Performance?Cost? weight?ease of assembly?longevity? They seem to be regaurded as inferior to disc brakes...What gives???
2006-09-08 08:28:47 · 5 answers · asked by cuv 2 in Cars & Transportation ➔ Maintenance & Repairs
Because american automakers are cheap and ignorant. I happen to have a front-disc/rear-drum setup and it's horrible. It's cheaper to put in cars for them and they are also easier and cost effective to maintain because of the lack of many parts. It's a simple design for a simple era. They lack the performance and stopping power of todays slotted, vented, and/or drilled (or just plain disc) disc brakes. It's time for American car makers to move out of the old days and get back in the game. Back up-to-date.
2006-09-08 08:36:13 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
They're a bit cheaper, and they still stop the car in a reasonable distance. Some of them are indeed lighter too. The rear brakes do much less of the stopping power than the front ones. I've heard of some racers who have stuck with rear drums after trying discs and finding that while they weighted more, the car still took just as long to stop. This may not be true for every car, but it shows that rear drum brakes can still hold their own.
And FYI - it's possible to combine drum brakes and ABS with no trouble.
2006-09-09 10:11:28 · answer #2 · answered by Mad Scientist Matt 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Hello,
most of the cars are front-engined. You need the more braking power where you the weight-bias have, so you need a stronger brake in front and weaker in the rear to have a 'neutral' braking behaviour. The implemetation of the handbrake is also simplier and cheaper on drum brakes, the handbrake can be a mechanical addition to the existing hydraulic system.
E.g. on my Opel Omega Caravan, I have discs both in front and rear, but the handbrake is a stand-alone drum brake behind the rear discs :D. You expect the handbrake to work even when none of you brake lines are working. You could fit an extra caliper to your discs, but that couldn't be mechanical (cable-operated), only hydraulic.
2006-09-08 15:55:09 · answer #3 · answered by Blazs (Skoda 120GL) 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
As with everything in the automobile industry, cost is the answer. Break drums are easier to machine that the disks, and have less moving parts. It is also easier for them to put the e-brake mechanism in drums, that is why some cars have rear drums and front disks. Disks have much better performance and lower weight.
2006-09-08 15:31:30 · answer #4 · answered by bordag 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Inferior? They stopped cars for a long time and are still helping to stop motorcycles.
Drums are lighter and cheaper. Just buy the more expensive auto and you'll get discs.
They are inferior to ABS, though, so you probably want to spend still more money for that.
2006-09-08 15:42:28 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋