Different Types of Brakes: Drum vs. Disc

When you buy a vehicle, you will have many options available to you. From interior to exterior, components and more, vehicles all differ in a variety of ways that can make choosing difficult. But perhaps one of the biggest differences, and most often overlooked, is the type of brakes your vehicle has. There are two different types of brakes, drum and disc. Drum brakes are less common, but are still used as rear brakes. Do you know the differences between the two types? If not, read on and find out; it could help you make a better vehicle choice. 

What Are Drum Brakes, and How Do They Work

Drum brakes are brakes that are contained within a round drum that rotates on the wheel. Inside the drum is something called a “shoe,” similar to a brake pad, that press against the wheel when the vehicle brake is depressed. Fluid is transferred through a line to the brake, known as “brake fluid,” to transfer the movement caused when the driver depresses the brake pedal. In driving conditions where uphill and downhill driving is involved on a consistent basis, drum brakes tend to wear down much faster than disc brakes. Unlike the newer disc brakes, the hotter a drum brake becomes, the less effective it will be, overtime losing its ability to stop the vehicle at all. 

What Are Disc Brakes, and How Do They Work

Disc brakes use a rotor and a caliper to slow the vehicle, much more effective than a drum. Inside of the disc brake’s caliper are two things called brake pads that squeeze on to the wheel when the brake pedal is depressed. Just like a drum brake, brake fluid is transferred through a line to the brake to cause the motion. Unlike a drum brake, which is undone mostly because of its housing, a disc brake is open faced, and thus is easily able to cool down, allowing the brake to remain effective. Disc brake are commonly able to exert more braking force, and more efficiently at that, than a drum brake. 

Why Drum Brakes Are Still Used

Drum brakes are typically used on lower priced vehicles. But even by today’s standards, almost any vehicle you come across will have disc brakes, even if the car is in a lower class. The reason some vehicles may use drum brakes on the rear wills is because drum brakes are much less expensive than disc brakes. This is mainly due to their being much less effective. But lesser manufacturing expenses lead to lesser expenses to the buyer. It is important that, if you want a vehicle for performance, you ensure that you look up the specs and see that all four wheels have disc brakes. If you have a son or daughter looking in to buying their first vehicle, and it is a used vehicle (as in most cases), you will want to talk to the salesperson, and check online for older vehicle specification lists, to ensure that the brakes used on the rear wheels of the used vehicle are not going to be drum brakes.