Getting Out All The Breaks

In world-class auto racing, mechanics often reposition the brake pedal face to comply with driver preference. But moving the pedal off center intro- duces a significant twisting moment — a situation that increases stresses which can lead to metal fatigue. Pratt & Miller Engineering is recognized around the world as a formidable force in both motorsports and high-level engineering. The Pratt & Miller team discovered that one of its race cars prematurely demonstrated small cracks on its brake pedal faces. Their initial investigation showed that the cracks started near the pivot pin, which led the team to realize that mechanics were repositioning the pedal face. As the pedal face was moved farther and farther off center, the resulting twisting moment resulted in a crack at the high-stress location. Fortunately, engineers discovered the problem before any accidents occurred.