21st March 2007 - Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake Builds on its Legacy of Leadership in Air Disc Brake, Announces New Business and New Offerings

A commitment to testing, research and development, training, and product innovation has propelled Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC to its position as the leading wheel-end solutions provider in North America and will ensure its continued growth for decades to come, according to company officials.

“By expanding our product offering to include solutions that meet the needs of a variety of axles, vocations, and applications, we’ve been able to further grow beyond our more traditional commercial, over-the-highway vehicle markets into some niche markets,” said Alf Siebke, director, air disc brakes, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. “Additionally, our aggressive testing and R&D allow us to continue to validate performance, understand and improve the longevity of brakes, and prepare for NHTSA’s proposed stopping-distance requirements.”

Evidence of the company’s extended air disc brake product coverage can be found in business wins being announced today, as well as the company’s new product offerings, continued testing, and stopping-distance efforts. These include:

• Tiffin Motorhomes will make the Bendix ® ADB22X™ air disc brake standard on its Phaeton luxury motorhome, and Freightliner Custom Chassis Corporation made the Bendix ® ADB22X™ brake optional on its beam steer axles, tag axles, and drive axles. The Bendix ADB22X air disc brake is built on proven, high-volume technology from Knorr-Bremse Group, a European-based Bendix affiliate and the world leader in rail and commercial vehicle braking since the early 1990s. Through its relationship with Knorr-Bremse, Bendix has expanded its ability to provide customers with safe, cost-effective air disc brake solutions. Also announced today, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake will offer a portable foundation brake training device that will eliminate the need for fleets, dealers, or distributors to have to take one of their own vehicles off the road or use partial brake hardware to conduct vital foundation brake training. The portable unit is part of a hands-on training and instruction program provided to customers of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. It offers flexible, interchangeable wheel ends featuring the full range of Bendix ® and select Spicer ® brand products from Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake. The unit arrives at a specified training location in a standard shipping crate and allows for complete disassembly of the brake for training in identification, troubleshooting, and maintenance. (See separate release.)

• The company also recently introduced new pad and rotor dust shield technology. Enhanced products that incorporate the technology protect brake pads and rotors in harsh environments and conditions, extending the life of air disc brakes. This product life extension provides not only cost savings for the owner-operator, but extended highway safety. The pad and rotor dust shields can also be used in conjunction with wide-base single tires.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake continues to test its brake products to ensure they meet evolving stopping-distance regulations. Extensive air disc brake testing has proved that Bendix products provide stopping distances comfortably below the range of NHTSA’s proposed reduction of 20 to 30 percent. Bendix is prepared to support even the most demanding stopping-distance regulations with its growing range of products, and will continue its testing for various vehicle configurations and vocations in anticipation of the new regulations.

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC and Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC together maintain a position that, for the sake of highway safety, a 30 percent reduction in stopping distance for large truck tractors should be made.

This 30 percent (249-foot stopping distance) reduction will bring the trucks more in line with passenger cars. The incremental benefit in terms of lives saved, accidents prevented, and reduced property damage losses is significantly greater than the cost of implementing a 30 percent reduction. Additionally, Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake has a variety of products available today to accommodate this level of reduction.

According to Kishor Pendse, president of Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake, the company continues its commitment to excellence in air disc brakes. “As we continue to evolve our products to provide the leading wheel-end solutions, we remain focused on manufacturing the best air disc brakes,” Pendse said. “We intend to continue to roll out enhanced products, to invest in research and development, and to expose our products to rigorous testing to ensure we are best positioned to meet the needs of our customers and to contribute to overall highway safety.”

About Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC

Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC combines and expands the complementary wheel-end foundation brake technologies of two global leaders – Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC and Dana Corporation. The joint venture, formed in July 2004, is a single, complete source for OEM brake system design, manufacturing, hardware, and support for all pneumatic foundation brake components and actuation systems, as well as all-makes coverage of nearly 50,000 medium- and heavy-duty hydraulic brake aftermarket parts. Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC is headquartered in Elyria, Ohio, with engineering operations in both Elyria and Kalamazoo, Mich. For more information, call 1-866-610-9709 or visit www.foundationbrakes.com.

Source: Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake Press Release