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Wet Braking

Brake Caliper Opportunities

Most vehicles have disc brakes on the front wheels, but a growing number of cars and trucks are also using disc brakes in the rear. In a disc-braking system the car’s wheels are attached to metal discs – or rotors – that spin with the wheels. The job of the caliper is to slow the wheels by creating friction with the rotors.

The caliper fits over the disc like a clamp and a pair of brake pads is housed inside each caliper. When the brake pedal is depressed, brake fluid is pushed into the caliper, pushing down on the piston and pads. Brake pads have high-friction surfaces which slow the disc down. As the disc slows, so does the wheel.

Brake calipers are therefore a safety-critical product. It is essential that technicians select a brand they can be confident will not let them – or their customers – down.

The Market Opportunity 

Today, remanufactured brake calipers are believed by many to be as good as the OE equivalent and represent one of the few organically growing replacement parts markets. This is due to the fact that many vehicles now have four calipers – one on each wheel – so there has effectively been a doubling of the market over the last six or seven years. We are also starting to see more electric calipers, which command a higher price than standard hydraulic calipers and can offer good re-sale margins.

As more of these cars come into the aftermarket, this sector will continue to experience positive growth. While growth is expected to continue at a slower pace compared to the last three years, calipers are still an increasingly attractive market to factors and garages, both in volume and pound notes.

With the introduction of Electric Park Brake (EPB) calipers, the hand brake is linked to the ECU, meaning that independent garages require the correct software and training for fault diagnosis.

The Replacement Market

There are several reasons for caliper failure:

  • Corrosion from water and road salt
  • Leaking fluid
  • Broken bleed screws
  • Fitment damage
  • Wear to the main piston seal causing leaking

Every Remy brake caliper is remanufactured to OE specification under ISO 9001:2008 quality management standards, using all new pistons, bushes and seals; all other wearing components are fitted from in-house production to ensure optimum quality is achieved. All castings are plated to BS EN 12329 – chrome 6 free zinc passivated – in compliance with current legislation.

Every Remy caliper is pressure tested and an individual test certificate is printed and supplied in the box, together with fitting kits where necessary. For added peace of mind, Remy offers a 24-month warranty on all products from the date of fitment. However, the warranty rate is very low.

With a range of 3,000 part numbers, covering 95% of the UK car parc, Remy is one of the UK market leaders in brake calipers.

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