Aug 1, 2005 12:00 PM

In field tests initiated in 2003 and continuing through this year, Bendix air disc brake products from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC are expected to have significantly longer pad and rotor life.

More than 300 tractors and trailers employing various axle combinations of Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes have logged in excess of 300,000 miles each during the test. Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, the wheel end and foundation brake joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems and Dana Corp, is validating stopping distance performance, brake pad and rotor wear, and compatibility with drum brakes, among other measurements, as part of an analysis of air disc brake performance on working trucks.

“With air disc brakes on all axles, it's entirely possible to have truck brakes for life on many vehicle applications,” said Alf Siebke, product line director — air disc brakes for Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. “Projections from our ongoing field tests demonstrate the possibility of trucks reaching up to three million miles on certain line haul applications before requiring pad and rotor changes. We expect the average vehicle will see one million miles of wear.