National Press Release

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- ArvinMeritor, Inc. (NYSE: ARM) today introduced remanufactured brake shoes with PlatinumShield(TM) coating, which provides superior protection against corrosion and rust-jacking. Remanufactured Meritor shoes with PlatinumShield coating provide a three-year, 300,000 mile warranty against rust-jacking.

The aftermarket shoes -- platinum gray in color -- were introduced here at the Technology & Maintenance Council of ATA, and subsequently at the annual meeting of Heavy Duty Aftermarket Week, Feb. 17.

The PlatinumShield coating was developed by ArvinMeritor brake engineering to resist micro-abrasion caused by the movement of the brake lining against the shoe table during normal use. Rust-jacking occurs when rust forms on bare shoe metal under the lining, causing the lining to lift and crack.

Starting in May 2009, the remanufactured brake shoes with PlatinumShield coating will be standard on all Meritor remanufactured production shoes with "MA" and "R" prefixes; Meritor MG1, MG2L, MG2, CG, and MET OEM aftermarket shoes; and Fras-Le F550, F555, F577, F560, F587, F787T, and Combo shoes.

"While rust-jacking has been a recurring industry issue, it's a fact that the increased use of harsh liquid chemicals as winter road solvents can accelerate the formation of rust on shoe metal where the paint has been worn away," said Doug Wolma, general manager of remanufacturing for ArvinMeritor's Commercial Vehicle Aftermarket (CVA) business. "PlatinumShield is a technologically-advanced coating process that provides North American truck operators with the highest level of protection possible."

This technology breakthrough is the result of ArvinMeritor's investment in an improved paint facility at its modern 275,000 sq. ft. Plainfield, Ind., remanufacturing facility. Used shoes are shot-blasted and proceed through a five-stage wash and pretreatment process with iron phosphate before the PlatinumShield coating is applied.

"PlatinumShield coating represents an entirely new process for protecting brake shoes and delivering the performance customers expect," said Paul Nyers, marketing manager for ArvinMeritor CVA. "The real benefit to our customers is lower overall maintenance costs. The elimination of premature brake jobs resulting from cracked liners will make fleets using these shoes more competitive."

In testing to evaluate surface rust after more than 400 hours of exposure to salt and road solvents, remanufactured shoes with PlatinumShield achieved the highest possible ASTM(1) scale rating of 10 (less than .01 percent surface rust). Shoes from two competitors advertising rust-jacking protection features had ASTM ratings of 1 (50 percent surface rust) and 2 (33 percent surface rust).

In addition to brake shoes, ArvinMeritor remanufactures axle carriers, transmissions, brake calipers, trailer axles, steering gears and drivelines. The company entered remanufacturing in 1982 with the production of axle carriers at its Florence, Ky., national parts distribution center, and has since moved that operation into the Plainfield remanufacturing center.

To address new truck-trailer brake applications, ArvinMeritor will make the PlatinumShield anti-rust jacking coating available to all OEM customers later in 2009.

About ArvinMeritor

ArvinMeritor, Inc. is a premier global supplier of a broad range of integrated systems, modules and components to the motor vehicle industry. The company serves commercial truck, trailer and specialty original equipment manufacturers and certain aftermarkets, and light vehicle manufacturers. ArvinMeritor common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol ARM. For more information, visit the company's Web site at: http://www.arvinmeritor.com/.

(1) Test simulation conducted by ArvinMeritor using ASTM (American Society of Testing Materials) B-117 salt-spray testing standard

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SOURCE ArvinMeritor, Inc.