Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!
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Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

Drum brakes are a holdover from automotive braking technology. Until the 70s, this was the standard for all cars. However, many of the major accidents of these giants in terms of cylinder capacity are associated with small-sized and structurally unsuitable drum brakes. Fortunately, this soon changed.

Outdated and undersized

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

Even heavy American American muscle cars of the late 60s often had such brakes - often with fatal consequences.

At the time, passenger safety technology was still in its infancy.

Disadvantages of a drum brake

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

As already said the name itself, a drum brake consists of a rotating drum . Its interior contains two firmly integrated brake pads . When braking, the brake pads are pressed against the inside of the brake drum. The resulting friction produces the desired braking effect – theoretically .

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!


The main problem of the drum brake lies in its inability to adequately remove the generated frictional heat. Long braking maneuvers or emergency stops at high speed can cause the inside of the brake drum to overheat. The accumulation of heat reduces the frictional force between the brake shoe and the inside of the drum, resulting in reduced braking performance by 50-100% .

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!


In addition, an encapsulated system is difficult to test.. The condition of the inside of the brake drum cannot be determined from the outside.

  • Brake cylinder at the end of the cable?
  • Is the brake drum wearing out?
  • Return spring broken?
  • Is the brake drum clogged with its own abrasive dust?

To determine this, you need to remove the wheel and open the brake drum. Only then can you see what is wrong with the brake.

Disc brakes:
open, safe, accessible

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

Thus, the disc brake initially had an advantage over the drum counterpart. The disc is able to absorb stronger braking forces without the risk of overheating.

  • The brake disc is self-cleaning and self-cooling.
  • In case of wear or defect the driver can see what is wrong with the brake even if the wheel is still in place.
  • Nevertheless , the design of a disc brake is complex and its components are heavier than those of a drum brake, making it more expensive.
  • For this reason the transition from drum brakes to disc brakes occurred gradually.
  • For 25 years, the combination of disc brakes on the front axle and drum brakes on the rear axle has remained standard. . Only in the middle 90s family and even compact cars gradually received disc brakes on all wheels.
  • For a long time even sports models , such as BMW, held on to drum brakes. Especially on versions with power less than 100 hp economy prevailed, which is currently enjoyed by experienced mechanics.

Switching from drum to disc - sensible and practical?

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

Honestly, replacing drum brakes with disc brakes makes sense only in rare cases .

The braking system is specially designed for a car on a construction site. The traditional combination of disc brakes in the front and drum brakes in the rear is usually more than adequate.

However, a drum brake is what it is: piece of outdated technology.

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!


A drum brake has nothing to do with sportiness, dynamism or a progressive look. Bright details on all four brake discs, such as painted brake calipers and matching carbon or aluminum wheel hubs, greatly enhance the car's progressive look. . The transformation, however, is not so simple.

Information before installation

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

The main problem of this operation is massive interference with the factory settings of the system. . TO inspectors do not like his appearance.

Therefore, we strongly recommend seek advice from a reliable inspection station. Investing a lot of money and time into staying with an unroadworthy car is a hard and expensive lesson, though. with the help of cunning, you can surely and reliably win the approval of the inspector .

Original, not fashionable

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

originally switching to disc brakes on all four wheels family cars was reserved for models with high performance engines. In the early 90s this function was in cars with power more 150 h.p.

For the owner of a disk-drum combination, this means that the rear axle of the model of the same series, which is already equipped with disc brakes, is optimally suited for conversion .

All approved components are available in the right size . In addition to retrofitting to factory brake discs on vehicles with high performance engines, everything that can be found for these models in the accessories catalog is suitable.

Risk for permanent

We conclude that the transition from drum brakes to disc brakes is a matter for ardent fans of their own car. .

Alteration of the brakes - replacing the drum brake with a disc brake!

Everyone else is advised to leave the car in its original condition, sell it or buy one that is equipped with four brake discs from the factory. Anything else means the risk of investing a lot of time and money in a project that may eventually have to be paid back.

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