TMD Friction releases OE copper-free air disc brake pads
TMD Friction has received the first NAFTA OE release for its copper-free air disc brake (ADB) pad material, TX7400N, the company says.
Maintenance tips for truck brake friction
In terms of brake friction maintenance, there is a lot more to look out for beyond whether the pads or friction is worn. The surrounding parts should also be checked in any inspection. For our in-depth story on brake friction, we interviewed brake experts from Bendix, Haldex, Hendrickson, Meritor, SAF-Holland, TMD Friction and WABCO. These
What you need to know about brake friction
If you are spec’ing brakes, I’m sure I don’t need to tell you that lately, the brake market is increasingly split into two categories: the tried-and-true drum brakes, and the up-and-coming air disc brakes (ADBs). Although most heavy-duty vehicles on the road still use traditional drum brakes, which cost quite a bit less than disc
Testing the compatibility of drum and disc brakes
TMD Friction asked its engineers to find out if disc and drum brakes are compatible and whether they will work properly with each other. “The short answer is yes—to a certain degree,” reports John Thompson, OEM sales manager for TMD Friction. “Engineers calculated the brake force required for a mountain descent of 7.5% grade for
TMD Friction details brake training offering
TMD Friction’s brake training is different than many “nuts and bolts” programs, where disassembly and assembly of brakes are covered, as well as measuring cam bushing wear, torqueing bolts, etc. TMD offers the technician a deeper “dive” behind the final products in the world of friction and braking. Topics include: Introduction to TMD Friction and
Top brake questions, answered
The No. 1 job of truck brakes is safety; within that application, there’s more than one way to stop a truck. Drums have been the brake of choice for many trucks, but air disc brakes (ADBs) continue to gain popularity in nearly all heavy-duty on-road applications. “Current [ADB] market penetration is in the 12% to
TMD Friction highlights Textar pads and linings designed for performance, safety
Choosing the right friction solution needn’t be a challenge, according to TMD Friction. Be it for truck, trailer, bus or coach, TMD’s Textar offers disc brake pads and drum brake linings for major applications of commercial vehicles. And with Textar, every product comes with the assurance of total quality, maximum safety and ultimate reliability, according to the
Building a safer heavy-duty truck
In a national poll conducted by Public Opinion Strategies in late September on attitudes about the trucking industry, 80% of survey recipients said they believe truck drivers are safer than passenger vehicle drivers. Additionally, 90% of respondents said passenger vehicle drivers are more likely to speed than truck drivers, and 74% think that when an
Report Card: FMVSS 121 reduced stopping distance regulation
We are coming up on the third anniversary of the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard (FMVSS) 121 reduced stopping distance regulation (RSD) start date. Fleet Equipment decided to ask brake friction manufacturers to report in on brake performance—and/or changes—since those regulations went into effect. “Actually, the friction materials were changing long before August 2011,” says
Designing programs to avoid CSA violations
A 2013 CSA Violation Study by Vigillo, which provides a widely used CSA reporting system that aggregates, organizes and delivers fleet safety information in a suite of CSA Scorecards, reveals that maintenance related issues make up over 80% of all violations among all seven BASICs, or Behavior Analysis Safety Improvement Categories. Furthermore, notes Steve Bryan,
Textar T3080 ADB pad formula for heavy-duty applications
Textar T3080 is a ultra premium/OE quality air disc brake formula engineered for high-performance while maintaining low wear rates, according to the TMD Friction. In addition, Textar T3080 already meets the 2014 and 2021 “Better Brakes Rules” environmental regulations for heavy metals and copper content, an upcoming challenge facing the brake friction industry. Textar now
TMD announces dates for 2014 quarterly brake training classes
TMD Friction, manufacturer of OEM and premium aftermarket brands Textar and Don, announced their training class dates for 2014. Fabio Jurchaks, sales and engineering director at NAFTA, commented: “The classes are in high demand and we have received great feedback from attendees. Not only do we cover foundation drum and disc brake theory and function,
