The road is a terrible place to wonder whether your replacement brake shoes were truly remanufactured – or just relined and given a new coat of paint. And knowing matters: Not quite a decade after beginning serial production of Bendix remanufactured brake shoes, the company has produced more than 10 million units, delivering the performance and value that fleets and owner-operators require for safe trucks and a secure bottom line in the trucking industry.
“We’ve got 40-plus years’ experience in remanufacturing, combined with decades of brake manufacturing leadership, so it’s no surprise that professionals across North America have come to expect the best from Bendix remanufactured brake shoes,” said Mark Holley, director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End. “With Bendix, you’re not just getting a shoe that’s been cleaned up and had new friction attached: We return brake shoes to their original equipment (OE) specifications, so they’ll perform to safety and compliance standards while offering the cost advantages that come with choosing reman components.”
Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, the North American leader in the development and manufacture of active safety, air management, and braking solutions for commercial vehicles, handles the complete salvage, coining, and assembly processes that make up start-to-finish brake shoe remanufacturing at its Huntington, Indiana, facility.
OE Process, OE Quality
Opened in 2012 and significantly expanded in 2014 to more than 74,000 square feet, the Bendix Remanufactured Shoe Center is part of the bustling multisite Bendix manufacturing campus in Huntington.
Bendix coins 100% of its brake shoes to return them to OE geometry, so they will perform as designed by OE engineers. In doing so, the company stands apart from brake shoe reliners, which make up the majority of reman brake shoe producers.
Coining is a crucial step that corrects deformities caused by force and temperature changes during a shoe’s previous service life that can leave it “twisted,” and prevent it from making full contact at the anchor pins and/or in the roller pockets at the S-cam.
“Without this step, an uncoined reman brake shoe will not have the correct geometry and may not provide full drum contact, resulting in unpredictable brake performance and uneven wear – regardless of whether it is relined with new friction,” Holley said. “Uncoined reman shoes may even pose problems with reinstallation of the drum.”
High-quality coatings provide superior protection against rust jacking and reduce the risk of cracked friction. Bendix reman shoes with OE friction are E-coated (electro deposition), and shoes equipped with Bendix Advanced or Basic friction feature Bendix PermaGuardcoating. Finally, the assembly process uses the same riveting procedure employed for new Bendix OE shoes – ensuring correct lining attachment for maximum lining service life.
“At Bendix, our focus is listening to our customers and meeting their needs, and it’s clear what they require in a reman brake shoe,” Holley said. “Every step of our remanufacturing process is focused on addressing those needs and providing equipment that keeps drivers safe and trucks on the road.”
Companywide, Bendix’s remanufacturing efforts include air compressors, air dryers, steering gears, air disc brake calipers, and electronic control system components. The company is part of the Manufactured Again Certification program from MERA – The Association for Sustainable Manufacturing, which helps purchasers easily identify remanufactured goods with like-new quality and warranty coverage. The program also promotes environmental stewardship and remanufacturing as a leading example in the circular economy.
Safety, Service, Support
The importance of equipping wheel-ends to handle braking demands has only increased in importance as technologies like full stability have become mandatory, and fleet adoption of advanced driver assistance technologies such as collision mitigation systems has grown.
“It’s important for fleets to understand that to take full advantage of advanced safety systems, the wheel-end must be equipped with quality components.” Holley said. “That’s why it’s important to continue to utilize OE replacement friction when making replacement shoe decisions. That means choosing like-for-like friction to help maintain OE performance.”
Bendix’s friction portfolio includes the industry’s first RSD-certified aftermarket friction (BA202R), along with products like Bendix’s 23K RSD friction (BA232R). Further, Bendix friction materials are B-Level compliant with the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Copper-Free Brake Initiative agreement. B-Level compliance took effect on January 1 and limits the amount of copper in brake friction to no more than 5% by weight.
Bendix supports and advances its remanufactured brake shoe product portfolio through field-tested sales and service professionals; a veteran field technical support team; and the Bendix Tech Team (at 1-800-AIR-BRAKE), an expert technical support group providing service advice, brake system troubleshooting, and product training.
Through its ever-growing portfolio of commercial vehicle technologies, Bendix delivers on the areas most critical to fleets’ success – including safety, vehicle performance and efficiency, and unparalleled post-sales support. Strengthening return on investment in the equipment and technologies that keep trucks and drivers safe and lower their total costs of vehicle ownership fuels Bendix’s pursuit of helping enhance the safety of everyone on the road across North America.
