Meeting the Challenges of the Aftermarket

The view from Wilwood Engineering

A wide variety of large and small companies compete in the extensive, diverse brake industry aftermarket. The BRAKE Report Magazine (TBRM) asked the privately held Wilwood Engineering, Inc. of Camarillo, California, which has carved out a significant niche for itself since its 1977 inception, about the challenges the aftermarket brake industry players face as well as the opportunities. Brian Cox, the companies media-relations manager, provided these thoughts:

TBRM: What is the current viewpoint of the aftermarket brake industry and what sort of challenges has Wilwood Disc Brakes had to overcome or tend to recently?

Even with 2024 being an election year with still an unpredictable outcome and many paying much more for just about everything, Wilwood Disc Brakes continues with a steady overall sales track. This includes wholesalers, distributors, jobbers, builders and consumers on the aftermarket side, whether that entails classic muscle cars and trucks, restorations, resto-mods or the racing side of things. From a manufacturing standpoint, while it would seem we are in a much better place than three to four years ago, that does not necessarily mean some of the familiar challenges like supply chain or other resource hiccups are completely solved. Like many others, Wilwood has had to diversify to several suppliers for certain raw materials that ensures we can make all the parts needed for the demand and the lack of supplies no longer threatens delivery of products into the hands of the consumer.

With many new vehicles undergoing frequent redesigns by the manufacturers, it can be challenging to keep up with the design of performance enhancing brake kits for so many new types of applications that are an upgrade to OE equipment. Any changes to the front suspension, spindle, or a vehicle that may now be equipped with pad wear sensors, there are revisions to previous kits like different brackets, spacers or lines along with modified installation/data sheets. This all occurs whether they use mounting brackets to mount calipers, or Wilwood’s new “Direct Mount” known as Aero6-DM and TX6-DM brake kits that mount directly to factory caliper locations, where new caliper forgings are needed for a change in factory mounting hole locations.

For the rear of the newer vehicles, the standard solid rear axles are now being phased out it seems for a more favorable ride friendly set up commonly known as independent rear suspension (IRS). With IRS becoming more prevalent, the old solid rear axle flanges by Ford, GM and Mopar that had rarely changed over the years are now more of a spindle type mounted by upper and lower control arms requiring all new mounting methods. With both front and rear brakes of the vehicle being important to the overall stopping capabilities, Wilwood has done an excellent job keeping up with these redesign challenges and is constantly getting new models into the R&D department and coming out with the high-quality performance brake kits that most enthusiasts have come to expect.

Another challenge is getting owners to realize the safety aspect and the benefits superior brakes can provide when installed onto a vehicle. Even though many new vehicles come with brakes that are not designed for what some customers are asking of them, they might not think of upgrading them so quickly. This is especially true for trucks and SUVs when carrying more weight when towing, hauling or going overlanding. These heavier to severe duty loads are where bigger rotors and calipers with larger pad surface area can make a huge difference in stopping a heavier vehicle, sometimes even with a trailer, in a shorter distance, not just once but in repeatable situations increasing the overall safety of the vehicle and its occupants. And for a lot of vehicle owners, cost can be a challenge to upgrade brakes, as many now face not only the increased car or truck payment itself, but also higher insurance, registration fees and overall ownership costs making it a bit harder to find the money to improve the vehicle, whether its brake upgrades, suspension, wheels, tires or engine modifications.

This article is an excerpt from the October 2024 issue of The BRAKE Report Magazine. Subscribe HERE to join our mailing list and be the first to get a copy of this digital publication.

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