Assessment of braking performance that includes brake fade is a critical part of the evaluation of military light tactical vehicles as it is for conventional light cars and trucks. These vehicles are sometimes called upon to operate in severe mountain regions that challenge the braking performance well beyond the environment in which these vehicles are normally operated. The U.S. Army Test Operating Procedure (TOP) 2-2-608 includes a test schedule conducted in the mountainous region near Jennerstown, Pennsylvania. While this test procedure represents a typical mountain environment, it does not represent the most severe mountain descents that can be encountered across the United States. As a preliminary step to developing a representative severe mountain descent braking test, mountain roads throughout the United States were evaluated analytically to identify potential test venues. A literature search was first undertaken to identify test procedures and test sites that were utilized by automobile manufacturers, independent automotive testing companies, U.S. Army Aberdeen Test Center (ATC), and the University of Michigan Transportation Research Institute (UMTRI). Potential mountain road venues documented by R&R Publishing were examined for severity by estimating the brake lining temperatures resulting from the length and grade of the road, and the speed limit by using a fundamental analysis documented by UMTRI. Several candidate mountain roads for evaluation were recommended based upon estimated brake lining temperature and safety considerations. In addition, several automotive standards and Government test procedures were simulated and their brake temperature severity compared.
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