Developed by a commercial-vehicle inspection technician, the Foundation Brake Analyzer (FBA) from Saskatchewan’s Hubtech Systems is claimed to be the transportation industry’s “most accurate” tool to determine the size of the brake drum present or to establish actual camshaft travel at each wheel end, without removing the drum. Costing C$185.00 plus shipping, it’s not new, but new to us. In fact, during a four-year project, KPMG inspection technicians used the FBA to verify compliance on over 6000 commercial vehicles.

This tool is claimed to eliminate the time-consuming removal of a brake drum to determine if it meets manufacturer’s specifications or is within legal standards.

The system is said to be simple and easy to use. The gauge has three discs that are stacked one on top of the other, with an ever-present stainless steel pointer.
The largest disc measures the total amount of S-cam travel evident in a specific S-cam brake assembly. The second largest disc converts the lining thickness you measure in the specific brake assembly into a number representing the number of degrees of S-Cam travel used up by lining wear. The smallest disc is used to determine the size of the brake drum.