Tips for spec’ing and maintaining automatic brake adjustors

The following was published in CCJ's Air Brake Book, 11th edition, sponsored by SilverbackHD. CCJ's Air Brake Book is a complementary industry resource, courtesy of our partnership with SilverbackHD, the Technology and Maintenance Council and Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance. You can download the entire Air Brake Book here. 

The following guidelines, gleaned from fleet managers and field service representatives, can help you make better-informed ABA maintenance and purchasing decisions:

Because internal contamination is an ABA’s number-one enemy, ask how the ABA you’re considering is sealed to keep moisture and contaminants out.SilverbackHDAsk for evidence of a potential ABA’s performance in different climates, applications, vocations and geographic regions similar to the ones where you operate. Remember that a manufacturer may have more than one ABA offering, including a unit better suited to your operation.

Because internal contamination is an ABA’s number-one enemy, ask how the ABA you’re considering is sealed to keep moisture and contaminants out.

If your trucks operate in rough or mountainous terrain, pay extra attention to how the manufacturer has addressed overadjustment issues and how the design compensates for them.

If you’re retrofitting, don’t buy on price alone.

If you’re not sure as to which ABA to go with, buy a few, install them and track their performance before committing to a large purchase.