GUELPH, Ont. — Haldex, a manufacturer and distributor of heavy-duty air brake system and suspension control system components, has issued a warning to customers about the dangers of imitation automatic brake adjusters.

These imitation ABAs are made with low grade materials, and they are manufactured using substandard processes and inferior quality control methods, (w)hereas Haldex ABAs are manufactured with premium materials and superior processes such as heat treating and advanced CNC machining that meet or exceed OEM specifications, Haldex officials said in a release.

Haldex has conducted thousands of hours of life cycle and environmental tests on imitation ABAs; these tests are identical to those Haldex conducts its own ABA products.

Haldexs latest results indicate that the imitation ABAs tested had wormshafts and worm wheels that completed only 5% of the cycles before they failed; had clevis pin bushings that completed only 10% of the cycles before failing; had housings that completed only 4% of the cycles before failing; and had an 100% failure rate in corrosion testing completely failing every test conducted.

Haldex officials say these failures can cause loss of braking or excessive brake chamber strokes, which lead to dangerous conditions, risky performance, reduced durability and out-of-service violations.

At Haldex, if the ABA doesnt pass Haldex cycle testing and quality control, it doesnt get the Haldex name, officials said in a release. Haldex advises fleets and owner/operators not to take risks with imitation ABAs that combine low standards with poor quality. These imitation ABAs add up to inadequate braking performance, premature wear and expensive equipment repairs.