Blossary – braking systems

Home > Blossary: Ford Vehicles > Term: braking systems

braking systems

Ford Motor Company uses a number of different braking systems on its passenger cars, crossovers, SUVs and light trucks, including the following: Four-wheel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

Helps provide straight, more controlled stops, while helping the driver maintain steering control undermost road conditions, including slippery road surfaces

ABS computer-controlled sensors prevent wheels from locking up, even when the driver presses hard on the brake pedal

Sensors continuously monitor the speed of each wheel. When impending wheel lockup is detected, the computer signals the hydraulic control unit to apply and release (automatically “pumping”) the brakes several times per second with split-second timing, providing a level of braking efficiency that even professional race car drivers cannot duplicate and resulting in shorter stopping distances and greater braking and steering control

Uses three individual channels to monitor and control brake pressure to the front wheels individually and to both rear wheels together

Operates similarly to the three-channel system, except that both rear wheels are monitored and operated separately

Computer continuously monitors the ABS for malfunctions. Should a problem develop, an instrument panel light alerts the driver that the ABS computer has shut down and the brakes have been returned to normal, non-ABS operation

Driver should never pump the brakes in a vehicle equipped with ABS. This defeats the system and increases stopping distances. For best performance, the driver should apply maximum pedal pressure

When using ABS, the driver may feel a slight pulsing sensation; this is completely normal

All Ford vehicles feature either a diagonal or front-rear split hydraulic brake system with warning lamp (excluding F-650/F-750 with air brakes)

With this system, diagonal circuits link front and rear wheels at opposite corners, so braking capacity is retained even if one of the two circuits malfunctions

Four-wheel disc brakes consist of a disc at each wheel that rotates at wheel speed and is straddled by a caliper that squeezes the inner and outer faces of the disc to provide stopping or braking power

Disc brakes provide a more linear response, and therefore operate more efficiently at high temperatures than drum brakes

Power-assisted disc brakes use a vacuum-assist to provide power to the master cylinder, thereby greatly reducing pedal effort

Ford power-assisted disc brakes are self-adjusting with pad clearance automatically maintained by the limited retracting action of the piston in the caliper Power-assisted Front Disc/Rear Drum Brakes Combination of the front disc and rear drum brake system. Drum brakes are a type of brake that has an iron casting shaped like a shallow drum that rotates with the wheel. Curved brake shoes are forced into contact with the inner face of the drum to provide stopping or braking power. Power-assisted drum brakes use a vacuum-assist to provide power to the master cylinder, thereby greatly reducing pedal effort. Features of this system include:

Front disc brake pad clearance automatically maintained by the limited retracting action of the piston in the caliper

Adjustment of the rear drum brakes is accomplished when the brake pedal is applied while the vehicle is moving in Reverse

Note: Availability of braking systems varies according to model. Refer to the individual vehicle sections of the 2009Source Books or to the Ordering Guide for specific availability.