
Reshetnikov_art/Shutterstock
Technology astir america is increasing astatine a faster complaint than we tin opportunity "What's nan Wi-Fi password?" However, location are still immoderate things that haven't changed since they were invented and are still successful usage today. Take, for instance, the toothbrush aliases a information pin. One specified merchandise successful nan automotive world is nan drum brake, which is still seen successful fund cars built astir nan world. However, most modern cars person moved to disc brakes.
It wasn't ever for illustration that. Drum brakes person been astir since their invention successful nan early 1900s. They went connected to go mainstream, pinch almost each vehicles utilizing a four-wheel drum brake strategy for decades. However, by nan 1960s disc brakes started gaining traction, first appearing connected nan beforehand wheels of astir cars owing to their superior performance. However, drum brakes held connected and tin still beryllium seen today.
Drum brakes are still somewhat applicable coming owed to their elemental construction. As nan sanction suggests, these dwell of a metallic drum that is fixed to your instrumentality astatine nan halfway and rotates pinch nan wheel. It has brake shoes that beryllium wrong nan drum and property against nan drum's soul aboveground erstwhile nan brakes are applied. The resultant clash slows down nan rotating drum and nan instrumentality it is fixed to.
Why did drum brakes suffer their mainstream edge?

Ari Triyanto/Shutterstock
The presence of disc brakes from company's for illustration Brembo pushed drum brakes to nan sidelines. They activity connected a akin rule arsenic drum brakes but are much efficient. Instead of a hydraulic unit pushing brake shoes against nan wrong of a drum, a disc brake has 2 brake pads wrong a caliper pressing against a metallic disc attached to a wheel, from some sides. A disc brake's unfastened building allows for amended power dissipation, making it much resistant to brake slice nether difficult usage.
Disc brakes besides connection amended stopping power, pinch a much linear pedal response. They besides connection amended bedewed upwind capacity arsenic h2o is easy expelled from nan brake disc surface. In position of serviceability, disc brakes are easier to show and activity on. High-performance vehicles usage disc brakes connected each 4 wheels arsenic they connection superior and accordant capacity moreover pinch difficult braking.
The drawbacks of drum brakes chiefly stem from their closed design. This creation traps heat, which affects its capacity during repeated braking sessions, for illustration erstwhile you are driving down a hill. Also, h2o getting into a drum brake tin impact its performance. The superior and reliable capacity of disc brakes intends astir modern cars person switched from drum brakes to disc brakes.
Drum brakes ain't dead

Terminator1/Getty Images
However, don't expect drum brakes to spell extinct anytime soon. They person conscionable been relegated to nan 2nd prime aliases a support strategy successful modern fund car's braking setup, wherever nan disc brake does nan dense lifting. In fact, drum brakes tin beryllium recovered successful thoroughly modern models for illustration nan Audi Q4 E-Tron.
So really do car makers get distant pinch drum brakes connected nan rear wheels? When you brake, a car's weight shifts forward, putting much accent connected nan beforehand wheels. That's why you request amended brakes — deliberation disc brakes — connected nan beforehand wheels and tin get distant pinch drum brakes astatine nan rear. Drums brakes are utilized present arsenic they are cheaper to manufacture than disc brakes. This beforehand disc-rear drum setup is utilized successful astir modern fund vehicles arsenic it is cost-effective without sacrificing optimum braking performance.
One of nan different advantages of drum brakes is their longer work intervals. Under normal driving conditions, brake shoes wrong a drum brake tin past betwixt 30,000 and 40,000 miles, while nan drum itself tin past betwixt 150,000 and 200,000 miles. This is because nan brake shoes person a larger clash interaction area compared to brake pads and frankincense administer brake unit and power complete a wider aboveground area than a disc, reducing deterioration and tear connected nan clash area.