Although it’s common practice for truck builders to spec components from a variety of suppliers, there are significant advantages to bundling components from the same supplier—especially when it comes to brake systems.
First, the system has been designed, developed, validated, and in a lot of cases certified together—for optimal performance. Although a single component certainly delivers benefits when spec’d with parts from other suppliers, when they are designed as part of a system, they deliver even better performance and durability. This in turn can contribute towards a lower Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) due to lower maintenance costs and fewer replacement parts (and associated costs), etc.
Next, post-sales support is very important; because it’s convenient for a customer to go to a single supplier for the field service, training and support they need. Uptime is a crucial component in TCO—this is even more true in these challenging times. With brake components supplied by multiple suppliers, customers may lose time as they must contact a number of suppliers and sit tight as they sort through the situation (whose product is truly at the root of the problem?) and determine what action should be taken.
Complete brake system, complete benefits
At Bendix, partnerships mean the world to us. We’re proud to have helped PACCAR provide their customers with quality brake systems for many years. Bendix drum brakes have been standard at PACCAR since 2004. Now we have a new reason for excitement as PACCAR recently made Bendix® EnduraSure™ spring brakes and service chambers and Bendix® Versajust® automatic slack adjusters standard equipment on its trucks and tractors equipped with drum brakes. We’re so pleased that PACCAR customers can enjoy the benefits of the complete Bendix drum brake system.
Longer life, plus weight savings
The Bendix EnduraSure will come standard, but fleets have the option to choose the premium option: Bendix® EnduraSure™-Pro, a sealed chamber for even longer life that comes coming with a 6-year Bendix warranty. With EnduraSure-Pro, fleets get a long-lasting spring brake that’s lighter weight (up to a 12-pound savings per tandem axle set), so they can lower maintenance costs and improve payload capacity.
Can a slack adjuster really impact fuel consumption?
Fleets may see two models of slack adjuster based on their vehicle application/packaging requirements: the Bendix® Versajust® LS™ Slack Adjuster, for typical link-style needs; or the Bendix® Versajust® GS™ Slack Adjuster, designed for vehicles requiring grounded slacks. Bendix slacks lower the risk of dragging brakes to help extend lining and drum life, while improving fuel efficiency. Yes, I said it has an impact on fuel consumption! Some competitive slack adjusters adjust too quickly, inducing a dragging brake; robbing your fleet of fuel as the brakes drag until they release over thousands of miles.
The Bendix EnduraSure and Bendix Versajust add great value individually and even more as part of PACCAR’s complete wheel-end package from Bendix. Customers can be confident that they’re hitting the road with parts that have been engineered as part of a system to deliver maximum safety and performance.
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