Is the braking system on your vehicle composed of disc brakes, drum brakes, or both? It’s possible that you don’t know the answer to that question if you’re a driver like many other people.
In addition, you likely need to be aware of the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes.
But that’s not a problem. Drum brakes and disc brakes are different, but you can readily tell the difference if you have some background knowledge.
So, what is the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes? To generate friction, disc brakes use a disc-shaped rotor with a pair of brake pads, while drum brakes use a circular drum in conjunction with brake shoes.
Having seen the main difference between drum brakes and disc brakes, we will look at other notable differences between the two brake systems and additional relevant information regarding the two brakes.
What Exactly Are Drum Brakes, and How Do They Perform Their Function?
Drum brake assemblies are used on many cars and are behind the rear wheels. Some vintage automobiles have drum brakes installed on all four wheels.
Each drum is round and designed to be placed on top of a wheel cylinder, a pair of brake shoes, and the related gear.
A set of lug nuts holds one of the car’s wheels and tire assemblies against the braking drum.
The following describes how each drum brake works:
- When the driver presses the brake pedal, fluid from the master cylinder moves into the wheel cylinder to engage the brakes.
- After that, the wheel cylinder will force the brake shoes outward until they are in contact with the revolving drum, which will cause friction.
- As a result of the drum being fastened to the wheel, the assembly of the wheel and tire begins to go more slowly.
- During braking, the brake hardware secures the shoes and ensures they are aligned correctly with the drum.
While some cars still have drum brakes in the back, the technology is being phased out since disc brakes are far more effective than drum brakes.
What Exactly Are Disc Brakes, and How Exactly Do They Do Their Job?
Each front wheel of a contemporary vehicle is equipped with a disc brake unit behind the wheel.
There are also a lot of late-model applications that have disc brakes on all four corners of the vehicle.
Each disc brake comprises a caliper that mounts over a disc-shaped rotor and has a set of brake pads inside it.
A collection of lug nuts is used to secure one of the car’s wheels and tire assemblies to the rotor of the wheel hub.
The following is the operation of an individual disc brake:
- When the driver presses on the brake pedal, fluid from the master cylinder moves through the system and into the brake caliper.
- After that, the caliper applies pressure to the brake pads, causing them to rub against the rotor and produce friction.
- As the rotor is connected to the wheel, the wheel and tire combination moves more slowly.
Disc brakes are far more straightforward than drum brakes, making repairing or replacing them much simpler.
Disc brakes are also less heavy and work better than drum brakes in several ways.
Drum Brakes Have their Drawbacks
Because all of the drum brake’s components are contained inside a single metal drum, they can rapidly become extremely hot.
Because hot brakes provide less friction, drum brakes are susceptible to failure when overheating.
Their ability to slow the wheels down is proportionally reduced when they generate less friction.
The term “brake fade” is often used to describe this phenomenon.
Even though significant design improvements have been made to contemporary drum brakes, one of their most important drawbacks is that they are prone to brake fade.
For this reason, drum brakes are often only located on the rear wheels of a vehicle or not on the front wheels of the vehicle. Disc brakes were developed to replace them.
What Advantages Does the Drum Brake Have Over the Disc Brake?
Drum brakes have the potential to provide a greater stopping force than disc brakes of the same diameter.
Drum brakes have a more excellent friction contact surface than disc brakes, contributing to their longer lifespan.
Drum brakes are much less expensive to produce than disc brakes. Drum brakes on the rear wheels have less heat than disc brakes.
Are Disc Brakes More Powerful Than Drum Brakes?
Compared to drum brakes, disc brakes provide superior performance in dry and wet environments.
Drum brakes, on the other hand, are more common. Drum brakes have financial advantages, so their usage is still prevalent today.
What Are Some of the Benefits of Using Disc Brakes as Opposed to Drum Brakes?
Still, on the difference between drum brakes and disc brakes, there are some benefits of using disc brakes as opposed to drum brakes; these benefits are listed below:
- Reduced number of moving components
- The product has a longer lifespan because there are fewer moving components and better heat dissipation.
- Replacement or friction pad examination is simple because of its convenient accessibility.
- Simple access to the caliper for purposes of maintenance and cleaning
Is It Possible to Convert From Drum Brakes to Disc Brakes?
All that is required of you is a conversion kit for disc brakes. Installing one of these kits is a straightforward procedure that begins with removing the old drums, connecting a pair of brackets to your wheel hub or axle flange, and then concluding with installing the rotors, calipers, and all of the necessary hookups.
