Brake Drums & Shoes

The brake drums and shoes are the two vital parts of the drum brake system, and anything which lessens the effectiveness of either is bound to compromise the safety of any car. In general terms, they are applied to both the main rear brake and the handbrake. The brake shoes sit inside the brake drum and, upon pressure being applied to the pedal or handbrake, they expand inside the drum and thus create contact. The friction caused by this contact slows the drum and the wheel down.

The nature of this process means that the brake shoe tends to need replacing at least every fifty thousand kilometres. By this time, wear and tear and contamination will have greatly impeded the operation of both the shoes and the drums.