The inside of a car’s wheel is where a brake drum is mounted. As a result, the brake drum spins at the same rate as the wheel. The brake shoes are encircled by the drum, which is covered with substances that provide friction.
When the brake pedal is depressed, these shoes are forced outward onto the braking drum’s inner surface, creating friction that slows the vehicle down.
Typically constructed of iron, brake drums are resistant to wear.
Drum brakes were first employed on a Maybach automobile in 1900, but Louis Renault didn’t patent the concept until 1902.
Drum brakes may be prone to heat buildup, impairing braking effectiveness.
How do brake drums work?
The brake shoes may need to be driven outward to contact the inner surface of the drum if the drum is exposed to a prolonged period of forceful braking because the heat produced may cause the drum to expand.
Due to the driver having to push the brake pedal further to have the same braking performance, the automobile has what is known as a “long pedal”.
Water intrusion is also a risk with drum brakes. The time it takes for a car to stop will be negatively impacted if water enters the brake drum and ends up squeezed between the brake shoe and inside the drum.
Because the water can’t escape, it will affect braking performance until enough heat is created to vaporize it, unlike with a drilled disc brake, where the water may drain out. Full braking won’t start again until then.
The drum brake’s moderate complexity is another drawback. They take longer to learn about and repair than disc brakes because of the complexity of their design and the many moving parts they contain.
