October 2014 Issue 135
—S e rvi ng All of Ontar io—
October ThemE
Brakes, Tires & Wheel Products By Marek Krasuski
F
leets constantly face a barrage of choices in the purchase of wheel end components. These include targeting the product best suited for a specific application, deciding whether to purchase domestic or off shore supplies, choosing aftermarket versus OEM products and deciding whether to adopt better technologies while absorbing higher price points. Air disc brakes are a case in point. North American carriers have typically favoured drum brakes over disc brakes. Despite the many advantages of discs, their adoption into the North American market is expected to rise just 5 to 10 percent over the next few years. This is due, in part, to familiarity. Drum brake technology has been around a long time and the market is slow to respond to changes. Equally important though is cost. Disc brakes can cost up to $1,000 per axle more than drums, an obvious impediment to an industry committed to minimizing costs. In place of wholesale adoption of disc brakes customers are opting for lighter weight drums. Where disc brakes have been making inroads, however, is in more severe applications involving intense stopping.
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