The Technology & Maintenance Council of American Trucking Associations has expanded an industry practice designed to help equipment owners compare the performance of aftermarket brake linings. The document, TMC RP 628B, Aftermarket Brake Lining Classification, provides information for judging the performance of aftermarket brake linings on air-actuated foundation brakes, including testing in accordance with the dynamometer test procedure in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 121 and lining supplier qualification information.
While performance of original equipment brake linings is regulated by FMVSS 121, linings sold as replacements for these friction materials are not. TMC says such information will assist fleet operators in choosing aftermarket brake linings that will perform adequately on typical combination (tractor/trailer) vehicles and single trucks. The revised RP will appear in TMC’s 2010-2011 Recommended Practices Manual, scheduled for release in April 2010.
