Peterbilt Motors Co. recently made air disc brakes standard on the rear axles of its Peterbilt Model 579 tractor -- completing the “transition” of its flagship highway model to air disc brakes on every wheel end.
In 2012 Peterbilt added front axle air disc brakes as a standard feature on the Model 579 to increase driver safety and reduce stopping distance. With the addition of rear disc brakes, the OEM has been able to further reduce stopping distances, noted Robert Woodall, Peterbilt’s assistant general manager for sales and marketing.
“Safety is one of the driving forces in our industry and we are continually evaluating how we can improve the driver experience,” he said in a statement. “Combining front and rear disc brakes is a testament to our commitment to providing the safest trucks on the road.”
The OEM said air disc brakes offer more “precise” adjustment of the brakes, better force distribution, help even out pad wear, and reduce brake fade. The manufacturer added that they are also “ideal” for fleets focused on obtaining lighter weight specs.
In addition to air disc brake standardization, Peterbilt noted it has added as electronic stability control (ESC) and the Bendix Wingman collision mitigation system as “standard options” to its specification packages.
