Raybestos® Update

Raybestos Adds European Coverage to Element3, R-Line Product Families

MCHENRY, Ill., Feb. 18, 2020 – Raybestos® has expanded its Element3™ and R-Line brake pad offerings by adding over 75 new part numbers with a specific focus on European applications, according to Kristin Grons, marketing manager for Brake Parts Inc LLC (BPI). 

“The new part numbers further our commitment to providing our customers with the parts they need for European applications,” said Grons. “With these parts being introduced in our Element3 and R-Line families, it demonstrates our continued effort to make purchasing Raybestos brakes simple and easy for all of our customers throughout the entire buying channel. Adding additional European coverage in our product families is an exciting expansion. All Raybestos European brake pad parts in both the Element3 and R-Line families will now have a green part number label to make them easy to identify.” 

Raybestos will supersede all Specialty European part numbers into Element3 and discontinue the Specialty European brake pad line. This change will be seamless and allow customers to continue to get the products they are currently purchasing. Customers will experience increased coverage, more competitive price points, easy to identify parts and a more variable product offering while continuing to maintain the rigorous product standards that they expect from Raybestos. 

An innovative offering with upgraded product attributes for increased performance and a longer life, the ultra-premium Element3 brake line includes a full selection of components for complete braking system coverage. Now expanded for European coverage, Element3 automotive brake pads are specially formulated to meet the rigorous standards established in Europe, and will contain an R90 certification where applicable. 

The R-Line offers reliable stopping power with complete coverage for cars, vans, SUVs and light trucks. Now expanded to include increased European coverage, these traditional OE matched ceramic or semi-metallic formulations give the everyday driver the reliability and dependability that they desire. 

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

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