How to Replace Drum Brakes

Replacing anything your self can save you money and can be quite rewarding to be able to fix your own car. Brakes are a common problem area for cars, because they can break down fast from the wear and tear of daily driving.

What are drum brakes?

Drum brakes are a type of brakes that use friction caused by a set of shoes (or pads) that press against a brake drum. Where does the term “drum brake” come from? Well, it usually means a brake in which shoes or pads press on the inner surface of a drum. Simple enough!

The history of the brake drum can be traced all the way back to 1900 when it was first used in a car made by Maybach. In 1953, Jaguar equipped three of its cars with disc brakes in the Le Mans race. This resulted in wins for Jaguar, mainly due to superior braking power with disc brakes over drum brakes. After that, from 1955 to the 1970s, car manufacturers began to make the shift from drum brakes to disc brakes on the front wheels. Nowadays, some cars use disc brakes on all four wheels. However drum brakes are still commonly seen on rear wheels of many cars, so regular maintenance is still needed.