Drum brakes are just about as ancient as leafsprings and dinosaurs, and where put in museums around the year 1658. Most of the western civiliced world stoped using them around that time and moved on to better things, this has the exception of the occasional colony like India and parts of Africa. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />
There is a reason all respectable car manufacturers use rear disks today and that is BETTER BRAKING all of the time not just the first two times. So if you have the time and money go do it, you won't regret it when it's time to service them. You can also trust them after crossing rivers and most wet stuff.
Now there I said it so you drumheads can flame me all you want. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />
Howdy PT I'm not gonna flame you. But maybe give you the advantage of my age.
Over the past years I have seen all auto manufactors go thru there fleet advertising one vehicle at a time, about one a year, until their entire fleet had front disks. NOT ONCE did the stopping distance get shortened. Then for a while rear disks were optional on many vehicles. Then finally most went to standard rear brakes. NEVER was a shorter stopping distance advertised!
It appears to me that disks cost the manufactorer less money to purchase, install and warranty than the older style. I have wondered many times many times why all vehicles didn't change over in the same year.. Must be the power of the advertising part of the companys involved.
If the disks WERE better at stopping the manufactorers would be liable for huge amounts of liability for upgrading so slowly...
Actually the weak link in stopping is either the hydrolic pressure or the tires grip on the surface..one of the two.
The disks on my Chevy get just as wet as the old drums did. In really wet weather I can feel the water on the brakes just as if nothing has changed.
Big JIm <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/pfft.gif" alt="" />
