TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract 5
2. Introduction 6
3. How Brakes Work 7
4. Brake Basic 8
a. Hydraulic 9
b. Friction 10
5. Simple Braking System 10
6. Types Of Brakes 11
a. Disc Brake 11
b. Drum Brakes 11
7. Types Of Disc Brake 12
a. Floating Caliper Disc Brake
b. Fixed Caliper Disc Brake
c. Sliding Caliper Disc Brake
8. Main parts of disc brakes 13
9. Working Of Disc Brake 14
10. Self adjustment of disc brake 15
11. Emergency Brakes 15
12. Brake Fade 16
13. Advantages 18
14. Why are disc brakes more efficient ? 21
15. Why do disc brakes have better braking behavior? 22
16. Why do disk brakes have higher safety reserves? 22
17. Limitations 23
18. Testing Of Disc Brakes 23
19. Conclusion 24
20. References 25

ABSTRACT:
 The current tendencies in automotive industry need intensive investigation in problems of interaction of
active safety systems with brake system equipments. At the same time, the opportunities to decrease the power
take-off of single components, disc brake systems.Disc brakes sometimes spelled as "disk" brakes, use a flat,
disk-shaped metal rotor that spins with the wheel. When the brakes are applied, a caliper squeezes the brake pads
against the disc (just as you would stop a spinning disc by squeezing it between your fingers), slowing the wheel.
The disc brake used in the automobile is divided into two parts: a rotating axisymmetrical disc, and the
stationary pads. The hydraulic brake is an arrangement of braking mechanism which uses brake fluid, typically
containing ethylene glycol, to transfer pressure from the controlling unit, which is usually near the operator of
the vehicle, to the actual brake mechanism, which is usually at or near the wheel of the vehicle.
The frictional heat, which is generated on the interface of the disc and pads, can cause high temperature
during the braking process. Hence the automobiles generally use disc brakes on the front wheels and drum
brakes on the rear wheels. The disc brakes have good stopping performance and are usually safer and more
efficient than drum brakes.
The four wheel disc brakes are more popular, swapping drums on all but the most basic vehicles. Many two
wheel automobiles design uses a drum brake for the rear wheel. Brake technology began in the '60s as a serious
attempt to provide adequate braking for performance cars has ended in an industry where brakes range from
supremely adequate to downright phenomenal.

One of the first steps taken to improve braking came in the early '70s when manufacturers, on a
widespread scale, switched from drum to disc brakes. Since the majority of a vehicle's stopping power is
contained in the front wheels, only the front brakes were upgraded to disc during much of this period. Since then,
many manufacturers have adopted four-wheel disc brakes on their high-end and performance models as well as
their low-line economy cars. Occasionally, however, as in the case of the 1999 Mazda Protege's, a manufacturer
will revert from a previous four-wheel disc setup to drum brakes for the rear of the car in order to cut both
production costs and purchase price.

INTRODUCTION

HISTORY OF DISK BRAKE

 Ever since the invention of the wheel, if there has been "go" there has been a need for "whoa." As the
level of technology of human transportation has increased, the mechanical devices used to slow down and stop
vehicles has also become more complex. In this report I will discuss the history of vehicular braking technology
and possible future developments.

Before there was a "horse-less carriage," wagons, and other animal drawn vehicles relied on the animal’s
power to both accelerate and decelerate the vehicle. Eventually there was the development of supplemental
braking systems consisting of a hand lever to push a wooden friction pad directly against the metal tread of the
wheels. In wet conditions these crude brakes would lose any effectiveness.

The early years of automotive development were an interesting time for the designing engineers, "a
period of innovation when there was no established practice and virtually all ideas were new ones and worth
trying. Quite rapidly, however, the design of many components stabilized in concept and so it was with brakes;
the majority of vehicles soon adopted drum brakes, each consisting of two shoes which could be expanded inside
a drum."

In this chaotic era is the first record of the disk brake. Dr. F.W. Lanchester patented a design for a disk
brake in 1902 in England. It was incorporated into the Lanchester car produced between 1906 through 1914.
These early disk brakes were not as effective at stopping as the contemporary drum brakes of that time and were
soon forgotten. Another important development occurred in the 1920’s when drum brakes were used at all four
wheels instead of a single brake to halt only the back axle and wheels such as on the Ford model T. The disk
brake was again utilized during World War II in the landing gear of aircraft. The aircraft disk brake system was
adapted for use in automotive applications, first in racing in 1952, then in production automobiles in 1956.
United States auto manufacturers did not start to incorporate disk brakes in lower priced non-high-performance
cars until the late 1960’s.

HOW BRAKES WORK

 We all know that pushing down on the brake pedal slows a car to a stop. But how does this happen? How
does your car transmit the force from your leg to its wheels? How does it multiply the force so that it is enough
to stop something as big as a car?

BRAKE BASICS

When you depress your brake pedal, your car transmits the force from your foot to its brakes through a
fluid. Since the actual brakes require a much greater force than you could apply with your leg, your car must also
multiply the force of your foot. It does this in two ways:

 Mechanical advantage (leverage)

 Hydraulic force multiplication

The brakes transmit the force to the tires using friction, and the tires transmit that force to the road using
friction also. Before we begin our discussion on the components of the brake system, let's cover these two
principles:

 Hydraulics
 Friction
HYDRAULIC SYSTEMS
The basic idea behind any hydraulic system is very simple: Force applied at one point is transmitted to
another point using an incompressible fluid, almost always an oil of some sort. Most brake systems also
multiply the force in the process

FRICTION
Friction is a measure of how hard it is to slide one object over another. Take a look at the figure below.
Both of the blocks are made from the same material, but one is heavier. I think we all know which one will be
harder for the bulldozer to push.

Friction force versus weight

To understand why this is, let's take a close look at one of the blocks and the table:

Even though the blocks look smooth to the naked eye, they are actually quite rough at the microscopic
level. When you set the block down on the table, the little peaks and valleys get squished together, and some of
them may actually weld together. The weight of the heavier block causes it to squish together more, so it is even
harder to slide.

Different materials have different microscopic structures; for instance, it is harder to slide rubber against
rubber than it is to slide steel against steel.

The type of material determines the coefficient of friction, the ratio of the force required to slide the
block to the block's weight. If the coefficient were 1.0 in our example, then it would take 100 pounds of force to
slide the 100-pound (45 kg) block, or 400 pounds (180 kg) of force to slide the 400-pound block. If the
coefficient were 0.1, then it would take 10 pounds of force to slide to the 100-pound block or 40 pounds of force
to slide the 400-pound block.

So the amount of force it takes to move a given block is proportional to that block's weight. The more
weight, the more force required. This concept applies for devices like brakes and clutches, where a pad is pressed
against a spinning disc. The more force that presses on the pad, the greater the stopping force.

A SIMPLE BRAKE SYSTEM

The distance from the pedal to the pivot is four times the distance from the cylinder to the pivot, so the
force at the pedal will be increased by a factor of four before it is transmitted to the cylinder.

The diameter of the brake cylinder is three times the diameter of the pedal cylinder. This further
multiplies the force by nine. All together, this system increases the force of your foot by a factor of 36. If you put
10 pounds of force on the pedal, 360 pounds (162 kg) will be generated at the wheel squeezing the brake pads.

There are a couple of problems with this simple system. What if we have a leak? If it is a slow leak,
eventually there will not be enough fluid left to fill the brake cylinder, and the brakes will not function. If it is a
major leak, then the first time you apply the brakes all of the fluid will squirt out the leak and you will have
complete brake failure.

TYPES OF BRAKES
1. DRUM BRAKES

2. DISC BRAKES (CALLIPER BRAKES)

DRUM BRAKES :-

The drum brake has two brake shoes and a piston. When you hit the brake pedal, the piston pushes the brake
shoes against the drum This is where it gets a little more complicated. as the brake shoes contact the drum, there
is a kind of wedging action, which has the effect of pressing the shoes into the drum with more force. The extra
braking force provided by the wedging action allows drum brakes to use a smaller piston than disc brakes. But,
because of the wedging action, the shoes must be pulled away from the drum when the brakes are released. This
is the reason for some of the springs. Other springs help hold the brake shoes in place and return the adjuster arm
after it actuates.

DISK BRAKE BASICS:-

The disk brake has a metal disk instead of a drum. It has a flat shoe, or pad, located on each side of
the disk. To slow or stop the car, these two flat shoes are forced tightly against the rotating disk, or rotor. Fluid
pressure from the master cylinder forces the pistons to move in. This action pushes the friction pads of the shoes
tightly against the disk. The friction between the shoes and the disk slows and stops the disk.

TYPES OF DISK BRAKES

The Three Types Of Disk Brakes Are:-

1. FLOATING CALIPER DISK BRAKES

2. FIXED CALIPER DISK BRAKES

3. SLIDING CALIPER DISK CALIPER

MAIN PARTS:

The main components of a disc brake are:

 The brake pads

  The caliper, which contains a piston
 The rotor, which is mounted to the hub

BRAKE PAD

CALIPER AND ROTOR

WORKING OF DISC BRAKES

FLOATING-CALIPER DISK BRAKES

The caliper is the part that holds the break shoes on each side of the disk. In the floating-
caliper brake, two steel guide pins are threaded into the steering-knuckle adapter. The caliper floats on four
rubber bushings which fit on the inner and outer ends of the two guide pins. The bushings allow the caliper to
swing in or out slightly when the brakes are applied

When the brakes are applied, the brake fluid flows to the cylinder in the caliper and pushes the piston out.
The piston then forces the shoe against the disk. At the same time, the pressure in the cylinder causes the caliper
to pivot inward. This movement brings the other shoe into tight contact with the disk. As a result, the two shoes
“pinch” the disk tightly to produce the braking action

STAGES OF WORKING
FIXED-CALIPER DISK BRAKE

This brake usually has four pistons, two on each side of the disk. The reason for the name fixed-caliper is
that the caliper is bolted solidly to the steering knuckle. When the brakes are applied, the caliper cannot move.
The four pistons are forced out of their caliper bores to push the inner and outer brake shoes in against the disk.
Some brakes of this type have used only two pistons, one on each side of the disk

SLIDING-CALIPER DISK BRAKE

The sliding-caliper disk brake is similar to the floating-caliper disk brake. The difference is that
sliding-caliper is suspended from rubber bushings on bolts. This permits the caliper to slide on the bolts when the
brakes are applied.

Proper function of the brake depends on (1) the rotor must be straight and smooth, (2) the caliper mechanism
must be properly aligned with the rotor, (3) the pads must be positioned correctly, (4) there must be enough
"pad" left, and (5) the lever mechanism must push the pads tightly against the rotor, with "lever" to spare.

Most modern cars have disc brakes on the front wheels, and some have disc brakes on all four wheels. This is the
part of the brake system that does the actual work of stopping the car

The most common type of disc brake on modern cars is the single-piston floating caliper. In this article,
we will learn all about this type of disc brake design

SELF ADJUSTMENT OF DISK BRAKES:

Disk brakes are self adjusting. Each piston has a seal on it to prevent fluid leakage. When the
brakes are applied, the piston moves toward the disk. This distorts the piston seal. When the brakes are released,
the seal relaxes and returns to its original position. This pulls the piston away from the disk. As the brakes linings
wear, the piston over travels and takes a new position in relation to the seal. This action provides self adjustment
of disk brakes.

EMERGENCY BRAKES

In cars with disc brakes on all four wheels, an emergency brake has to be actuated by a separate
mechanism than the primary brakes in case of a total primary brake failure. Most cars use a cable to actuate the

emergency brake.

Some cars with four-wheel disc brakes have a separate drum brake integrated into the hub of the rear wheels.
This drum brake is only for the emergency brake system, and it is actuated only by the cable; it has no
hydraulics.

BRAKE FADE

Vehicle braking system fade, or brake fade, is the reduction in stopping power that can occur after
repeated or sustained application of the brakes, especially in high load or high speed conditions. Brake fade can
be a factor in any vehicle that utilizes a friction braking system including automobiles, trucks, motorcycles,
airplanes, and even bicycles.

Brake fade is caused by a buildup of heat in the braking surfaces and the subsequent changes and reactions in the
brake system components and can be experienced with both drum brakes and disc brakes. Loss of stopping
power, or fade, can be caused by friction fade, mechanical fade, or fluid fade. Brake fade can be significantly
reduced by appropriate equipment and materials design and selection, as well as good cooling.

Brake fade occurs most often during high performance driving or when going down a long, steep hill. Owing to
their configuration fade is more prevalent in drum brakes. Disc brakes are much more resistant to brake fade and
have come to be a standard feature in front brakes for most vehicles.

BRAKE MODIFICATION TO REDUCE FADE

High performance brake components provide enhanced stopping power by improving friction while reducing
brake fade. Improved friction is provided by lining materials that have a higher coefficient of friction than
standard brake pads, while brake fade is reduced through the use of more expensive binding resins with a higher
melting point, along with slotted, drilled, or dimpled discs/rotors that reduce the gaseous boundary layer, in
addition to providing enhanced heat dissipation. Heat buildup in brakes can be further addressed by body
modifications that direct cold air to the brakes.

The "gaseous boundary layer" is a hot rod mechanics explanation for failing self servo effect of drum brakes
because it felt like a brick under the brake pedal when it occurred. To counter this effect, brake shoes were
drilled and slotted to vent gas. In spite of that, drum brakes were abandoned for their self-servo effect. Disks do
not have that because application force is applied at right angles to the resulting braking force. There is no
interaction.

Drum brake fade can be reduced and overall performance enhanced somewhat by an old "hot rodder" technique
of drum drilling. A carefully chosen pattern of holes is drilled through the drum working section; drum rotation
centrifugally pumps a small amount air through the shoe to drum gap, removing heat; fade caused by water-wet
brakes is reduced since the water is centrifugally driven out; and some brake-material dust exits the holes. Brake
drum drilling requires careful detailed knowledge of brake drum physics and is an advanced technique probably
best left to professionals. There are performance-brake shops that will make the necessary modifications safely.
DISK BRAKE VENTS

A moving car has a certain amount of kinetic energy, and the brakes have to remove this energy from the car in
order to stop it. How do the brakes do this? Each time you stop your car, your brakes convert the kinetic energy
to heat generated by the friction between the pads and the disc. Most car disc brakes are vented.

Brake fade caused by overheating brake fluid (often called Pedal Fade) can also be reduced through the use of
thermal barriers that are placed between the brake pad and the brake caliper piston, these reduce the transfer of
heat from the pad to the caliper and in turn hydraulic brake fluid. Some high-performance racing calipers already
include such brake heat shields made from titanium or ceramic materials. However, it is also possible to
purchase aftermarket titanium brake heat shields [6] that will fit your existing brake system to provide protection
from brake heat. These inserts are precision cut to cover as much of the pad as possible. These Titanium Brake
shims are an easy to install, low cost solution that are popular with racers and track day enthusiasts.

Another technique employed to prevent brake fade is the incorporation of fade stop brake coolers. Like titanium
heat shields the brake coolers are designed to slide between the brake pad backing plate and the caliper piston.
They are constructed from a high thermal conductivity, high yield strength metal composite which conducts the
heat from the interface to a heat sink which is external to the caliper and in the airflow. They have been shown to
decrease caliper piston temperatures by over twenty percent and to also significantly decrease the time needed to
cool down.[7] Unlike titanium heat shields, however, the brake coolers actually transfer the heat to the
surrounding environment and thus keep the pads cooler.
ADVANTAGES OF DISC BRAKES OVER DRUM BRAKES

As with almost any artifact of technology, drum brakes and disk brakes both have advantages and
disadvantages. Drum brakes still have the edge in cheaper cost and lower complexity. This is why most cars built
today use disk brakes in front but drum brakes in the back wheels, four wheel disks being an extra cost option or
shouted as a high performance feature. Since the weight shift of a decelerating car puts most of the load on the
front wheels, the usage of disk brakes on only the front wheels is accepted manufacturing practice.

Drum brakes had another advantage compared to early disk brake systems. The geometry of the brake
shoes inside the drums can be designed for a mechanical self-boosting action. The rotation of the brake drum
will push a leading shoe brake pad into pressing harder against the drum. Early disk brake systems required an
outside mechanical brake booster such as a vacuum assist or hydraulic pump to generate the pressure for
primitive friction materials to apply the necessary braking force.

All friction braking technology uses the process of converting the kinetic energy of a vehicle’s forward
motion into thermal energy: heat. The enemy of all braking systems is excessive heat. Drums are inferior to disks
in dissipating excessive heat:
"The common automotive drum brake consists essentially of two shoes which may be expanded against the inner
cylindrical surface of a drum.

The greater part of heat generated when a brake is applied has to pass through the drum to its outer
surface in order to be dissipated to atmosphere, and at the same time (the drum is) subject to quite severe stresses
due to the distortion induced by the opposed shoes acting inside the open ended drum.

The conventional disk brake, on the other hand, consists essentially of a flat disk on either side of which
are friction pads; equal and opposite forces may be applied to these pads to press their working surfaces into
contact with the braking path of the disks. The heat produced by the conversion of energy is dissipated directly
from the surfaces at which it is generated and the deflection of the braking path of the disk is very small so that
the stressing of the material is not so severe as with the drum."
 The result of overheated brakes is brake fade...the same amount of force at the pedal no longer provides
the same amount of stopping power. The high heat decreases the relative coefficient of friction between the
friction material and the drum or disk. Drum brakes also suffer another setback when overheating: The inside
radii of the drum expands, the brake shoe outside radii no longer matches, and the actual contact surface is
decreased.

Another advantage of disk brakes over drum brakes is that of weight. There are two different areas where
minimizing weight is important. The first is unsprung weight. This is the total amount of weight of all the
moving components of a car between the road and the suspension mounting points on the car’s frame.

Auto designs have gone to such lengths to reduce unsprung weight that some, such as the E-type Jaguar,
moved the rear brakes inboard, next to the differential, connected to the drive shafts instead of on the rear wheel
hubs. The second "weighty" factor is more of an issue on motorcycles: gyroscopic weight. The heavier the wheel
unit, the more gyroscopic resistance to changing direction. Thus the bike’s steering would be higher effort with
heavier drum brakes than with lighter disks. Modern race car disk brakes have hollow internal vents, cross
drilling and other weight saving and cooling features.

Most early brake drums and disks were made out of cast iron. Current OEM motorcycle disk brakes are
usually stainless steel for corrosion resistance, but after-market racing component brake disks are still made from
cast iron for the improved friction qualities. Other exotic materials have been used in racing applications. Carbon
fiber composite disks gripped by carbon fiber pads were common in formula one motorcycles and cars in the
early 1990’s, but were outlawed by the respective racing sanctioning organizations due to sometimes spectacular
failure. The carbon/carbon brakes also only worked properly at the very high temperatures of racing conditions
and would not get hot enough to work in street applications.

A recent Ducati concept show bike uses brake disks of selenium, developed by the Russian aerospace
industry(3), which claim to have the friction coefficient of cast iron with the light weight of carbon fiber.

Another area of development of the disk brake is the architecture of the brake caliper. Early designs had a
rigidly mounted caliper gripping with opposed hydraulic pistons pushing the brake pads against a disk mounted
securely to the wheel hub. Later developments included a single piston caliper floating on slider pins. This
system had improved, more even pad wear. Most modern automobiles and my 1982 Kawasaki motorcycle uses
this type caliper. Current design paradigm for motorcycle brakes have up to six pistons, opposed to grip both
sides of a thin, large radius disk that is "floating" on pins to provide a small amount of lateral movement; two
disks per front wheel.

Improvements in control have been made available with the application of Anti-Lock Brake technology.
Wheel sensors convey rotation speed of each wheel to a computer that senses when any of them are locked up or
in a skid, and modulates individual wheel brake hydraulic pressure to avoid wheel skidding and loss of vehicular
control.

The use of exotic materials for additional weight savings would be likely for the future of motor vehicle
braking. Disks mounted to the wheel’s rim gripped by an internally located caliper is not necessarily a new
design (Porsche, 1963) (4) but could be a futuristic looking option for motorcycle wheels. Electric vehicles of the
future will likely utilize regenerative braking, the electric motors become generators to convert kinetic energy
back to electricity to recharge the batteries. As production vehicles become increasingly quicker, the need for
"whoa" will always accompany the "go."

Why are disk brakes more efficient?

 Flat brake disk (axial brake) under high pressure versus round brake drum (radial brake) during braking
 Full friction surface of the brake pad on the plane brake disk .
 No loss of brake power due to overheating or partial contact from brake drum parts expansion .
 Disk brakes can withstand higher loads and its efficiency is maintained considerably longer even under
the highest stresses
 Higher residual brake force after repeating braking
 Brake disks can withstand extremely high temperatures
 Full contact of brake pads achieve maximum effect
 No verification of brake pads. Dangerous fading or slipping is almost completely eliminated

Why do disk brakes have a better braking behavior?

 Driver friendly braking behavior. Sensitive braking in all situations and better
 Sensitive brake application and better brake feeling
  Uniform braking from small fluctuations in brake forces
 Retardation values retained even under heavy stresses
 Minimal "pulling to one side" due to uneven brake forces
 Disk brake axial arrangement permits a simple and compact design
 Linear characteristics lead to an even progression of brake force
 Basic design principle makes for higher efficiency
 Low hysteresis is particularly suitable to ABS control cycles

Why do disk brakes have higher safety reserves?

 Minimal braking effect from high temperatures and extreme driving requirements
Minimal heat fading
 No brake disk distortion from extreme heat due to internal ventilation with directional stability
and large power reserve under high stress
 The decisive safety aspects of the disk brake design are shorter braking distances
 High power and safety reserves for emergencies
 Constant braking power under high stresses
 Shortened braking distance under emergency braking with considerably improved directional
stability

LIMITATIONS

 BRAKING SYSTEMS FAILS IF THERE IS LEAKAGE IN THE BRAKE LINES

 THE BRAKE SHOES ARE LIABLE TO GET RUINED IF THE BRAKE FLUID LEAKES OUT
TESTING OF DISK BRAKES

The individual components are subjected to extensive test on the test bed. The optimum arrangement of
components on the axle beam, operational reliability and convincing performance are requirements that must be
met prior series production.

Today, all MAN city, inter-city buses and coaches utilize the MAN disk brake system on all wheels with
ABS. The disk brake system is used with and without retarders

Brake performance is tested on the test track and in racing to ensure their practice. Only after these
extensive tests can the disk brake be cleared for production .

The brake disks are subjected to the highest stresses from contact pressure. The broad brake disks with
radial cavities made of heat resistant special gray cast iron, are still operational in temperatures in excess of 1380
degrees F

CONCLUSION

Many trucks and buses are equipped with air actuated sliding caliper disk brakes
The high contact forces are transmitted mechanically via needle mounted actuating device Depending on size the
actuating pressure is transmitted evenly to the brake pads via one or two plungers

The easy action, fully sealed guides between the axially moving sliding caliper and fixed brake anchor
plate are maintenance free. Integrated automatic adjustment with wear display. There are no brake shafts,
external levers or cylinder brackets, as the brake cylinders are directly attached.
 The high efficiency of 95% is achieved by only a few moving parts and low friction bearings Asbestos
free brake pads 19 to 23 mm thick, depending on version extremely heat resistant brake disks (34 to 45 mm)
made of special gray cast iron with internal ventilation

The brake disks are 330 to 432 mm in diameter and permissible wear of 6 to 10 mm allowed; depending
on version .The service and parking brakes use the same actuating unit and differ only in the shape of the brake
cylinder.

REFERENCES
 Tech Center By Karl Brauer, Editor in Chief, Edmunds.com

 http://cars.about.com/od/thingsyouneedtoknow/ig/Disc-brakes

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disc_brake

 http://www.kobelt.com/pdf/brochure_brake.pdf

 http://auto.howstuffworks.com/auto-parts/brakes/brake-types/disc-brake.htm

 http://www.sae.org/search?searchfield=brake%20system
  http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/2000/05/25/ceramic brake disc

 Automotive Engineering International Online Global Viewpoints, Nov_ 1999

Drum Brake

Drum brakes are primarily used at the rear axle of small and compact class vehicles.

Function

Drum brakes have been around for almost as long as the automobile itself and are still fitted today in a modified
and more sophisticated form in modern cars. The term drum brake describes the design principle: namely, an
enclosed cylindrical structure.

DRUM BRAKE COMPONENTS

A drum brake comprises the following components:

Brake drum

Brake shoes

Wheel cylinder

Anchor plate

Adjuster

Return springs
 Fastening and actuating elements

The brake drum is fixed to the wheel and turns with it. On braking, the wheel cylinder forces the fixed brake
shoes apart and presses them against the brake drum, thus slowing it down. When the brake is released, the
return springs move the brake shoes back to their original position.

ADVANTAGES OF A DRUM BRAKE

A drum brake

Is an enclosed system and so not affected by dirt

Can easily be integrated into the parking brake

Is durable and has a long service life

Is inexpensive

Stops brake dust escaping to the outside thanks to its encapsulated design

Drum brake linings also do not become "glazed" as quickly as disc brake pads. "Glazing" refers to the hardening
of the lining or pad material when subjected to low load, as is the case with frequent short journeys and low
speeds for example. Firmer braking action usually removes the "glazed" coating and the lining or pad regains its
full capacity. Another advantage of the drum brake is its self-servo action, which increases the braking force.
This means that less effort is required on braking.

DISADVANTAGES OF A DRUM BRAKE

As with all technical developments, drum brakes also have their disadvantages:

Drum brakes can only withstand low thermal loads and are extremely sensitive to variations in the coefficient of
friction. They are thus only suitable for use at the rear axle of low-power/low-weight vehicles (up to middle
class).
Brake performance can seriously deteriorate at high temperatures (fading).

Lining and drum replacement is a time-consuming business.