4 Symptoms of a Bad Brake Drums and Shoes
Brake drums and brake shoes are important parts of a vehicle’s braking system. Brake drums and brake shoes are commonly found on older vehicles that don’t use disc brake systems to slow down the vehicle.
Essentially, the brake drum acts as the brake disc, and the brake shoes act as the brake pads. Brake drums look like bowl-shaped pieces and are attached to each wheel.
When the driver presses the brake pedal, the brake shoes press against the brake drum, creating friction that slows down the rotating wheels. This is a similar concept to disc brake systems, but just an older version of that concept.
What are brake drums and brake shoes? Drum brakes are an older type of braking system. Instead of a caliper and rotor, a drum brake system has shoes and springs built into a drum. When you press the brake pedal, the brake shoes press against the inside of the drum, slowing your car down.
Drum brakes are still found on modern vehicles, but usually only on the rear wheels of affordable small cars. Most small cars have switched to disc brakes on all four corners. Disc brakes are safer than drum brakes, are more effective in wet conditions, and are easier to maintain.
Symptoms of defective brake drums and shoes
Below are four symptoms of defective brake drums and shoes.
1) Poor braking performance
If your car takes a long time to slow down or stop when you press the brake pedal, you may have a problem with your brake drums and brake shoes. There could be other issues with your braking system, but the causes usually revolve around these two components.
On the other hand, for modern cars with disc brake systems, it’s faulty discs and pads.
2) Brake Noise
Not only are your brakes weak, but you also experience braking noise when you press the brake pedal. This happens over time because the brake drums are not good at absorbing heat when braking. This causes heat to build up, putting strain on the braking system.
3) Brake pedal vibration
As mentioned above, brake drums wear down over time with continued use of the brakes. If you don’t have any other symptoms, this may not seem like a big deal, but if you start having problems with your braking performance, your only option is to replace the drum and shoes.
Of course, it’s better to think of brake pedal vibration as an early warning sign that you should have your braking system inspected for problems with the drums or shoes.
4) Loose parking brake
The parking brake keeps your car parked safely by pressing the brake shoes firmly against the drum. However, if there is a problem with the brake shoes or drum, the parking brake will not work properly.
This may cause the brake to feel too loose when you try to apply the parking brake. Also, your vehicle may skid slightly after applying the parking brake.