Which are Best: Drum Brakes or Disc Brakes

Several things are needed to ensure a comfortable and safe car ride. Some may seem obvious, but when they break down, they can cause a problem. Among the most vital components of a vehicle are the brakes. Just like crane parts from Kor-Pak ensure that crane function appropriately, brakes also ensure that you have a safe ride. Driving your car without brakes is calling death by its name. However, most people find it difficult to differentiate between disc brakes and drum brakes. By the end of this article, you’ll know how to differentiate these two types of brakes.

Drum Brakes

Drum brakes have small circular drums that have pistons and two brake shoes. These brakes rotate beside the car’s wheel. When a driver steps on the brake pedal, brake fluid is transferred to the drum brake which forces the pistons to act on the brake shoes thus pressing against the sides of the drum. When this occurs, a friction will be created that’ll slowly bring the spinning wheel to a halt.

Pros Of Drum Brakes

• They’re cheap because their components are easy to make.
• They require less force of brake application.
• They make it simple to recondition the wheel cylinder.
• They can easily house parking brakes without consuming extra space.

Cons Of Drum Brakes

• They have a pathetic heat dissipation which may lead to overheating and the subsequent expansion of metallic parts.
• Because they’re closed, they may collect debris which may cause rusting that’ll reduce piston performance.
• The high friction and extreme heat they generate result into a quicker wear and tear. They have several parts, heightening their chances of failure.

Disc Brakes

These brakes are composed of a brake caliper, flat metal rotor that spins like the wheel, and two brake pads. When you step on the brakes, the caliper will pressurize the brake pads on to the rotor. That’ll cause friction which will slowly stop the spinning the spinning wheel.

Pros Of Disc Brakes

• Small-sized disc brakes have a huge braking power which can stop high speeding vehicles.
• Because these brake are open, they easily dissipate heat, thus reducing overheating.
• Unlike drum brakes, they don’t retain debris, hence may not rust easily.
• Disc brakes have ABS that help them not to lock up during high speed braking.

Cons Of Disc Brakes

• They’re expensive to manufacture and install.
• Their open space may allow air to enter into the master cylinder leading to the failure of the braking system which may result into serious accidents. To combat this problem, you may have to perform brake bleeding constantly during the servicing of your car.
• The brake fluid in disc brakes require often changing so that it doesn’t lose its viscosity.
• Disc brakes without ABS may make a car to lock tires and skid.

Which Are The Best?

Most new cars come with disc brakes installed on their front wheels, and drum brakes installed on their rare wheels. Disc brakes general perform better than drum brakes in both dry and wet conditions. However, if you don’t have money, you may choose to use drum brakes because they’re cheaper. Fortunately, you can upgrade your drum braking system.