AVON, Ohio — The Bendix EnduraSure-Pro, a sealed spring brake for air disc brakes (ADBs) from Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC (Bendix), is now available as a factory-installed option on all Kenworth medium- and heavy-duty models.
“The EnduraSure-Pro sealed spring brake helps protect against moisture and contaminants entering the unit – the most common reason for spring brake failure,” Bendix said. “Bendix’s solution also helps customers maintain uptime through longer power spring life and fewer replacements.”
Protecting Against Power Spring Failure
In addition, the EnduraSure-Pro spring brake offers a safety advantage. A broken power spring, which is difficult to detect on an air disc brake system versus a drum brake, reduces the ability of the spring brake to park a vehicle, and may increase the risk of a potential rollaway. By protecting against power spring failure, the EnduraSure-Pro spring brake can help mitigate this potential safety risk, according to Bendix
“Our partnership with Kenworth goes back decades, to the early years of air disc brake adoption in North America,” said Nicole Oreskovic, Bendix vice president, sales and marketing. “As our air disc brakes have evolved, together we have helped improve highway safety. The addition of EnduraSure-Pro for air disc brakes to the lineup of Bendix products available on Kenworth trucks adds even more value, while helping to lower total cost of ownership for fleets and drivers in North America.”
Engineering Spring Brakes for Longer Life
“In non-sealed spring brakes, water, dust and aggregates can accumulate and may ultimately block drain holes, thus accelerating corrosion and degrading the power spring,” Bendix said. “In engineering the EnduraSure-Pro spring brake, Bendix eliminated the component’s park-side drain holes and integrated a one-way check valve into the dust plug. This unique dust plug allows air to escape, while helping to keep moisture and contaminants out.”
The result is a spring brake that has been proven to deliver much longer power spring life – up to five times as long as one in a standard (vented) spring brake, according to Bendix.
“Fleets that choose air disc brakes can help protect their investment in this premium technology with the EnduraSure-Pro spring brake,” said Frank Gilboy, Bendix director of foundation drum brake and actuators. “The EnduraSure‑Pro is an excellent choice for any customer, but it delivers even greater advantages for those using Bendix®air disc brakes. By choosing the EnduraSure‑Pro spring brake, customers get a product engineered to perform at its best as part of the complete Bendix air disc brake system. Because we supply fully integrated wheel‑end systems – not simply individual components – we deliver added value and performance that stand-alone parts simply can’t match.”
Bendix’s EnduraSure spring brake offerings include standard and sealed options for drum and air disc brakes.
“The longer you own your vehicles, the greater the benefit you’ll see from avoiding frequent replacements of your spring brakes, including lower roadside service costs and reduced downtime,” Gilboy said. “For trailers, the total cost of ownership is even lower, since fleets keep their equipment longer, and it often sits for extended periods of time. Spec’ing a sealed spring brake is especially beneficial, because standard spring brakes are more susceptible to collecting moisture.”
Eliminating Coil Clash
“Sealed spring brakes have been a favorite choice for fleets operating in severe or off-road applications like bulk hauling, but fleets don’t need to operate in harsh environments to realize the advantages,” Gilboy said. “Industrywide, carriers of every type can benefit from the long-lasting value and safety advantages that sealed spring brakes deliver.”
Like other EnduraSure spring brake models, the EnduraSure-Pro for ADBs has a power spring designed to virtually eliminate coil clash – a condition where the coils of the compressed spring make contact and wear away the protective coating, which can lead to corrosion and breakage. The spring brake is also engineered with greater power spring shut height to reduce stresses on the spring and allow it to better maintain its force output over time, according to Bendix.
“Air disc brakes deliver smooth, straight, and stable stops, with little or no brake fade – drivers love them on the road, and fleets love them in the shop, since friction changes can be handled much more quickly than drums,” Gilboy said. “And when you factor in that ADBs also help support optimum performance of higher-level safety systems like full stability and collision mitigation, protecting them from the hazards of failed spring brakes becomes even more important.”
Dana Guthrie is an award-winning journalist who has been featured in multiple newspapers, books and magazines across the globe. She is currently based in the Atlanta, Georgia, area.
