TMD Friction of North America says its air-disc brake-pad friction material, Textar T3070, has met the FMVSS 121 dynamometer requirements of TMC’s Recommended Practice 628 – ‘Aftermarket Brake Lining Qualification’ — as verified by SAE’s Performance Review Institute.  As a result, TMD says, its friction material for 225-size calipers is the first and only air-disc pad listed on TMC’s list of approved replacement linings.

TMD’s “premium” drum brake lining, Textar T5000, has also passed the RP 628 qualification testing for standard 16.5×7 drum brakes. Together, these two products offer the first TMC-approved replacement option for newer tractor designs with air-disc brakes on steer axles and drum brakes on drive axles, an increasingly common configuration.

Compatibility issues facing operators of vehicles with different brake designs on front and rear axles was a major reason TMD developed and certified to aftermarket standards a disc brake pad formulated to replicate the performance of drum lining material.

TMD fears the growing number of air disc brakes could trigger a rash of disc/drum brake compatibility issues, including rotor cracking and premature wear. Also of concern, the company says, is the entrance of potentially inferior aftermarket disc-brake pads.

The key to TMD’s T3070 air-disc pad formulation is that its high-energy performance matches the high-energy performance of typical North American drum brake linings.