Parking Brake Chamber Safety: Caging Methods

How should a parking brake chamber be safely removed?

a) air pressure, backing off brakes

b) pull spring back with slide hammer, caging strap

c) caging bolt, system air pressure

d) caging bolt, clamp

Answer:

To remove a parking brake chamber safely, it must be caged using a caging bolt or a clamp to contain the spring tension. Air pressure or backing off the brakes are not correct methods for caging as they do not safely secure the spring.

When removing a parking brake chamber, it must be caged first to avoid the release of spring tension, which can be dangerous. This can be accomplished using either a caging bolt or clamp, but not with air pressure or by backing off the brakes. The purpose of caging is to safely contain the force of the spring inside the brake chamber during maintenance or when the brake chamber needs to be replaced.

The caging bolt is a manual method where a bolt is inserted into the back of the brake chamber and tightened, thus compressing the spring and holding it safely in place. Alternatively, a clamp may be used to restrain the spring if the chamber is designed for this method. It's critical to ensure that the caging process is performed correctly to prevent potential injury from the sudden release of the compressed spring.