Drum stopping power

["Chris and Ranae Procyk" <procyk19@domain.elided>]

>A properly degigned DRUM brake system can easily produce much more actual
>"stopping power" (even without a booster) for the same amount of pedal
>effort.

I said that before!! ...but no one was listening.

It's really simple- a brake puts counter-torque on the wheel.  Figure an
area-unit of pad is able to produce a certain amount of drag.  If this
"patch" is 4" from the hub-center it's only going to be able to produce 1/3
the stopping power of a patch 12" from the hub-center.  ALL of the drum
brake surface area is at the farthest point from the center.. giving you the
most counter torque.

So that's why it bothers me when people think they need discs "because I
can't stop this truck."  My WM has much more powerful brakes than my
disc-equipped Chevy did.

Despite all that, you should *still* go with discs if you use the truck a
lot and can afford it!  Why?  Besides the better feel, heat diss,  and water
resistance, the statement about "drums producing more stopping power"
applies only when everything is set up perfectly.  Drums just don't stay
equally adjusted at all, IM experience.  I just feel that if you do the
brakes perfectly (also harder with drums) on two identical trucks, the drums
will give more absolute stopping power on day 1.  BUT 6 months later the
d*amn drums will be loose, pulling one way or the other, or even locking up
some random wheel.

And the extra efficiency doesn't really matter-- power boosters can make up
the difference.   Now we're starting to see street cars with dual calipers
per wheel... so you have a ton of pad area.


In Use: 70 1210 4x4 TE, 73 1210 WM
Project (2nd time) 67 1000B PU
Parts: 67 1000B TA   68 1100 4x4 TA  72 1010 TA