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Disc Brakes and Drum Brakes

Disc Brakes and Drum Brakes
There are two kinds of brakes, disc and drum. Most vehicles have disc brakes at the front and drum brakes at the rear.

The Drum part of drum brakes rotates with the wheel. Nesting inside it, but not attached to it, are crescent shaped brake shoes. When the increase in hydraulic pressure reaches the wheel cylinder, it forces pistons against the brake shoes and pushes them against the rotating drum. The friction of the brake shoes against the drums, slows and then stops your vehicle.

Disc brakes have a heavy cast iron disc which rotates with the wheel. On the top of the disc is a U-shaped device called the caliper. Pushing down on the brake pedal in- creases the pressure in the lines to the caliper, which forces friction pads inside the caliper against the rotating disc. There are two pads per disc, which act on both sides of the disc to stop your vehicle.

The parking brake, which is intended only to hold your vehicle in a stationary position, acts on the rear brakes only. Pushing down on the pedal or pulling up on the handle, pulls on steel cables which pull the brake shoes against the drum or disc.