Method of making a bracket assembly for a brake assembly

1. A method of making a bracket assembly for a brake assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a brake wing that has a brake wing end surface in a first fixture, the brake wing being configured to support an actuator for actuating a camshaft;

positioning a camshaft tube that has a camshaft tube end surface in a second fixture;

friction welding the brake wing to the camshaft tube by rotating at least one of the brake wing and the camshaft tube about an axis and engaging the brake wing end surface to the camshaft tube end surface; and

stopping rotation of the brake wing and/or the camshaft tube about the axis to fix an angular position of the brake wing with respect to the camshaft tube within a predetermined tolerance, wherein a first external curl is generated proximate the brake wing and a second external curl is generated proximate the camshaft tube during friction welding, and the first external curl and the second external curl are removed with a first curl tool after stopping rotation of the camshaft tube or the brake wing or the camshaft tube and the brake wing about the axis.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the camshaft tube includes a mounting flange that is disposed opposite the camshaft tube end surface.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the brake wing rotates about the axis and the camshaft tube does not rotate about the axis during friction welding and rotation of the brake wing about the axis is stopped by braking the first fixture.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the camshaft tube rotates about the axis and the brake wing does not rotate about the axis during friction welding and rotation of the camshaft tube about the axis is stopped by braking the second fixture.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein the mounting flange is integrally formed with the camshaft tube.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the first curl tool is configured as a ring that extends around the camshaft tube and that moves along the axis to sever the first external curl from the brake wing and the second external curl from the camshaft tube after friction welding.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the brake wing and the camshaft tube cooperate to define a hole for receiving the camshaft, wherein a first internal curl is generated in the hole proximate the brake wing and a second internal curl is generated in the hole proximate the camshaft tube during friction welding and the first internal curl and the second internal curl are removed with a second curl tool after friction welding.

8. A method of making a bracket assembly for a brake assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a brake wing that has a brake wing end surface in a first fixture, the brake wing being configured to support an actuator for actuating a camshaft;

positioning a camshaft tube that has a camshaft tube end surface in a second fixture;

friction welding the brake wing to the camshaft tube by rotating at least one of the brake wing and the camshaft tube about an axis and engaging the brake wing end surface to the camshaft tube end surface;

stopping rotation of the brake wing and/or the camshaft tube about the axis to fix an angular position of the brake wing with respect to the camshaft tube within a predetermined tolerance; and

providing a mounting flange that has an end surface and friction welding the mounting flange to the camshaft tube along a second camshaft tube end surface that is disposed opposite the brake wing by rotating at least one of the mounting flange and the camshaft tube about the axis and engaging the end surface to the second camshaft tube end surface and stopping rotation of the mounting flange or the camshaft tube or the mounting flange and the camshaft tube about the axis to fix an angular position of the mounting flange with respect to the brake wing within a predetermined tolerance.

9. The method of claim 8 further comprising drilling a mounting hole in the mounting flange after fixing the angular position of the mounting flange with respect to the camshaft tube.

10. The method of claim 8 wherein the mounting flange, the brake wing, and the camshaft tube cooperate to define a hole that is configured to receive the camshaft for actuating a brake pad assembly.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the mounting flange is configured to be mounted to a brake spider.

12. A method of making a bracket assembly for a brake assembly, the method comprising:

positioning a brake wing that has a brake wing end surface in a first fixture;

positioning a camshaft tube that has a camshaft tube end surface in a second fixture;

friction welding the brake wing to the camshaft tube by rotating at least one of the brake wing and the camshaft tube about an axis and engaging the brake wing end surface to the camshaft tube end surface; and

stopping rotation of the brake wing and/or the camshaft tube about the axis to fix an angular position of the brake wing with respect to the camshaft tube within a predetermined tolerance;

wherein the brake wing and the camshaft tube cooperate to at least partially define a hole for receiving a camshaft, wherein a first internal curl is generated in the hole proximate the brake wing and a second internal curl is generated in the hole proximate the camshaft tube during friction welding and the first internal curl and the second internal curl are removed with a second curl tool after friction welding.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the second curl tool is disposed in the hole and moves along the axis to sever the first internal curl from the brake wing and the second internal curl from the camshaft tube after friction welding.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the camshaft tube includes a mounting flange that is disposed opposite the camshaft tube end surface, wherein the mounting flange is mounted to a brake spider.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the mounting flange is friction welded to the camshaft tube along a second camshaft tube end surface that is disposed opposite the brake wing.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the brake wing rotates about the axis and the camshaft tube does not rotate about the axis during friction welding and rotation of the brake wing about the axis is stopped by braking the first fixture.

17. The method of claim 12 wherein the camshaft tube rotates about the axis and the brake wing does not rotate about the axis during friction welding and rotation of the camshaft tube about the axis is stopped by braking the second fixture.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein a first external curl is generated proximate the brake wing and a second external curl is generated proximate the camshaft tube during friction welding, and the first external curl and the second external curl are removed with a first curl tool.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the first external curl and the second external curl are removed after stopping rotation of the camshaft tube or the brake wing or the camshaft tube and brake wing about the axis.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the first curl tool is configured as a ring that extends around the camshaft tube and that moves along the axis to sever the first external curl from the brake wing and the second external curl from the camshaft tube after friction welding.