Product Overview
Equipping brake chambers with the BrakeSentry™: Visual Brake Stroke Indicators provides a significant advantage by allowing quick and effective visual inspections for fleet brake stroke measurement. This semi-truck brake measuring tool helps drivers and technicians identify out-of-adjustment brake conditions without crawling under vehicles. Brake-related issues often remain undetected and expose fleets to high costs, risks, and liabilities.
This brake stroke indicator can reduce inspection time from 25 to less than 2 minutes—a simple visual inspection of stroke measured in 1/4” increments gets the job done. The BrakeSentry™ brake stroke measurement tool saves labor time, reduces costs, and minimizes risks associated with brake defects. It fits all brake chambers with an external 5/8” push rod and is made from a flexible, unbreakable material.
Keep your fleet safe and avoid additional downtime by installing BrakeSentry™: Visual Brake Stroke Indicators on every truck. Each kit contains product to complete one axle/two chambers. It includes 2 indicators, 2 clips, 2 gauges, plus 2 brackets and fasteners.
BrakeSentry™ Brake Stroke Indicator Advantages:
- Assists drivers for pre/post-trip inspections
- Dual function of stroke indicator and brake chamber seal
- Easily installed in 3 minutes with no special tools
- Eliminates damaging manual adjustments to auto slacks
- Eliminates the need to reference and measure at each wheel position physically
- Fits all brake chambers with an external 5/8” push rod
- Made from flexible and unbreakable material
- Non-invasive and non-obstructive
- Provides an effective troubleshooting aid to mechanics
- Quickly identifies failures and defects for prompt correction
- Reduces costly downtime, OOS violations, and fines
- Reduces PM inspection times by more than 85%
- Reduces safety lane inspection time
- Visible even with road dirt
Cost Benefit Analysis:
Example: Your fleet has 50 tandem axle trucks. Each receives one PM inspection per month. The average time to properly inspect brake stroke adjustment is 25 minutes using the industry-prescribed applied stroke method (this requires referencing each brake chamber’s push rod while brakes are released, then measuring push rod travel at each wheel position with brakes applied).
Without BrakeSentry™:
- 50 vehicles x 25 minutes = 1,250 or 20.8 hours per month
- 20.8 hours per month x 12 months = 249.6 hours per year
- Average labor rate of $40.00 per hour x 20.8 hours = $832.00 per month
- $832.00 per month x 12 months = $9,984.00 per year
With BrakeSentry™:
- 50 vehicles X 2 minutes = 100 minutes or 1.7 hours per month
- 1.7 hours per month X 12 months = 20.4 hours per year
- $40.00 (labor rate) X 1.7 hours = $68.00 per month
- $68.00 per month X 12 months = $816.00 per year
Comparison Savings:
- Without BrakeSentry™: 249.6 hours/year = $9,984.00 per year
- With BrakeSentry™: 20.4 hours/year = $816.00 per year
The total monetary savings by switching to this brake stroke indicator is around $9,168.00 per year. Time saved averages around 229.2 hours per year. With BrakeSentry™: Visual Brake Stroke Indicators, the industry-prescribed applied stroke method can be done in a fraction of the time without having to mark and measure stroke at each wheel position.
Brake Stroke Measurement FAQs
Q: What causes excessive brake stroke?
A: Several factors, including worn brake components, improper brake adjustment, air leaks in the brake system, or incorrect slack adjuster operation, can cause excessive brake stroke in heavy-duty trucks. Regular maintenance and inspections can help identify and address these issues promptly and help fleet managers avoid more significant problems later.
Q: What is the brake stroke limit for heavy-duty trucks?
A: The brake stroke limit for heavy-duty trucks varies by the brake chamber type, but a general guideline is that the travel length of the brake chamber pushrod should not exceed 2 inches. Semi-truck brake measuring tools like this indicator can help you avoid unnecessary damage or accidents by keeping you apprised of brake stroke travel. Check and maintain your brake system before and after each trip for vital safety and compliance.
