The S cam brake system is commonly used on big trucks, semi's and trailers. The brake shoes are operated by a cam shapped like and "S". The S cam is operated by air pressure usaully. So when the driver applies the brake pedal air is supplied to a brake cannister at each wheel which rotates the S cam which expands the grake shoes into the drum.
The brake chamber extends a rod out when the brakes are applied. This causes the S-cam to turn. The brake shoes are seated on the S-cam with rollers which roll along the countour of the S-cam as it rotates. When they reach a high point on the S-cam, they are pressed against the brake drums. This causes friction, which brings the vehicle to a stop.
When air is applied to the service portion of the brake chamber, it pushes the slack adjuster outwards. The slack adjuster is attached to the cam, and the cam turns. Rollers on the end of the brake shoes follow the curvature of the S-cam; when they roll along the high arches of the S-cam, they are pushed outwards, causing the brake pads to come into contact with the brake drum.
To transfer motion from the air brake can actuating rod to the S cam shaft on large trucks fitted with air brake S cam type brakes. They can be manually adjusted to take up for brake drum and brake lining wear.
the s cam you are refering to is part of the air brake system on tactor trailers. a relay valve sends air to each brake chamber or pot which moves a rod that has a clevis attached to it that goes to the slack adjuster which is splined to go on the end of an "S" cam. they are called S cams because the shape at the end is like an S.
Slack adjusters are the linkage between the pushrod in the brake chamber and the S-cam between the brake shoes.
On an s-cam air brake, it's the slack adjuster. The brake valve could also be considered one.
S-cam brakes.
Air brakes are used in a range of medium- and heavy duty trucks. There's an air compressor attached to the engine - gear driven, unless it's a retrofit, then it could be belt driven. It compresses air and pushes it into the air tanks - it might go into a wet tank, then through an air dryer and into the primary and secondary tanks, or there may not be a wet tank. That air fills those tanks and charges the brake lines up to a relay valve. When the brake pedal is applied, air is transmitted from the brake valve to the plunger in the relay valve, pushing the plunger down and allowing the air in the brake lines to travel to the brake chamber. The brake chamber pushes the arm out... from there, it depends what type of brake system you have. On disc brakes, it pushes directly on the caliper. On S-cam brakes, that arm is attached to a slack adjuster, which is attached to an s-cam... when the slack adjuster rotates, the s-cam rotates with it, and the rollers on the s-cam travel along the cam, pushing the brake shoe up until it makes contact with the brake drum.
It means the s-cam rotated too far and got stuck at a point where it won't return to neutral. This typically leaves that brake applied, and you typically notice it when your brakes are smoking/catch fire.
You don't grease the brake drums/rotors or shoes/pads, nor rollers. For s-cam foundation (drum) brakes, there should be grease zerks on the s-cam housing and slack adjuster.
On an air brake system, the brake chamber is what actuates the air brakes... it converts air pressure to mechanical force, either turning an S-cam (on foundation brakes), or actuating a caliper (on disc brakes).
It is behind the disk brake rotor.