Nick Austin, sales manager at MAHA UK, urges operators to reset their brake tester and ensure there’s nothing fouling the frame and the brake tester itself as part of their ongoing maintenance.
Getting into the habit of completing routine checks and thorough maintenance of brake testers should help extend the life of equipment and ensure accurate results time after time. This will not only mean offering customers a professional and competent service but maximising the return on investment.
At a very minimum make sure the brake tester is reset to zero daily, as not doing so can distort results. During visits to workshops, particularly where those businesses are running 12 or 24-hour shift patterns, we have seen situations where the brake tester is never turned off and reset.
But the equipment is designed to be switched off and on again so it can be zeroed. That way, the user can be guaranteed of accurate results. The process of switching a brake tester off and on again, ready to be used, is approximately five minutes.
What’s more, operators need to ensure that there is no vehicle sitting on the equipment or someone standing on the edge of the brake tester; otherwise, the tester will add that weight to the ‘zero’.
Clean the frame recess!
As part of basic housekeeping a brake tester should be kept clean, tidy and free from debris. It’s important to clean out the frame recess as a minimum annually, and this is something we encourage when attending to calibrations.
When a brake test is in progress, rubber dust comes off the tyre, as well as general dirt. Over time, when that rubber mixes with the dirt, it can set like concrete, especially when it’s wet inside the frame. As a consequence, inaccuracies can occur.
MAHA UK’s MBT 7250 is used extensively in ATF stations by DVSA, as well as franchised dealer and independent workshop sites preparing vehicles and trailers for test.
The MBT 7250 measures brake system performance quickly and accurately. Its large centre roller sensor, with a diameter of 100mm and axle load of 20 tonnes, guarantees excellent coverage across every tyre’s dimensions.
Its electronic, temperature-compensated strain gauge system produces precise measurements results, irrespective of the conditions, thanks to its robust and long-lasting design.
It is also possible to connect additional floor units to the MBT 7250, so it can be used as a base module for installing test lanes. It’s also ideal for diagnostics, even when vehicle throughput is high, with the roller set dimensions making the equipment versatile. It can also be upgraded with many accessories.
