One of the parts that may be found on your brake system is called a disc brake. This component utilizes a flat, disk shaped metal rotor that turns with the wheel. When force is applied to the brakes, a caliper squeezes the brake pads against the disc which in turn causes the wheel to slow. A drum brakes employs a wide cylinder that is open at the back and it resembles a drum. When the brake pedal is applied, curved shoes that are present inside of the drum are pushed in an outward motion which rubs the inside of the drum thereby slowing the wheel.

Regardless of their differences both parts utilize common systems when stopping a car. Both work through the usage of friction and heat. When resistance or friction is applied on the turning wheel, the vehicle’s brakes slow the wheel down and then stop it. Heat is created as a byproduct. The rate the wheel slows down is dependent on various factors. A few of them are vehicle weight, braking force and the total braking surface area. Another variable is how sufficient the brake systems able to convert the wheel movement into heat and then how quickly the heat is able to be removed from the brake’s parts.

The basic design of the drum brakes is good and they are adequate most of the time, however it does have some drawbacks. When utilized under high braking conditions such as when speeding and slowing down numerous times, the drums brakes can fade and become less effective. The drawback with drum brakes is that they can only be used in the ideal situation where they are able to absorb the heat hat is generated by slowing a vehicle’s wheels. However when the brake components become heated, they are seriously affected and lose their ability to stop a vehicle. This sudden break down in the brake system is very dangerous and should be avoided at all costs.

Disk brakes also use friction and heat to slow a vehicle but their major components include a slim rotor and small caliper and theses parts are used to halt movement. The movement of the brake pedal into the movement of the brake shoes is achieved by utilizing fluid. But there is one big difference between the disc brake and disc drum, the rotor utilized in disc brakes is open to the outside air. This fact is very important because the air acts as a coolant for the rotor. This cooling helps to decrease the tendency for it to overheat and therefore cease working properly. Race cars were the first types to illustrate this comparison and it soon became a part of regular everyday car systems.

Many cars today work with both systems. Some cars utilize a four-wheel disk brake system and others work on a front-disc/rear-drum brake system. This is an adequate set up because both the disc brake and the disc drum systems have undergone major technological advances over the years and are both exceptional when it comes to the quality of their stopping power. The majority of a car’s stopping power is produced from the front breaks. So an efficient drum brake is all that is really needed for most rear wheel brake systems. Utilizing the lower priced drum brake system in most cases helps to get the car price lower as well as the overall maintenance of the car and most consumers find this fact very beneficial.