Thermoid "Tru-Check" brake testing machine.
A number of car brake testers are covered in this section of the site (for example the drive-on Weaver brake testing machine from the late 1920s). The machine shown below, the Thermoid Tru-Check Brake Tester, was developed and manufactured by Thermoid, of Trenton, New Jersey, USA in the 1930s.
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Operating the Tru-Check was simplicity itself apparently. The tester was mounted on wheels with rubber tyres, and incorporated a caterpillar track to one side. The car would be jacked up an inch or so, and the tester wheeled up so that the track pressed against the tyre of the corner being tested. Inside the car, an adjustable pedal depressor would be installed between the brake pedal and something solid, locking the brakes. With the Tru-Check in position, the mechanic would rotate the crank handle. The resistance to the turning force being applied by the mechanic would be recorded on the dial, so that comparisons between different corners of the car could be made, and repairs to the braking system identified.
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Thermoid were quite bullish about their ingenious, low-price, tester:
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Everybody knows that until Thermoid Tru-Check was perfected and patented, no low-priced brake tester worthy of the name had ever been offered. And the trouble with high-priced brake testers had been their inability to pay their way - particularly in the smaller shops. So shops have had to do their testing by "hand feel" and road tests, despite the recognized need for greater accuracy .... The Tru-Check Brake Tester eliminates all guesswork - enables you to test and balance brakes scientifically. It grips the tires - eliminates slippage. It detects improper adjustments, faulty linings. Small, compact, portable yet sturdily built - and so simple to operate that any mechanic can do an expert brake job with it.
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The list price for this machine in the mid-1930s was $75 USD, although speak nicely to your local Thermoid "jobber" and it could be acquired for just $39.50. I wonder if any survive?
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