LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake has been on the move, forming strategic alliances and expanding globally. The company, which combines the wheel-end foundation brake technologies of Bendix and Dana, announced at the Mid-America Trucking Show that it has formed a strategic alliance with Canadian brake reliner Gorilla Brake.

Under the agreement, Gorilla Brake will remanufacture relined shoes under its own brand as well as for Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake.

“Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake’s equity stake in Gorilla Brake is a significant step in our respective short- and long-term business growth goals as well as an exceptional opportunity to more effectively serve the needs of our North American aftermarket customer base,” said Kishor Pendse, president, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake.

“Our complementary set of capabilities and expertise will enable us to be a formidable competitor in the brake relining market as well as offer our customers an even higher level of premier customer service, expertise and performance.”

He added the management team at Gorilla Brake has collectively accumulated more than 100 years of industry experience.

The alliance will not impact the ordering or delivery process customers have already established, the company pointed out.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake also announced it’s expanding its global foundation drum brake business.

The company is adding dozens of engineers and technical support staff in an effort to update existing product designs in markets such as Asia and South America. Closer to home, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake is working on a new drum brake that will be capable of meeting new NHTSA-proposed stopping distances here in North America. The proposed stopping distances will require tractor-trailers to reduce the space needed to stop by 20 to 30 per cent.

“Foundation drum brakes will remain a vibrant business for us,” said Jim Clark, director, foundation drum brakes, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. “As an organization, we’re looking to grow our global market share for drum brakes dramatically.”

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake has announced it is also providing its European affiliate Knorr-Bremse access to its North American drum brake designs for the first time.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake also announced its ADB22X air disc brake is now available on Class 8 Kenworth and Peterbilt steer and drive axles. The company also says it’s in active discussions with other OEMs to expand availability of its air disc brakes.

Finally, the Bendix ASA-5 automatic slack adjuster and 30/30 spring brake from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake have been named standard on certain Dana Spicer trailer axle configurations beginning with 2006 production.