How to Tell if You Have Bad Brake Drums
Your vehicle’s safety is crucial, and the braking system plays a key role in ensuring your car stops safely. If your brake drums are worn or damaged, it’s important to address the issue immediately. If you notice any problems with braking, it’s best to stop driving and have your car towed to a trusted service provider like MyMechanic in Malaysia for a thorough inspection and repair.
Signs Your Brake Drums Are Failing
- Noise: As the friction material on the brake shoes wears out, the metal backing plate starts to contact the brake drum, causing a metallic scraping or grinding noise. This is a clear sign your brake drums need attention.
- Low Brake Pedal: A low brake pedal can be caused by excessive clearance between the shoe and drum. It can sometimes be corrected by cleaning and adjusting the brakes, but it may also indicate a brake fluid leak or a malfunctioning master cylinder.
- Spongy Brake Pedal: If the brake drums are cracked or worn too thin, you may feel a spongy brake pedal when pressed. However, spongy brakes are more commonly caused by air in the brake lines, which should also be addressed.
- Brake Pedal Pulsation: Brake drums that are out of round will not maintain constant contact with the brake shoes. This can cause the shoes to bounce up and down, leading to a pulsation in the brake pedal while braking.
- Parking Brake Doesn’t Hold: In extreme cases, excessively worn brake drums may not make contact with the shoes, preventing the parking brake from working properly. You may hear a loud pop when shifting the car into gear after parking on a slope (especially with an automatic transmission).
How to Fix the Problem
Before replacing your brake drums, a thorough inspection is essential. Brake drums that are too thin may crack or break when they overheat, or they may glaze, reducing friction. In some cases, resurfacing the drums may be an option. Alternatively, cleaning and adjusting the brakes could resolve the issue.
To determine whether a brake drum can be reused, the inner diameter must be measured and compared to the manufacturer’s specifications. If the drum is too worn, it will need to be replaced.
When replacing or resurfacing the brake drums, it’s best to replace the brake shoes as well. This ensures that the shoes have the same wear pattern as the new or resurfaced drums. Replacing the shoes involves removing small springs, which can be a tedious task and should be handled by a professional.
Get It Diagnosed by a Professional
At MyMechanic, we offer comprehensive brake services to ensure your vehicle’s safety and efficiency. If you are experiencing any of the symptoms mentioned above, contact us today. Our skilled technicians will inspect your brake system, determine whether your brake drums need to be replaced or resurfaced, and provide the necessary repairs.
How Brake Drums Work
While disc brakes are typically found on the front wheels of most cars today, brake drums are still used in many vehicles, especially on the rear wheels. Some vehicles with disc brakes on all four wheels still use a drum-and-shoe system for the emergency brake.
Brake drums are circular metal components that house the brake shoes. When you apply the brakes, the shoes press against the inner surface of the drum, creating the friction needed to stop the vehicle.
The master cylinder is the heart of the braking system. It converts the force you apply to the brake pedal into hydraulic pressure. When the brake pedal is pressed, the pressurized fluid flows from the master cylinder through the brake lines to the wheel cylinders located between the brake shoes. The fluid pressure forces the wheel cylinders to push the brake shoes outward, making contact with the inside of the drum and generating the friction required to bring your vehicle to a stop.
Contact MyMechanic for Brake Drum Services in Malaysia
For professional brake inspections, maintenance, and repairs, contact MyMechanic. Our team of expert technicians is equipped to handle brake drum replacements and services with precision, ensuring your vehicle is safe and responsive on the roads of Malaysia.
