As a vehicle owner, it’s worth knowing as much as you can about your car’s components so that you know how to use and maintain them. Specifically, you should know whether you have disc or drum brakes or a combination of them. This knowledge is essential when you need brake service so that you ensure you get the correct parts and maintenance. Both can effectively stop your vehicle, but they do so in different ways.

How Drum Brakes Work

Braking systems—whatever the type—rely on two principles in halting your vehicle while in motion. The application of friction, as a form of resistance, to the turning wheel slows it down to a stop. However, this action produces heat in the process, which requires dissipation for better stopping. And this is where the systems differ.

In drum brake systems, all the braking components remain inside a container that rotates alongside the wheels and axles. Whenever you press the brake pedal, hydraulic pressure forces the heat-resistant brake shoes against the drum’s sides to reduce the wheel’s turning speed, stopping the vehicle.

How Disc Brakes Work

Disc brakes use the same principles of friction and heat in halting your vehicle, but with different components than drum brakes. Instead of a metal cylinder, this system comprises a rotor and caliper to slow down the turning wheel. The caliper assembly contains the disc-shaped rotor, which has brake pads on each side. When you depress the brake pedal, hydraulic pressure causes the caliper to clamp the pads together and press them against the rotor—the resulting friction slows the wheel’s rotation to a stop.

Which Is Better?

If you ask a brake service expert which one is better, the answer will vary, depending on specific factors. Performance-wise, both reliably stop your vehicle.

However, a disc brake offers more stopping power since it manages heat better than a drum. The open construction exposes it to air and allows for quicker heat removal. Excessive heat in the braking system reduces its ability to stop the vehicle due to a lack of friction. Called brake fade, it happens more frequently with drum brakes than with discs. If you experience this, opt for a brake service to diagnose the trouble.

Whether you have disc or drum brakes, turn to Davis Tire in Chillicothe, OH, for brake service. Since 1979, they’ve provided many quality auto repairs and services, including oil changes, wheel alignment, and tire replacements, throughout Ross County. Call (740) 774-3363 to set an appointment or visit them online for more information about their services.