MODERN BRAKING SYSTEMS

Southland Times, Issue 23648, 25 October 1938, Page 11

MODERN BRAKING SYSTEMS

ENERGY REQUIREMENTS Among the hardest-worked and most reliable components of motor-cars today are the latest braking systems of various types. One has only to watch heavy motor vehicles being smoothly brought to a stop from high speeds almost-without any apparent effort, to realize the high standard of efficiency of the modern braking systems. Behind that smooth deceleration is masked enormous energy, which is little understood by many motorists and particularly by' those drivers who practically “drive on the brakes.” Such

drivers would probably rely more on the engine to retard the speed of their machines if they were aware of the enormous energy required to stop a swiftly-moving motor vehicles. For instance, a motor vehicle weighing with load in the region of 31cwt., when being braked from 10 miles an hour to stop in 44ft., develops 44 horsepower while stepping. At 20, to stop in 18ft., 90 horsepower; from 30, to stop in 40ft. calls for 140 horsepower; from 40, to stop in 71ft. calls for 188 horsepower; from 50, to stop in 111 ft., 236 horsepower is developed; and at 60, to stop in 160 ft. calls for 280 horsepower, which is equivalent to lifting the vehicle to a height of 120 ft. in 3.6 seconds. Consideration of these figures should serve to bring home to motorists the terrific work they put on the brakes of their vehicles by undue and harsh braking, and why an occasional checkup of the braking system is advisable.