Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake Improves North America’s Leading Air Disc Brake

New Adjustment Mechanism and Premium Friction Elevate Bendix® ADB22X™ Performance

ELYRIA, Ohio – March 19, 2019 – The Bendix® ADB22X™, North America’s leading air disc brake on Class 6-8 commercial vehicle wheel-ends, has gotten even better, with next-generation improvements that significantly increase uptime and lower operating costs.

“Thanks to a new adjustment mechanism that’s engineered for increased vibration robustness while improving the running clearance between the friction and rotor, the new ADB22X improves pad life and reduces residual brake drag, which results in extended service life,” said Keith McComsey, director of marketing and customer solutions, Wheel-End, at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC (BSFB). “The adjustment mechanism is a proven piece of technology that we originally implemented with the trailer-specific Bendix® ADB22X™-LT, and its success, combined with positive feedback from fleets using the trailer air disc brake, made it an obvious choice for building on the success of the ADB22X family.”

The ADB22X is also now coupled with Bendix’s longest-life air disc brake (ADB) friction – the Bendix® BX276™ air disc brake pad – without sacrificing any performance. The BX276 model, which includes an additional 2 millimeters of thickness compared with its predecessor (the BX275), delivers an 8 percent increase in wearable volume. In developing the BX276, Bendix also reformulated the friction to achieve an improved wear rate, resulting in a pad with up to 40 percent reduction in wear rate than its predecessor.

A number of North American truck manufacturers have already made the optimized brake available, while the remainder expect to do so by the end of 2019.

Since 2005, Bendix has produced nearly 3 million ADB22X™ units, accounting for approximately 85 percent of the air-disc-braked wheel-ends on North American commercial vehicles. The company’s production numbers reflect an ever-increasing demand for air disc brakes in the commercial vehicle industry. Worldwide, Bendix and its parent company, Knorr-Bremse, are the clear global leader in air disc brake production at over 40 million and counting.

The Air Disc Brake Solution

The lightweight design of the Bendix® ADB22X and ADB22X™-LT significantly reduces stopping distance and extends brake system life, while quicker pad replacement and longer pad life contribute to greater uptime and lower maintenance costs. And since the ADB22X and ADB22X-LT share replacement wear items, maintenance, training, and inventory requirements can be easily streamlined.

On the road, air disc brakes provide a car-like feel; straight, stable stops; and greater reliability due to virtually no brake fade or degradation of stopping power. They also complement active safety technologies – such as Bendix® Wingman® Fusion™ and the Bendix® ESP® Electronic Stability Program full-stability system – by providing the stopping power that allows these systems to perform at their best.

“More than 25 percent of North American Class 6-8 air-braked wheel-ends are now equipped with air disc brakes, which is nearly a 100 percent increase in overall market share since 2014. In addition, nearly 15 percent of trailers are currently experiencing the benefits of ADBs,” McComsey said. “It’s not surprising, given the levels of precision and control required for leading-edge safety capabilities like automatic emergency braking. In advanced systems like these, you have to be able to count on the brakes to deliver consistent power in all situations – and air disc brakes provide a more stable foundation.”

Fleets can turn to Bendix’s easy-to-use online value calculator to help determine whether air discs are the best option for their business. At ValuebyBendix.com, a few basic pieces of fleet information can help illustrate the savings opportunities that can be realized by spec’ing all-wheel ADB22X air disc brakes on tractors and the ADB22X-LT on trailers.

The complete lineup of Bendix wheel-end solutions – including air disc and foundation drum brakes – delivers safety, reliability, and stopping power to fleets and owner-operators, lowering total cost of ownership and strengthening return on investment.

For more information about Bendix air disc brake pads, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE or visit www.foundationbrakes.com.


The Brake Report
The Brake Report

The BRAKE Report is an online media platform dedicated to the automotive and commercial vehicle brake segments. Our mission is to provide the global brake community with the latest news & headlines from around the industry.