The pioneering Bendix® ADB22X™ air disc brake from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB) is driving another first for the industry. The brake will come standard on all axles of International® Truck’s flagship LT Series, effective June 15, making the LT series the first Class 8 tractor in North America to equip air disc brakes in standard position on all wheel-ends. “Today’s air disc brake is a proven technology that delivers unprecedented value for fleet operators, plus helps to significantly improve vehicle and highway safety,” said BSFB President Eddie Wilkinson. “For this brake to achieve standard position on all wheel-ends of the most advanced International truck on the road, supported by a partner as focused on uptime, quality, safety, and performance as Navistar, is truly a benchmark of excellence for which everyone at Bendix and BSFB are proud and grateful.”
Launched in 2005, the Bendix ADB22X was the first air disc brake available for the North American commercial vehicle market. Increasing market adoption by fleets and owner-operators means the brake now accounts for more than 1.5 million wheel-ends on the road.
More than 20 percent of North American Class 6-8 air-braked wheel-ends are now equipped with ADBs – a 50 percent increase in overall market share since 2013 – and the ADB22X accounts for approximately 85 percent of that share.
“The more feedback we heard about how much the ADB22X was appreciated by our customer fleets and their drivers, and the difference it was making on and off the highways, the more we realized that now was the time to offer it as a standard safety solution on our LT Series – a truck designed from the ground up with drivers, safety, and uptime top-of-mind,” said Denny Mooney, senior vice president – global product development, International® Truck.
Multiple Advantages of Air Disc Brakes Air disc brakes complement today’s advanced safety technologies – including electronic stability control (full stability) and collision mitigation systems – and help them perform at their best. Full-stability systems such as the Bendix® ESP® Electronic Stability Program will be mandatory on all new Class 7 and 8 air-braked tractors as of August 1, with requirements extending to include other vehicle categories over the next two years. “Customer fleets and drivers cite multiple reasons for embracing air disc brakes, including straight, stable stops; a car – like feel; and improved stopping distance performance, thanks to a design that virtually eliminates brake fade,” said Scott Burkhart, Bendix vice president – sales, marketing, and business development. “And from a fleet management perspective, equipping disc brakes on all axles of a tractor helps uptime by extending service intervals. When replacement is eventually needed, discs on all axles lowers maintenance costs, streamlines technician training, and, at the same time, reduces inventory requirements.”
The Bendix® ADB22X™ delivers longer brake lining life and quicker pad replacement when compared with drum brakes. Bendix’s air disc brake design also eliminates the risk of rust jacking and incorporates an internal self-adjustment mechanism that can help lower the risk of brakes being found out of adjustment during inspection – which can affect Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scoring. International Truck and its parent company, Navistar, are strong supporters of leading-edge Bendix technologies.
With the LT, launched last year, International was the first truck manufacturer to offer Bendix® Wingman® Advanced™ – A Collision Mitigation Technology as standard equipment in the North American market, and the first truck manufacturer to offer Bendix® Wingman® Fusion™, Bendix’s most advanced driver assistance system. International also makes a wide range of Bendix products –including complete wheel-end packages, antilock braking systems, valves, and air dryers – available as options or standard on a range of its medium-and heavy-duty trucks and buses.
BSFB produces the full lineup of commercially available Bendix® brand air disc brake and foundation drum brake solutions at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Bendix wheel-end solutions include air disc and drum brake systems, automatic slack adjusters, spring brakes, friction, and remanufactured brake shoes that provide lower total cost of ownership while delivering on safety, stopping power, and reliability. BSFB helps fleets and drivers in the areas most critical to their success by improving vehicle performance and efficiency, and backing their products with unparalleled post-sales support. By strengthening return on investment in the technologies that improve vehicle and driver safety, BSFB pursues a goal of safer roads across North America.
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