The Air-Set Smartbrake provides powerful secondary braking and rapid engine warm-up and maintains a constant engine temperature.
 |
Regular maintenance extends product lifetime
Mohr suggests that low maintenance costs is one of the most important features of a good braking system, as well as thermal management, low drag and the correct amount of torque to stop the bus in the proper distance.
“We [at Performance Friction] suggest that the fleet maintenance manager be aware of changes to manufacturing locations for their service parts,” he adds. “The manager who is responsible for the safe operation of school buses and for the cost of maintenance has to be more concerned that he or she is using good parts, made to the OEM-tested specifications, on their vehicles as service parts.”
If maintained correctly, Smartbrake products can have the same life expectancy as that of the bus or truck in which they are installed.
“The Smartbrake is very reliable and only requires an annual maintenance,” Phillips says. Installation of a Smartbrake system takes, on average, only a few hours.
“What we [at Haldex] always say is that proper maintenance and inspection are key to long service life,” Corbett says. “We preach that in our technical schools, and when it comes to customers, we always say that because that really is the key.”
Maintenance, Corbett continues, is especially important to the school bus industry because any problems have the potential to affect the lives of students.
“Inspection in the school bus industry is more stringent than in some of the other vocations we deal with, and rightfully so,” he concludes.