Ridewell Suspensions Approves Pairing Its Axles With Bendix Trailer-Specific Air Disc Brakes

ELYRIA, OH… Noting its total cost of ownership (TCO) benefits such as weight savings and maintenance advantages, Ridewell Suspensions has approved the Bendix^® ADB22X^™-LT air disc brake – engineered specifically for trailers – for use with its 5-inch and 5.75-inch trailer axles. Based in Springfield, Missouri, Ridewell Suspensions manufactures suspensions for trailers, trucks, buses, and recreational vehicles.

“Ridewell is committed to delivering the best to their valued vocational trailer customers, and we appreciate their vote of confidence by offering the Bendix ADB22X-LT air disc brake product as part of the Ridewell trailer axle wheel-end package,” said Keith McComsey, director, marketing and customer solutions, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake (BSFB). “With an ADB22X-LT-equipped trailer, Ridewell customers will reap the benefits of lower TCO associated with LT’s longer-service-life pads, payload capacity opportunities with lower weight, as well as the overall payback of pairing this trailer brake with the Bendix^® ADB22X^™ air disc brake on tractors.”

Unveiled in September 2016, the ADB22X-LT – created exclusively for trailers – advances the design of the Bendix ADB22X, the North American commercial vehicle industry’s leading air disc brake, while weighing in at 40 pounds lighter per tandem axle. This makes it the lightest air disc brake available in North America, helping deliver increased payload capacity and value for trailers that are particularly sensitive to brake weight. Lighter weight wheel-ends can also help fleets and drivers improve their overall fuel efficiency.

In terms of boosting uptime, the Bendix^® ADB22X^™-LT offers quicker pad replacement than foundation drum brakes – taking about one-fourth the time once the wheel is removed. Also, the ADB22X-LT is engineered with an adjustment mechanism that supports longer service life – which it achieves by extending friction life through further reducing the risk of brake drag.

In addition, the ADB22X-LT features a new brake pad – the Bendix BX276 – with 8 percent more wearable volume and up to a 40 percent improvement in wear rate, extending the service life beyond current air disc brake standards. Upkeep and technician training can be further streamlined when fleets pair the ADB22X-LT with tractor units using the ADB22X^™, since the two brakes share replacement wear items, and utilize the same installation and maintenance skill sets.

“As interest in air disc brakes continues to increase in the North American market, Ridewell strives to offer components that pair with the leading edge of the technology,” said Matt Aton, project engineer at Ridewell Suspensions. “And the ADB22X-LT now provides a significant amount of TCO value on a premium product just for our trailer customers.”

With up to a 23,000-pound brake rating, car-like feel, and a virtual absence of brake fade or degradation of stopping power, the ADB22X-LT offers a reliable, robust, and optimal braking solution capable of meeting a wide range of needs. The air disc brake design also eliminates the possibility of rust jacking, and its internal self-adjustment mechanism can help lower the risk of brakes being found out of adjustment during inspection, which can affect Compliance, Safety, Accountability (CSA) scoring.

Like the full lineup of Bendix^® brand air disc brake and foundation drum brake solutions, the ADB22X-LT is commercially available and produced at BSFB’s state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Kentucky. It is part of the complete lineup of wheel-end solutions – also including drum brake systems, automatic slack adjusters, spring brakes, friction, and remanufactured brake shoes – that delivers on safety, reliability, stopping power, and lower total cost of ownership that are critical to fleets’ success. By improving vehicle performance and efficiency, and providing thorough post-sales support, BSFB helps fleets and drivers strengthen return on investment in technologies that make the highways safer for everyone.

For more information about Bendix ADB22X air disc brakes, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE or visit http://foundationbrakes.com/.