Drum brake issues

[spoondog]

I don't think Classic Boy is saying that drums are better than discs, simply that drums are good in the right application. Most utes on the market today still have drums in the back and although the reason for this is more than likely cost, they still do the job quite well and trouble free as Classic Boy is saying.

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[Mudgee hunter]

If your drum brakes stops your vehicle in normally expected conditions....
All is good!
Why worry?
Keep driving until they need changing!!!!
Then rip off the wheel and drum...
OMG! WTF!!!
Easy to say they have been working great.... till now!
Up to you if you want to do the "slap a new set of shoes in:! For $60!!!
Or see the REAL maintenance requirements of stripping down a drum brake components properly!
Anyone who has gone through this process properly is swearing at drum brakes!
There must be 20 extra components compared to disc brakes!
Honestly don8 even mention Ford!!! When it comes to brakes! They have been battling for years to get it right!
Using cheap casting methods on discs that warped etc, and too this day have been rejected by nsw police HP vehicles for bad brakes all round for stopping on Mustangs
So I'm pretty sure Ford don't deserve a mention when it comes to braking!
Zip!
Poor man's pakage probably offers drum rear brakes!
upgrade and see the difference!
Yeah they work great until you hit water, ... the drum cracks.. strip down, under heat.... quick simple pad replacement!

[yanni6556]

Originally Posted by Classic Boy

Get a pic of the correctly assembled brake assy from a service manual to ensure the auto adjusters are in the correct side and direction.
Also the comment about the brake shoe location is important as most assemblies have a leading and trailing shoe. Also check the return springs are still in good shape and correctly located.
Drum brakes have been around since adam was in short pants and they are very reliable and almost always trouble free. Almost every car on the road used drum brakes all round until the mid sixties and rear drum brakes were most common until the mid eighties, and some makes still use them today. They are inherently no more troublesome than disc brakes but can cause problems when incorrectly assembled.

Life saver, I went through the 1700 page online version of the service manual and the adjusters were on the wrong way around, I think a previous owner and or mechanic must of done this.

I also applied some brake grease and she is all good. Thanks for the reply guys appreciate it.

[yanni6556]

Originally Posted by Mudgee hunter

So that's is why everyone swaps disc brakes over to drum brakes!
Just about every car manufacturer that cut costs! Puts drum brakes on!
Well I ain't buying it!
Truckies with cash and sense have be e n fitting disc brakes to semi trailers for years now. Poor man Joe fits drums! And probably swears by them to justify his wrong poor doing....

I know from a source that the older Buses had drums all round (2000 model) and the brakes used to last for ages.

The newer ones even with a retarder have discs all round and they are doing the brakes every 3-6 months at a cost of 5 grand per disc so drums may be old tech but they did the job cheaper and still managed to stop. I still hate them though

[eksjay]

Problem with rear drums is that you have to dry them out after heavy rain. Try reversing down a steep driveway after rain. I get loud banging or popping noises that make the car hop.Once dry, they work very well and stop quite well. I have only replaced the entire rear drum units once in 24 years and that was 3 years ago!

[Classic Boy]

Originally Posted by yanni6556

Life saver, I went through the 1700 page online version of the service manual and the adjusters were on the wrong way around, I think a previous owner and or mechanic must of done this.

Many current generation mechanics that have only worked on more recent vehicles (like a certain poster to this thread) they think they know enough about an older designed brake system based on their limited experience.
Even for us with grey hair that found drum brakes on almost everything we worked on when young. We have learned by bitter experience to always keep the picture of the assembled brake from the manual handy when reassembling them, as they are so easy to put the right part on the wrong side.
In my experience almost every car make's that use drum brakes in their a service manual has a picture of the correctly assemble drum brakes in the book for reference.

[Mudgee hunter]

(Like certain posters to this thread) I'm 50+ years old, probably more grey hair than you. Fully restored a 308 LH Torana MYSELF.
ran consistent 10.9's at Eastern creek.
Massive regrets selling it.....
Almost forgot to mention.......!!!!!
Disc brake upgrade front and back!!!!!!
How about that little BOY!