design
• Identifier Terms: Urban Mass Transportation Act
• Uncontrolled Terms: Availability; Maintenance costs
• Old TRIS Terms: Advanced design buses; Brake systems; Bus design; Umta section 6
• Subject Areas: Design; Public Transportation; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 00455185
• Record Type: Publication
• Report/Paper Numbers: UMTA-MA-06-0120-85-2, DOT-TSC-UMTA-85-6
• Contract Numbers: MA-06-0120
• Files: TRIS, USDOT
• Created Date: May 31 1986 12:00AM