Company Introduces Premium Sealed Chamber, Upgrades Proven Base Model
ELYRIA, Ohio – Sept. 26, 2017 – Bendix has announced the launch of the Bendix® EnduraSure™ Spring Brake line, which includes an improved version of its standard chamber, and the addition of a new sealed, professional-grade model. EnduraSure builds on and replaces the proven, popular Bendix® EverSure® Spring Brake. The new series offers even greater durability and performance in its standard EnduraSure product, while now giving fleets and owner-operators a premium option, the EnduraSure™-Pro.
The new models, double-diaphragm chambers for foundation drum brakes, are now in production. They were designed to meet all SAE requirements for force output while meeting stroke and clevis combination needs.
“We took a very good product, which the industry embraced, and made it even better. The product line was also extended, so owners and fleets needing the benefits of a longer life chamber – those operating in harsh environmental conditions, or truck and trailer operators who keep their vehicles for a long time – can now have a Bendix choice for their premium spring brake needs,” said Keith McComsey, director of marketing and customer solutions at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB). “Through the evolution to EnduraSure, the new Bendix spring brake line will further demonstrate that the long-term benefits of performance, durability, and ROI far outweigh short-term, low-cost alternatives.”
The EnduraSure series is produced by BSFB, a joint venture of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC.
More Robust Base Model
For the EnduraSure™ standard version, Bendix incorporated a number of design improvements that make the spring brake more durable and robust, providing longer power spring life while reducing the risk for chamber air leaks. EnduraSure now delivers customers up to three times the power spring life over previous Bendix spring brakes and some competitive models.
The power spring is distinctive in another important way as well. Some spring brake designs exhibit coil clash, where the coils of the compressed power spring make contact and wear away the protective coating, leading to corrosion and breakage. The Bendix EnduraSure’s power spring design virtually eliminates coil clash, protecting the spring’s premium epoxy coating. And EnduraSure is engineered with a greater power spring shut height, which reduces
stresses on the spring and allows it to better maintain its force output over time.
Weighing up to 8 pounds less per tandem axle than most comparable designs, the brake is also one of the lightest chambers on the North American market, offering the potential for increased payload and improved fuel efficiency.
The EnduraSure’s level of durability surpasses even the premium models of some spring brakes available today. That durability translates into lower total cost of ownership (TCO) because the replacement interval has been extended.
Debut of the Pro Grade
For its new premium spring brake, the EnduraSure™-Pro, Bendix built upon the improvements made in its base model spring brake and incorporated them into a premium sealed chamber. The result is that the EnduraSure-Pro performs at a level in which its power spring life is proven to be up to 1.5 times longer than other sealed spring brakes available today.
Since the number one failure mode for a spring brake is a broken power spring that is accelerated by corrosion, EnduraSure-Pro was engineered to prevent the moisture and contaminants that lead to corrosion from entering the chamber. To achieve this sealed design, Bendix eliminated park-side drain holes and integrated a one-way check valve into the screw-in dust plug. This unique dust plug opens momentarily when the park brakes are released to allow air to escape, while keeping moisture and contaminants out.
“The EnduraSure-Pro is ideal for those owners and fleets that demand a long-life spring brake and want to maximize their TCO,” McComsey said. “Some spring brakes marketed as ‘premium’ aren’t sealed. A high-quality sealed chamber is the first prerequisite to maximum spring brake longevity. The Bendix sealed chamber is a key factor in our ability to offer a six-year parts/one-year labor warranty on the EnduraSure-Pro, one of the longest in the market.”
Among the other innovations contributing to the EnduraSure™-Pro’s improved life span and operation is a pushrod designed with higher hardness and lubricity, to help extend center seal life and reduce the risk of air leaks. In addition, the spring park-side spring housing is “E coated” to offer improved corrosion resistance. Field testing, in which the spring brake was subjected to extreme corrosive conditions – in severe-duty applications on vehicles in eastern Canada – demonstrated its success in resisting corrosion.
The EnduraSure™ and EnduraSure Pro are important parts of the complete Bendix drum brake wheel-end package, specifically when coupled with the increasingly popular “hybrid” braking systems and the Bendix® Versajust® LS™ Slack Adjuster with the WearMax™ Clutch. The Bendix hybrid system consists of Bendix® ADB22X™ air disc brakes equipped on tractor steer axles, while drive axles are fitted with Bendix’s new, next-generation drum brakes. This drum brake bundle provides fleets with solid total cost of ownership results.
Bendix wheel-end solutions, which also include friction and remanufactured brake shoes, 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.
Visit Bendix’s Knowledge Dock™ at knowledge-dock.com to stay connected through updates on the latest information in truck operation, maintenance, and safety, including videos, blog posts, podcasts, white papers, and Bendix Tech Tips.
For more information about Bendix spring brakes, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE or visit foundationbrakes.com. About Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
About Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC
Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC combines and expands the complementary wheel-end foundation brake technologies of two global leaders – Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Commercial Vehicle Products, LLC. The joint venture, formed in July 2004, is a single, complete source for OEM brake system design, manufacturing, hardware, and support for all foundation brake components and actuation systems, as well as all-makes coverage of nearly 50,000 medium- and heavy-duty aftermarket parts. Contact us at 1-866-610-9709 or visit foundationbrakes.com. Stay connected and informed through Bendix expert podcasts, blog posts, videos, and other resources at knowledge-dock.com. Follow Bendix on Twitter at twitter.com/Bendix_CVS. Log on and learn from the Bendix experts at brake-school.com. And to learn more about career opportunities at Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, visit bendix.com/careers.
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