What is Wheel Lock-up?
1 Answers
Car wheel lock-up may occur due to parking with the handbrake engaged during car washing, causing water ingress that leads to the brake pads sticking to the brake drum. Releasing the handbrake and using a spare tire or kicking the tire sidewall a few times can resolve the issue. More detailed information is as follows: 1. The ABS (Anti-lock Braking System) was developed to prevent incorrect braking behaviors (including emergency braking). Through tire sensors, it sends signals based on each wheel's angle and rapidly calculates: vehicle speed, wheel deceleration, and wheel slip probability. 2. After obtaining these three data points, the ABS autonomously determines whether a wheel is approaching lock-up. It then takes action in a straightforward manner—directly intervening in braking without human input, automatically releasing brake pressure to allow the nearly locked wheel to resume normal operation. This process involves alternating between applying and releasing brake pressure repeatedly. 3. Wheel lock-up or sudden braking to a complete stop causes the vehicle to lose steering capability. This typically occurs in vehicles not equipped with ABS. In non-ABS vehicles, forcefully pressing the brake pedal while driving rapidly reduces wheel speed. When braking force exceeds the friction between the tires and the road, the wheels lock up. Fully locked wheels increase tire-road friction, potentially causing skidding and loss of directional control under high inertia. If the front wheels lock, the driver cannot steer the vehicle; if the rear wheels lock, skidding is more likely to occur.
