Haven't seen or tried.

[RobertISaar]

Originally Posted by mechman600

Just put oil all over your brake pads. It will have the same effect (both rolling resistance and stopping power) and will cost less.

and you can even vary the amount of oil for multiple settings of OHMAHGAWDWEGONNADIE.

or even make it self-replenishing by having a small squeeze of oil come out automatically whenever the brakes are pressed. they'd probably be the coldest disks ever.

[Frank Lee]

I wish we had "No Thanks" buttons- I'd hand out several on this thread.

Don't be stupid. Drum brakes stop well and safely. They have less drag. They don't leave a dusty mess on the rims.

Four wheel drums: they'll put your head through the windshield if that's what you want:


Four wheel drums: watch your knees!


No, I don't want any forehead-sized divots in my all-steel dashboard, but I could put one there on the passenger side if you'd like:


How many of you have even driven a vehicle with four wheel drums?

[RobertISaar]

i have no problems with drums in the rear... in fact, a lot of the times i almost prefer it.

but front drums? never would i choose that situation.

[Frank Lee]

i have no problems with drums in the rear... in fact, a lot of the times i almost prefer it.

but front drums? never would i choose that situation.

OK Educate me: why are they good on the back but not on the front?

And yet nobody has a rational answer for why.

[NachtRitter]

I've driven all-drum cars before... both cable and hydraulic... I remember two things: never being able to get the adjusters right (manual adjusters), and they scared the crap out of me when they started to fade on a long twisty downhill. In one case, a buddy of mine plowed into me when his drums faded... me being there was lucky for him because the other option was an off-road excursion down the mountainside

[Frank Lee]

How many are having trouble keeping their rear drums adjusted?

No mountainous downhills here + DWB = never even been close to brake fade.

Your buddy should have been using a lower gear.

I've read about simple steps to improve cooling to drums... not that I've ever needed to do those mods. That is the "issue" with drums: heat rejection not as good as disks especially stock.

[NachtRitter]

That was when we were younger and more adventurous. And we have a lot of fun mountain roads around here. Yes, he should have been using a lower gear: good armchair quarterbacking. We figured that one out within a few minutes of exiting the vehicles, TYVM. Easy to come up with solutions when the brain isn't in panic mode.

In any case, now that I have had disc brakes, I wouldn't want to go back... so much easier to service (o ya, forgot about how freakin' hard it was to get the damn rusted-on drums off to replace the shoes!), and haven't come anywhere near the same "NO BRAKES!" feeling due to fade despite driving it harder. Not that I do that anymore...

[Frank Lee]

Yes, he should have been using a lower gear: good armchair quarterbacking. We figured that one out within a few minutes of exiting the vehicles, TYVM. Easy to come up with solutions when the brain isn't in panic mode.

So it's the brake's fault your buddy doesn't know the limitations of his equipment and how to respond rationally?

The facts remain about the pros I listed AND that drum fade resistance can be markedly improved- if that's how hard you are on the brakes.

I put a dab of grease or anti-seize compound where the drum seats on the hub; I haven't had to wrestle with any rusted-on drums that I did that to.

I want drums on the front of my Tempo, but not bad enough to do all that custom machining. Early Rabbits had drums all around.

[redneck]

I'm with Frank .

None of my big trucks have disc brakes.

Think, surface area

If drum brakes are good for 80,000 pounds semi trucks they're good enough for me.


.

[Frank Lee]

I thought about mentioning big trucks but admittedly I didn't know if the newer ones were still drum.

I'd suggest for anyone who regularly rides the brakes until they stink to stay with disks. But then there are the rest of us...