New in 2018, Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems (Bendix) is offering a remanufactured brake shoe with the same proven friction and coating it specs on its original equipment (OE) brake shoe--as well as an extended, five-year warranty against rust jacking. The warranty matches the one Bendix offers on its OE shoes.
The introduction of the new reman shoe comes as the company’s remanufactured brake shoe production has topped six million units. Bendix’s rate of production has steadily increased to meet growing demand from fleets and owner-operators wishing to optimize value while maintaining the quality, performance, and compliance of their Reduced Stopping Distance (RSD) brakes when replacing shoes.
“We are intently focused on offering reman brake shoes that maximize safety and performance by resisting premature lining wear and rust jacking to provide full service life,” said Keith McComsey, director of marketing and customer solutions at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB). “This, along with value, is what our customers require in a reman brake shoe. The Bendix OE-level reman shoe with extended warranty is part of our commitment to meet these needs. Likewise, achieving the six-million-unit production milestone for reman brake shoes is the latest benchmark in our effort to provide operators what they need to compete in today’s industry.”
To help vehicle operators maintain performance of RSD-equipped vehicles (those built after 2011), Bendix offers both original equipment and aftermarket RSD-certified friction options. The company’s newest reman brake shoe combines Bendix OE friction with the same E-coat originally spec’ed only on Bendix OE shoes.
“There is demonstrated value in choosing OE-level reman components, and brake shoes are a prime example,” McComsey said. “They offer fleets continued RSD performance and wear characteristics, and contribute to lower cost of ownership (TCO). Buying an OE-level product results in OE-level value. For our OE-level reman brake shoe, we’re backing it up with OE-level support on the warranty side.”
Bendix produces reman brake shoes at its 74,000-square-foot Huntington IN plant. The facility handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing. Bendix significantly increased the capabilities and capacity of its Brake Shoe Remanufacturing Center in 2014.
“Rust jacking protection is about much more than a quality coating,” McComsey said. “At Bendix, where we have nearly four decades of remanufacturing expertise, we also coin 100 percent of our reman shoes to return them to OE geometry--so they will perform as designed by OE engineers. Many brake shoes are relined--not truly remanufactured. And most reliners don’t coin. The coining process removes the gap between the shoe and friction, where rust jacking can initiate more easily.”
In addition to the RSD mandate, McComsey noted, trucking today is also influenced by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) program--which has brought a focus on CSA scores. A reman process that produces brake shoes meeting OE specs is crucial to maintaining brake safety and performance in this demanding environment.
The value of Bendix remanufactured brake shoes is enhanced by the company’s friction portfolio, also engineered to meet the complete range of customers’ needs for safety, performance, and value. Bendix continues to add new friction materials to its portfolio, which includes options ranging from economy and extreme-duty offerings to OE friction, and features the industry’s first RSD-certified aftermarket friction.