Cummins' New Disc Brakes for Single Rear-Drive Axles

Cummins declared that the QuikDisc Rotor for U-Series wheel ends will be introduced.

With QuikDisc, Cummins introduces an industry-first patented two-piece hub design that radically alters how disc brake rotors are serviced in the field and becomes the first manufacturer to offer air disc brakes for a single rear-drive axle at the 33,500-lb. capacity rating used by heavy fire apparatus.

Over the past few decades, the fire and rescue industry has gradually moved toward disc brakes in search of superior fade characteristics and shorter stopping distances in situations that are usually demanding, necessitating quick travel to a site and frequently abrupt or forceful stops once there. Despite this demand, hefty single rear axles with ratings of at least 29,000 pounds have up until now only been used with drum brakes. This gap is filled by the QuikDisc Rotor, which introduces the Meritor EX+ H air disc brake—which has already been tested on front axles—to the back of these heavier cars for the first time.

A second, less obvious issue is also addressed by the product: the challenge of changing disc brake rotors while they are in use. When replacing a rotor on a heavy axle, the entire wheel end—including the hub and bearings—must be removed. Because the assembly can weigh nearly 200 pounds, the work is physically taxing. More importantly, it's a precision process that usually requires three to four hours of downtime and several specialists to properly tune the wheel bearings and reseal the hub following reinstallation.

That procedure is completely eliminated by the QuikDisc two-piece hub design. Only the rotor and its mounting flange—a much lighter assembly—are removed, leaving the hub on the axle. After that, the assembly is put back over the hub, a new rotor is attached to the flange, and the bolts are tightened. No seals need to be changed, and no bearings need to be adjusted. One person may now finish a task that used to take three to four hours in less than an hour. The intricacy of replacing a rotor is now roughly equal to that of replacing brake drums, which is the procedure that fire departments are most accustomed to.

Through an adjustable flange, the QuikDisc rotor supports both 11.25 and 335 mm bolt patterns, allowing fire OEMs flexibility throughout their vehicle lines without having to maintain separate rotor inventory. Part numbers for front and rear axle brake components are shared, which further streamlines stocking and maintenance processes and lowers the fleet's overall cost of ownership.

Cummins is now working with the Garden City Fire Department in Michigan to validate the QuikDisc in real-world settings. The device will be available through OEMs in late 2027 and is intended for new-production fire and rescue vehicles.

“The fire and rescue industry has been asking for disc brakes on heavy single rear-drive axles for years and until now, the answer has been no. QuikDisc changes that. For the first time, heavy fire apparatus OEMs can spec disc brakes across the full vehicle, front and rear, and at the 33,500 lb rear rating the heavy market actually needs. And because rotor replacement no longer means pulling the wheel end, departments get the performance of disc brakes while also reducing service time,” said Perumal Rengasamy, senior product manager of specialty axles.