Bendix Brake Linings

Product Description

Bendix Corporation was one of the most recognized names in automotive and industrial braking systems throughout the twentieth century. The company manufactured brake linings, brake shoes, and related friction components that were sold into passenger vehicles, commercial trucks, heavy equipment, and industrial machinery across the United States and internationally. Bendix brake linings were standard equipment on a wide range of vehicles and machinery during the decades when asbestos was the dominant material in friction product manufacturing.

Bendix Corporation operated as a diversified industrial conglomerate with divisions spanning aerospace, automotive parts, and industrial systems. Its automotive components division produced brake friction products that reached the market through original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), aftermarket parts distributors, and fleet maintenance programs. The Bendix name carried significant brand recognition among mechanics, fleet operators, and industrial maintenance workers who regularly encountered its brake products in the course of their work.

Allied-Signal Inc. acquired Bendix Corporation in 1983. Allied-Signal subsequently merged with Honeywell International Inc. in 1999, creating the corporate successor entity that has been named as a defendant in asbestos litigation arising from Bendix brake lining products. This corporate lineage has placed Honeywell International at the center of extensive asbestos-related litigation stemming from the historical Bendix product lines.

Asbestos Content

Bendix brake linings were manufactured using chrysotile asbestos as a primary binding and friction material during periods when asbestos-containing friction products were standard throughout the industry. Asbestos was incorporated into brake lining formulations because of its heat resistance, durability under high friction conditions, and structural properties that allowed it to withstand the mechanical stress of repeated braking cycles.

The friction material in asbestos-containing brake linings was typically a composite of asbestos fibers bonded with resins and combined with other materials to achieve desired friction coefficients and wear characteristics. In brake lining applications, asbestos fibers were woven, molded, or compressed into the final product depending on the specific application requirements. These manufacturing methods resulted in finished products where asbestos fibers were embedded throughout the friction material.

Internal corporate documents introduced in litigation have been the subject of significant legal proceedings. Plaintiffs in numerous cases have alleged that Bendix Corporation possessed internal knowledge regarding the health hazards associated with asbestos in its brake products and that this knowledge predated public regulatory action on the issue. These allegations have formed a central element of the litigation record associated with Bendix brake linings over several decades of asbestos personal injury claims.

How Workers Were Exposed

Workers who installed, serviced, replaced, or handled Bendix brake linings faced potential exposure to airborne asbestos fibers through the mechanics of brake work. The nature of brake maintenance created conditions that litigation records document as a consistent source of fiber release.

Brake servicing and replacement required mechanics to remove worn brake linings from drums and shoes, a process that involved scraping, grinding, and handling of degraded friction material. As brake linings wore during normal vehicle operation, the friction surface abraded and produced dust that accumulated inside brake drums and housings. When mechanics opened brake assemblies for inspection or service, this accumulated dust — which could contain asbestos fibers — was disturbed and became airborne.

Grinding and machining operations represented another documented exposure pathway. Brake linings were sometimes machined or ground to achieve proper fit and clearance during installation. Dry grinding of asbestos-containing friction material generated fine particulate dust that was readily inhaled by workers performing the operation or working in close proximity.

Compressed air cleaning, a practice common in automotive and industrial shops, involved blowing out brake assemblies with air hoses to remove accumulated dust and debris before inspection or reassembly. Litigation records document that this practice was particularly effective at dispersing asbestos-containing brake dust into the breathing zone of workers and bystanders in shop environments.

Industrial workers generally encountered Bendix brake linings in settings beyond the conventional automotive repair shop. Heavy industrial machinery, cranes, hoists, presses, and other equipment incorporated large friction braking systems that required periodic maintenance. Workers in steel mills, manufacturing plants, mining operations, construction sites, and similar industrial environments serviced these braking systems as part of routine maintenance duties. The scale of friction components in industrial applications could be substantially larger than passenger vehicle brakes, potentially involving greater quantities of friction material and corresponding dust generation during service work.

Bystander and secondary exposure is also documented in litigation records involving brake friction products. Workers who were present in garages, shops, and industrial maintenance areas while brake work was being performed by others could inhale airborne asbestos fibers without directly participating in the brake service operation.

The occupational exposure period relevant to Bendix brake lining products extended across the decades of asbestos-containing friction product manufacturing and into the period when older vehicles and equipment containing these products remained in service. Workers who performed brake maintenance on vehicles and machinery manufactured during the asbestos era continued to encounter asbestos-containing friction components well after the transition to non-asbestos alternatives began.

Documented Product Identification

The following details are drawn from public asbestos litigation records, manufacturer catalog pages, technical manuals, and corporate history materials. Each item reflects the product as documented in those sources.

Documented asbestos-use period: 1930-1987

Corporate context: Bendix manufactured brakes and brake linings from 1930 through 1987. The company is now part of Honeywell International, Inc., which handles service of process through Illinois Corporation Service Company in Springfield, IL.

Brand identification: Bendix, BULLS-EYE, ECLIPSE, EDF, FK / FRICTION KING, FK II, Marshall, Marshall-Eclipse, S.L., SLADE

Documented asbestos components: brake linings, brake blocks, brake shoes, disc brake pads, clutch facings, arcuate segments.

Documented asbestos-component suppliers: the public records lists the following external suppliers of asbestos-bearing packing, gaskets, and seals used in conjunction with this manufacturer’s equipment — North American Asbestos Corporation (1970-1974).

Industries served: Automotive (cars, trucks, trailers, buses), Farm equipment, Construction equipment, Aviation (airplanes), Golf carts, Military vehicles.

Documented product lines:

  • Bendix Hydraulic Assemblies & Shoes (1934-??). Hydraulic brake assemblies and shoes for automotive applications — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Blocks (1948-1988). Brake blocks for automotive braking systems — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Linings (1939-1988). Replacement and original equipment brake linings — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Brake Assemblies & Lined Brake Shoes (1932-1988). Complete brake assemblies with lined brake shoes — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • Bendix Lined Disc Brakes & Shoes (1966-1988). Disc brake pads and shoes with friction linings — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • BULLS-EYE Brake Linings (1939-1948). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • ECLIPSE Brake Linings (1939-1987). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.
  • EDF Brake Linings (1946-1987). Brand name brake lining product line — asbestos components: brake linings.

Bendix was the exclusive brake lining supplier for Ford light trucks for over 20 years and supplied 100% of Ford brakes from mid-1960s until disc brakes emerged. Also sole supplier for military jeeps and M-151 vehicles, and 100% of AMC/Nash drum brakes.