Heat cycle stress places high demands on metal and rubber says Bendix

Depending on environment and driving conditions, car brakes can reach temperatures as high as 500 degrees Celsius, not only impacting braking performance, but reducing the durability of brake parts.

Manufacturers of quality braking components such as Bendix, overcome these conditions with extensive research and testing programs, and by procuring the best possible source materials to develop their components.

Over time, repeated heat cycles cause brake hoses to become stiff, brittle and prone to cracking.

While metallurgy – the science of metal composition – is one important consideration in the manufacture of parts such as brake rotors (because the composition affects how heat dissipates), other non-metal brake parts are sometimes overlooked.

One material that can be susceptible to heat stress, gradually leading to cracking and becoming brittle over time, is rubber. Rubber is used for parts such as dust boots that protect the brake caliper slide pins and for brake piston seals. The heat that’s generated at the brakes is particularly damaging to rubber because of the many heat cycles the brake parts go through every time the car is driven. These rubber components should therefore be carefully inspected as part of regular braking system maintenance.

Critically, rubber is one of the main materials used in the manufacture of brake hoses, and these play a key role in the braking system, ensuring hydraulic pressure from the brake pedal translates to brake force at the caliper. It’s therefore vital that brake hoses are inspected as part of brake system checks as well.

A close inspection of brake hoses should be undertaken regularly and form part of overall brake system checks.

The importance of quality brake hoses
When it comes to designing and manufacturing quality brake hoses, Bendix takes no chances. Bendix Brake Hoses all meet and often exceed SAE J1401, FMVSS 106 DOT and ISO3996 industry standards. To ensure high levels of performance and durability, the hoses are constructed from PTFE (Teflon®) tubing which is then covered by woven stainless steel 304 braid, and finished with a Bendix blue Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) protective layer that further safeguards the braid from dirt, dust and grime.

While steel braiding isn’t required under SAE J1401, this added component helps to deliver a more consistent and firmer brake pedal feel and prevents over expansion of the hose under high braking pressures.

For enhanced performance, Bendix Brake Hoses feature 12L14 steel, chrome-plated fittings with rubber over-mouldings to reduce coupling-to-hose fatigue, ensuring durability in tough environments.

Bendix Brake Hoses are developed to withstand high temperatures; they meet and often exceed SAE J1401, FMVSS 106 DOT and ISO3996 industry standards, and also feature PTFE (Teflon®) tubing covered by woven stainless steel 304 braid. The hoses are also finished with a Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC) protective layer that further safeguards the braid from dirt, dust and grime.