Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems, Elyria, Oh., introduced a new Splined Disc brake technology which it says can cut time needed for brake maintenance by more than 80 percent. The technology allows an air disc brake rotor to be changed without removing the hub, wheel bearings, air disc brake caliper and carrier from the wheel end. Maintenance technicians first remove the brake pads and replace them with metal wedges. Next, they apply pressure to the brake pedal, which cracks the old rotor under pressure from the wedges. A technician then rotates the wheel 180 degrees and applies brake pressure again to crack the other side. After removing the old rotor, the technician installs the new Splined Disc, which has been pre-cracked at the factory. Vertical spacers are used to allow the new disc to expand not only horizontally, but also vertically.