Burbank Auto Repair

Today we are talking brakes! They are one of the most crucial components of any motor vehicle out on the road and are essential to slowing down your car and at the same time ensure safety for yourself and others on Burbank's roads. However, not all brakes are the same. Did you know there are two largely different types of brake systems on cars? In this blog post, we will do a crash course on the two kinds of conventional brake systems: Drum Brakes and Disk Brakes! So stick around to find out how these two brake systems are different, which ones you have on your car, and how they are serviced!

A Brief History About Brakes

The first ever car with brakes was introduced by the Frenchman Louis Renault in 1902. While disk and drum brakes saw the light of the world around the same time, the first mass-produced cars featured a drum brake system due to simpler technology and lower costs. Disk brakes didn't really become a thing until 1953 when Jaguar raced at 24 hours of LeMans. Their car, equipped with disk brakes, impressed with superior braking capabilities, withstanding the intense conditions and winning the race. Disk brake technology carried over from motorsports to conventional passenger and sports cars over time and we can now appreciate incredible stopping power just like the Jaguar race car in our rides today.

What Are Disk Brakes?

A disk brake system is seen on most cars out on the road today and consists of the following main components, the brake rotor, a caliper housing, pistons, and pads. The rotors sit inside each wheel on the hub, spinning with the wheels while your car is driving. The brake rotor moves through the caliper and when depressing the brake pedal, pistons push the brake pads against the rotor. That friction between the rotors and pads turns kinetic energy into thermal energy, decelerating the vehicle.  

Advantages of Disc Brakes:

• easier installation
• better heat dissipation
• great performance in any weather

What are Drum Brakes?

Different from a setup with disk brakes, each wheel has drums that rotate with the wheel while you are driving. When braking, brake shoes fitted with friction material brake linings press against the drum from the inside to decelerate the car. You will notice that cars with drum brakes don't have a caliper housing or shiny brake rotor, but rather an enclosed cylinder sitting inside the wheels.

Advantages of Drum Brakes:

• durability
• low cost
• low maintenance

How Do I Know Which Types of Brakes I Have on My Car?

Disk brakes are usually easy to spot. Many high-performance cars these days have painted caliper housings to show off the brake system but even on economy cars, a disk brake system stands out when taking a look behind the wheel of your car where a brake rotor and caliper should be clearly visible. On the other hand, you will notice that cars with drum brakes don't have a caliper housing or shiny brake rotor, but rather an enclosed cylinder sitting inside the wheels. As we explained above, all the magic happens inside the drum so most drum brake components aren't visible unless you disassemble the brake system during service. Many economy cars today also come with disk brakes in the front and drum brakes in the back. Because the majority of your braking power is handled by the front wheels, your front brakes usually have more brake bias, meaning they have to work harder to decelerate your car. You might see disk brakes in the front while drum brakes are used in the back to compensate. For example, cars like Honda Accords, Toyota Corollas, or Nissan Sentras feature a combination of these two brake systems.

How Are Disk Brakes Serviced?

Disk brakes are commonly serviced by replacing the brake pads, brake rotors, and hydraulic brake fluid. While intervals for changing these components change depending on driving style and type of car, our technicians recommend checking your brake condition and brake pad life with every oil change. Learn more about our brake service here.

How are Drum Brakes Serviced?

In terms of maintenance, drum brakes are built to last longer than disk brakes but are also a little bit more complicated to service as more components and special tools might be needed. Brake shoes and drums are the main consumables here requiring replacement during a drum brake job but it is also a great idea to use new wheel cylinders, adjusters and springs while you are in there.

Rest assured our ASE-certified technicians know their way around drum brakes on all makes & models. Call us today to learn more about servicing your car's drum brakes with FAS!