7th January 2008 - Bendix Combination Spring Brake Attains Standard Position at Vanguard Trailer

The Bendix trailer product business continues to grow following a recent agreement with Vanguard National Trailer Corporation. The agreement adds the Bendix® SB-4™ combination spring brake as standard equipment on all new Vanguard dry van trailer models.

The spring brake assumes standard position alongside availability of the existing Bendix® ASA-5™ automatic slack adjuster.  Vanguard Trailer representative, Ken Huff, said the decision to add the combination brakes to Vanguard’s trailers was a simple one. “We wanted the Bendix® name. For a long time, the Bendix® brand has been synonymous with quality,” Huff said.

“That has been demonstrated through the success we’ve had with other Bendix products. Vanguard has had a very positive experience with the slack adjusters we put on our trailers, and we expect the same outstanding performance and low-cost maintenance from Bendix chambers.”

Vanguard rolled out its first VIP 4000 dry van trailer in February 2004 and has since expanded its product line to include a full range of dry vans. The company is just one of several trailer manufacturers that made Bendix® technology standard equipment during 2007.

“Providing a full range of high-quality, top-performing products and services – including comprehensive training, diagnostics and technical support – is just part of the ongoing commitment Bendix brings to its support of the trailer market. We are very pleased that a key manufacturer such as Vanguard has placed its trust in us for the future, and we look forward to continued growth and the opportunity to offer superior solutions for many years to come,” remarked Paul Waszkowski, Bendix sales manager, trailer products.

The Bendix SB-4 combination spring brake is produced and made available by Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake under the Bendix brand name. Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake – a joint venture between Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Corporation – designs, manufactures, distributes and supports foundation brake systems and components, as well as actuation systems and all makes coverage of more than 50,000 medium- and heavy-duty aftermarket parts.

The Bendix brand combination spring brake contains a service brake chamber and a piggyback chamber. The service brake chamber provides service braking and the piggyback chamber provides parking braking and emergency braking capabilities. The product is available in a variety of sizes, providing a wide range of output forces and strokes. Combination spring brakes can be mounted with the mounting bolts in either a vertical or horizontal plane on standard mounting stud centers.

About Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC

Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, a member of the Knorr-Bremse Group, develops and supplies leading-edge active safety technologies, air brake charging and control systems and components under the Bendix® brand name for medium- and heavy-duty trucks, tractors, trailers, buses and other commercial vehicles throughout North America. An industry pioneer, employing more than 2,000 people, we are driven to deliver solutions for improved vehicle performance, safety and overall operating cost. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with manufacturing plants in Acuña, Mexico, Bowling Green, Ky., and Huntington, Ind. For more information, call 1-800-AIR-BRAKE (1-800-247-2725) or visit www.bendix.com.