Press Release

ACDelco Announces New Certification for DuraStop Brakes

11/08/96

ACDelco's DuraStop Brakes Adopt D3EA(TM) Certification


LAS VEGAS, Nov. 6 -- DuraStop, ACDelco's new brake line,
will be one of the first aftermarket brake offerings to be validated
with D3EA(TM) (Dual Dynamometer Differential Effectiveness Analysis)
-- a new, state-of-the- art, laboratory validation procedure that
assures replacement pad performance is consistent with Federal Safety
Standards for new vehicles.

DuraStop will be produced to be consistent with the new vehicle
performance provisions of FMVSS (Federal Motor Vehicle Safety
Standard) 105 and FMVSS 135, according to Michael Fellberg, general
product manager for steering and drive systems for General Motors
Service Parts Operations (SPO). He noted that until recently there
were no objective performance standards for replacement brake pads
that consumers and installers could refer to, and added that,
"Initially, only a few part numbers will carry the D3EA certification.

"This occurs because D3EA validations are conducted with platform
specific procedures and subject to vehicle specific criteria. Vehicle
specific test procedures and criteria are currently being developed
and validated for 30 major passenger car and light truck platforms and
should be completed by the end of 1997. Individual part numbers will
be validated using these vehicle specific procedures and criteria as
they become available. Our plan is to finish the disc brake pad line
and then go on to drum brake shoes. ACDelco original equipment (OE)
parts for GM applications provide the benchmark for these tests."

D3EA is a proprietary laboratory procedure used to determine if a
replacement brake friction material is able to restore a vehicle that
otherwise still meets the originally certified brake standards to that
vehicle's standard. The ACDelco OE brake shoes and pads are, in fact,
the OE benchmark for GM applications. This testing capability is a new
technology developed and conducted in an independent laboratory. The
testing of DuraStop brake pads is being performed by the Detroit-based
independent laboratory, Greening Testing Laboratories, Inc. It was
founded in 1970 and has done performance evaluation testing for many
automotive companies.

Thomas A. Flaim, staff development engineer at GM's North American
Operations Chassis Center, said the D3EA tests performed on DuraStop
brakes represent a new methodology for aftermarket friction assessment
with vehicle specific criteria.

"These tests provide an objective basis for matching friction material
performance with the specific vehicle characteristics to be consistent
with the full system performance requirements of FMVSS 105 and/or
FMVSS 135. These tests represent the best effectiveness validation
protocol achievable in aftermarket friction materials, and may become
the standard of the industry over the next few years," explained
Flaim.

"We're confident that DuraStop is the best premium,
aftermarket-focused, all-makes brake line available. It's focused on
the aftermarket, yet is being validated to meet new vehicle
performance requirements -- that's quality and dependability that
consumers can count on," added Fellberg.

ACDelco's DuraStop brake line is a premium, aftermarket-focused,
all-makes product offering that is a result of extensive consumer and
trade research. The DuraStop line includes more than 9,500 part
numbers and offers 95 percent coverage back to 1976 for domestic and
import passenger cars and light-duty vehicles as well as selected
medium-duty trucks.

ACDelco is part of SPO, which is headquartered in Flint, Mich. SPO
markets automotive replacement parts and accessories worldwide under
the GM and ACDelco brand names. For more information, visit the
ACDelco "On The Edge" web site at http://www.acdelco.com and the GM
Goodwrench Service "Cyberbay" at http://www.gmgoodwrench.com. SPO has
exhibits at BIG I/APAA in Booth Number 4038 and SEMA in Booth Number
6650.