In The News

INLINE Spring Brakes help truckers reduce downtime

RENTON, Wash. — By choosing the right brake components such as INLINE brand spring brakes and properly maintaining them, truck operators can significantly reduce the risk of costly service calls and unscheduled downtime.

 â€œINLINE spring brakes are designed for long-life and can handle the rigors of a commercial truck operation,” said Jeff Sass general marketing manager for Paccar Parts, which distributes the all-make spring brake exclusively through Kenworth and Peterbilt dealers in the United States and Canada. “INLINE spring brakes are engineered and manufactured to the same quality standards as OEM parts. Our dealers can help truck owners and operators choose the right brake chamber for their applications regardless of who manufactures their trucks. And we stand behind the quality of these brakes with one of the longest warranties in the aftermarket business, three years or 300,000 miles for on-highway applications.”

 Featuring several high-quality components makes them much less susceptible to premature failure and longer lasting than lesser quality brakes.  Each INLINE spring brake includes epoxy-coated steel power springs to help ensure a long-lasting tension that’s highly resistant to corrosion from road salts, chemicals and other contaminants.  In addition, they are made for use in air brakes in all leading medium-duty and heavy-duty truck applications.

The spring brake, with long-stroke 30/30 brake chambers, has a chrome-plated internal push rod that’s polished to help it move easily through the center seal. That smooth movement helps prevent seal wear, which can lead to internal leaks and premature chamber wear. A 10-gauge housing provides the brake chambers exceptional strength.

 The push rod on the INLINE spring brakes has an indicator to help the operator determine when the stroke is too great and the brakes need adjusting or replacing. This feature allows the operator to determine easily and accurately when adjustments or brake shoe replacement are necessary. Plus, the push rod is friction welded to the pressure plate, which helps prevent brake failure.

 Advanced seals maintain separation of the spring brakes’ service brake and parking/emergency brake chambers, eliminating premature air leaks, which can reduce the life of the spring brakes. The INLINE spring brakes also include heavy-duty, synthetic rubber diaphragms that are tough and highly resistant to abrasion and contaminants found in pressurized air.

 â€œTechnicians find that brake chamber failures with lesser-quality spring brakes are often caused by leaking diaphragms,” said Sass. “Such failures can mean costly service calls for truck operators and delivery delays for their customers.”

 Reser’s Fine Foods Inc., a premiere manufacturer and distributor of refrigerated food products operates a fleet of about 150 Class 7 trucks for local deliveries. It’s also responsible for the maintenance on another 150 Class 8 trucks operated by its dedicated long-haul carrier, Southern Cal Transport Co., of Beaverton, Ore.

Reser’s Fine Foods Corporate Fleet Manager Dennis Fullan said with routine maintenance, the INLINE spring brakes are long lasting and perform well. And that’s important in controlling operating costs and keeping trucks on the road delivering the company’s highly perishable products.

 â€œIn the past year, I figure we’ve only had to replace three air brake chambers on all of the Class 8 trucks, and perhaps another three to six air chambers on our fleet of Class 7 trucks,” Fullan said. “That tells the story right there particularly because of the number of miles those trucks travel.”

 Fullan estimates that the Reser’s fleet of Class 8 trucks travel a million miles each month hauling tortillas, potato salad, fresh vegetable salads and other foods from its manufacturing facilities to grocery and foodservice distribution centers across the United States and Canada.

 â€œWe run a fleet operation that’s scheduled right down to the minute,” Fullan added. “We can’t afford to have our trucks break down due to premature brake issues or other mechanical problems. Our products have to be delivered on time because they are date- and time-stamped and are certified to have a certain shelf life when they get to our customers. Even a delay of a few hours can jeopardize a delivery.”

 INLINE is a licensed Paccar brand of precision fit replacement parts for critical components, including wheel attaching hardware and brakes, transmissions, axles, and air dryer cartridges, for all leading makes and models. INLINE products are sold exclusively in North America.