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YACT: Why do automakers still use drum brakes?

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Originally posted by: db
Since this thread has drifted all over the place, I'll throw my 2 cents in and say that disc brakes also do better when wet than drum brakes--they "squeegie" the water off the rotor, whereas drums can take some time to "dry" out.
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No kidding sherlock.

Drum brakes shoes are encased in a drum that would hold on to water.

Rotors are open and water flies off.

This has been known since, what?, the 40's or earlier?
 
I had a '94 Mustang GT 5 spd. I don't think I ever replaced the rear pads on that car and it had almost 100k miles on it when I got rid of it. I had a 2000 Toyota Tundra (with drum rear brakes) after that and it had better brakes than any 4 wheel disk brake equipped full size truck I've ever driven.

The brakes on my '86 Stang sucked though. A couple hard stops from 90mph and they were practically useless.
 
"Drum brakes shoes are encased in a drum that would hold on to water. "

How exactly does the drum "hold on to water"?

"Rotors are open and water flies off."

It can't "fly" off soon enough if you need braking immediately.

"This has been known since, what?, the 40's or earlier?"

Iron Woode, do you just dream this sh!t up?
 
Originally posted by: db
"Drum brakes shoes are encased in a drum that would hold on to water. "

How exactly does the drum "hold on to water"?

"Rotors are open and water flies off."

It can't "fly" off soon enough if you need braking immediately.

"This has been known since, what?, the 40's or earlier?"

Iron Woode, do you just dream this sh!t up?
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Disk brakes have been around since the 1930's.

There are holes and spaces in a drum brake, particularily the seal with the backing plate and the adjuster access. Water gets in there you know.

Sheesh.
 
My 04 subaru has 4 wheel disc brakes.
I can really, honestly care less if it stops me quickly and safely.
 
Originally posted by: SampSon
My 04 subaru has 4 wheel disc brakes.
I can really, honestly care less if it stops me quickly and safely.
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LoL. Touche! :beer:

My Volvo has 4 wheel disk. So does the Fiero. The Bus still has rear drums, but they seem to work fine. My old Camaro had rear drums that sucked, but when I went through 'em and replaced the cylinders and springs suddenly rocked.

I don't doubt that a well setup set of drums will be effective. It just really seems like they'd be more expensive, and people's perception of drums being "old" was the reason they were still used... So people would pay extra for the disk upgrade.

But I wasn't aware of the extra booster and MC capacity necessary for disk brakes.
 
Originally posted by: Insane3D
Another reason might be that drums seem to last much longer than your average rotor. You may change the rotor a few times over a car's life, while the drum may get replaced once or twice, or not @ all.

*shrug*

It bugs me my GT still has drum brakes in the rear, but I've done some upgrades to the front, and hopefully within the coming year, I'll be installing this.

🙂

Edit:

If I was a rich man, I would love to put these on too... :Q
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That has more to do with the amount of work each has to do if you think about it....
 
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