Selecting the correct replacement brake linings for heavy duty trucks is an important component in the overall safety of the vehicle.

The purpose of Technology & Maintenance Council Recommended Practice #628  (T.M.C. RP 628) is to provide information for judging the performance of aftermarket brake linings on air-actuated foundation brakes, including testing in accordance with the dynamometer test procedure in Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 121 and lining supplier qualification information.

This information assists fleet operators in choosing aftermarket brake linings that will perform adequately on typical combination (tractor/trailer) vehicles and single trucks.

SAE International created the Brake Lining Review Institute in 1994, after the American Trucking Association’s Maintenance Council – now Technology & Maintenance Council (TMC) requested SAE International develop a program using data generated from tests run in accordance with TMC Recommended Practice 628 and Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 121 to evaluate after-market heavy-duty truck brake linings in 1993.

PRI became involved in this effort in 2000, when SAE International transferred the administration of the program to us, but the procedural and structural set-up were essentially unchanged.