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TIL the hard way about brake shoe adjustments on a heavy load
Last Wednesday I had a service call at the Bank of America building on 5th Ave, a 30-story office tower. I adjusted the brake shoes on the main hoist like I always do, but when I tested the car with a half load of pallets it rode smooth... with a full load of 20 people it shook like crazy on descent. Learned the hard way that shoe clearance needs to be checked at max load, not just empty or half-full. Has anyone else found that brake drag changes that much under different loads?
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walker.cole24d ago
Maryt62 brings up a good point about the passenger load, but I actually see it a bit differently. The 20 people was part of a routine capacity test with building maintenance staff and office workers who volunteered for the safety drill. That brake shake he felt isn't just about weight, it's about how the shoe clearance changes under full hydraulic pressure when the car is pushing against the rails with a heavy load. I've seen the same thing on freight elevators with pallets of paper versus empty runs, and it's a real difference that most guys miss if they only test light.
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