Soft or Weak Brakes: If your car doesn’t feel like it is stopping quickly or responding correctly whenever you press down on the brake pedal, you may need to replace the brake shoes and drums.
Squeaking, Rubbing, or Grinding Noises: As your brake shoes wear down, they’ll start to grind against your brake drums. The grinding will create an audible noise that you’ll definitely be able to hear. If you begin to experience any noises when you brake, we recommend getting your brakes replaced as quickly as possible to hopefully avoid further damage to your drums or brakes disc rotors.
Brake Pedal Vibrations: Just like rotors, your brake drums will naturally wear down over time. Whenever they wear out, you’ll begin to feel a vibrating or fluttering feeling in your brake pedal. People will often not think much of the vibrating pedal if they don’t hear other noises, however, we highly recommend getting your brakes inspected if you’re experiencing this for safety and repair cost minimization.
Weak or Loose Parking Brake: The parking brake on your vehicle is often dependent on a firm squeeze between the brake shoes and drums to ensure the car is parked securely, especially when parked on a hill. Whenever there is an issue with your drums and/or brake shoes, the parking brake will feel loose whenever you try to engage it. You might also find that the vehicle feels like it is slipping whenever you engage the parking brake.
Can you replace one brake drum?
In most cases, it is recommended to replace brake drums in pairs to avoid issues with uneven wear from side to side that can affect braking distances. A technician will evaluate your brake drums at the time of brake service and determine whether they need to be replaced or resurfaced.
Are drum brakes difficult to replace?
Removing and installing a brake drum is not, for the most part, a difficult operation, although on some vehicles the axle nut must also be removed, and on others, the drum may be stuck in place and difficult to dislodge. It should be noted, however, that raising and supporting a vehicle to access the brakes is a potentially dangerous operation that should be left to a person who has significant training and experience. And simply removing and replacing a brake drum without also replacing the shoes and hardware is not a common occurrence.
Why are drum brakes still used?
Drum brakes may have been overshadowed by the more popular disc brakes on most late model vehicles, but that does not mean that they are obsolete. In fact, not only are drum brakes less expensive to manufacture, they also double as a parking brake and lock up easier when stopping. On smaller vehicles, drum brakes can be made to be lightweight. And since most of the stopping power on a vehicle is found in the front brakes, drums are still used on the rear wheels of many vehicles.