Taurus might be discontinued

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by slowmover

Drum brakes go out of adjustment so quickly as to make it a monthly chore on a 12k annual
Mile vehicle.

That's why nowadays most drum brakes are self-adjustable.

And they're worthless in the wet.

So, unbalanced braking both front to rear plus side to side and worthless in rain.

Not so worthless at all and, nowadays that ABS became more common, braking doesn't get so unbalanced.

THEN that they aren't capable of high speed stops.

Every system has its compromises. Discs may occasionaly bend due to torque, while drums don't have this problem. But anyway, since most of the vehicles still available with drum brakes in my country are either small motorcycles or commercial vehicles fitted with some sort of braking retarder which reduces the load imposed to the brakes, drums are still cost-effective.

We ran disc equipped trailers and tractors in the oilfield. "Rural" doesn't describe where we had to go.

It doesn't really matter if it's a farm, an oilfield, a military operation in the Amazon or the Pantanal, a mining site or a construction, drum brakes are still prefered by many operators in my country.

[wdb]

Drum brakes can be preferable in low speed situations. Drums will warp just like rotors under stress. Drum brakes are incapable of matching the braking force possible with discs. I don't quite understand the maintenance angle; when I worked on cars drum brakes took 5 times as long to service. There are 20 or so moving parts in a drum brake compared with as few as 2 in a disc brake.

Taurus was aerodynamic at the start but got pretty bulky in later iterations.

I think sedans in general are losing out because of the sheer interior volume people expect these days. Makes them great buys on the used market; I picked up a CPO Lexus for a song two years ago.

I think I miss the station wagon more than I'll miss sedans; great driving dynamics, better aero than SUV bricks, lots of space.

[cRiPpLe_rOoStEr]

Originally Posted by wdb

I think I miss the station wagon more than I'll miss sedans; great driving dynamics, better aero than SUV bricks, lots of space.

Sedans have been falling out of favor in a worldwide basis, too bad there are not so many choices for those who don't want a sedan but would rather not follow the SUV bandwagon.

[Xist]

Someone told me drum brakes required far more work and adjustment than disc brakes, but also that drum brakes retained far more dust.

[gone-ot]

Drum brakes DO contain more mechanical components and brake dust DOES collect within the drum assembly.

Disc brakes DO have fewer mechanical components and their brake dust is spread outward onto the wheel assembly and into the atmosphere to later settle onto the roadways...and nearby homes.

[freebeard]

Unless you drill radial holes in them, drum brakes don't work well underwater.

[wdb]

Brake dust, really? If you want to worry about dust generated by transportation systems, brake dust is pretty low on the list.