Raybestos® Update

Raybestos Expands Caliper and Rotor Coverage for Commercial Vehicles

MCHENRY, Ill., Oct. 6, 2020 – Raybestos® has added new rotor and caliper part numbers to its line of premium quality brake products to further expand the coverage for commercial vehicles, according to Kristin Grons, marketing manager for Raybestos. 

“With harsh winter weather quickly approaching, we have added new rotor and caliper coverage for Ford® Transit commercial vehicles, including coated rotors that protect against the elements. We’ve relied on these essential drivers so much this year, and we want them to know they can rely on Raybestos to help keep their hard-working cargo vans on the road,” said Grons. 

Element3™ coated rotor coverage has been added for 2020 Ford Transit-150, Transit-250 and Transit-350, as well as 2018-2020 Ford Transit Connect. Rotor coverage has been added to the Raybestos Specialty line for 2020 Ford Transit-150, Transit-250 and Transit-350. 

Brake caliper coverage has been added to the Raybestos R-Line for 2015-2019 Ford Transit-150, Transit-250, Transit-350 and Transit-350-HD. 

Raybestos Element3 coated rotors combine a full Grey Fusion 4.0™ coating with OE-matched materials, design dimension and manufacturing process. The combination of this proprietary finishing technology and vehicle-specific engineering promotes long-lasting protection from rust, optimal cooling, best-in-class performance, ultra-smooth braking and maximized life. 

Raybestos Specialty Rotors are the ultimate solution for noise-prone applications, including truck, medium-duty and school bus applications. The vehicle-specific cooling vane configurations and application-specific iron combine to dampen noise and improve brake responsiveness to ensure super smooth and ultra-quiet braking over a longer period of time. 

Raybestos R-Line reman plated brake calipers are engineered to face the toughest weather conditions. The zinc electroplating process helps prevent rust and provides protection for all kinds of weather. The plated brake calipers maintain their high-quality appearance throughout their service life, delivering continued functionality and extended service life. 

Raybestos® Training Update

2014 Jeep Cherokee: Electric Parking Brake (EPB)

We recently had a 2014 Jeep Cherokee in our shop for a brake job. The Jeep Cherokee has Electric Parking Brakes (EPB) on the rear brakes.

The actuator of the EPB is not connected to the piston. It floats inside of the piston. If we were to compress the piston before retracting the actuator, we would damage the caliper. 

In order to remove the calipers on the rear brakes, we need to retract the actuator. In some vehicles, particularly older applications with EPBs, you would need a laptop program or a scan tool to retract the actuator. In this case, Jeep allows you to retract the actuator directly from the display screen.

To retract the actuator, follow these steps:

• Turn the key to light up the display without starting the engine.
• Hit the apps button
• Select settings
• Select brakes
• Select service mode
• The display will ask if you want to retract the parking brake
• Select yes
• Wait for the actuator to retract

Once the actuator retracts, you still need to compress the piston on the caliper before removing it.

After your brake job, to reset the parking brake, follow these steps:

• Follow steps 1-5 above
• The parking brake display will read "Parking brake retracted. To reset, press the brake pedal and activate the parking brake switch"
• Press and hold the brake pedal
• Pull the parking brake switch to activate the actuator
• Hold the brake pedal and parking brake switch until the motor stops running

To stay up to date with the latest training videos from Raybestos, make sure to: 

• Subscribe to our YouTube channel
• Like us on Facebook