Disc vs. Drum brakes - The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network

Piece of Work · 05-01-2009, 04:22 PM

I would like to here from those that have experiance driving trucks with both disc front/drum rear and drum front/rear. What are the pros and cons of each.

Thanks

-Mark

mikajo39 · 05-01-2009, 04:25 PM

My 69 has drums all around and it stops pretty well P/B. Of course i just had my entire brake system redone. However for drums they stop pretty well, never had any bad brake fade. Of course Discs will outstop drums all around but if your tight on cash a well maintained drum system should be plenty efficent

Sinister · 05-01-2009, 04:34 PM

X2

69halfton · 05-01-2009, 04:39 PM

i have drums all around on my 69 shortbox. power brakes..

if your not trying to road race you truck, they are fine. they will stop really hard real good, once. if you try to stop real hard real fast more then once without letting them cool off is when you start to have problems.

living in the mountains, or towing big loads can be tough as you get prolonged amounts of brake use (as in your riding the brakes for long distances) and they will heat up alot faster then discs do, causeing brake fade..

Piece of Work · 05-02-2009, 10:53 AM

Thanks for the replies. Now if I find a truck with drum brakes, I won't be in a rush to change to disc.

-Mark

**Stocker** · 05-02-2009, 12:06 PM

Drums will be fine. That said, I'm glad I have front discs -- I live in hill country and sometimes the old girl has carried some very heavy loads. Five miles of very steep downhill with tight corners and a few thousand pounds in the bed will get your attention...

Piece of Work · 05-02-2009, 01:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stocker

Drums will be fine. That said, I'm glad I have front discs -- I live in hill country and sometimes the old girl has carried some very heavy loads. Five miles of very steep downhill with tight corners and a few thousand pounds in the bed will get your attention...

Not a lot of hills here in FL, so my list of "must haves" for my next truck just got smaller.

texanidiot25 · 05-02-2009, 01:31 PM

Drums, mine were always pure suck. In the few drives I used them, they had little stopping power until they rapidly decided to stop the truck. Which usually meant locking up the front tires. Needless to say the truck now has 12" Disk brakes now that it's on the road.

Emergency stops with drums, is a joke I hear.

**Stocker** · 05-02-2009, 01:39 PM

^^ I love discs and am not a fan of drums..... but something was wrong with yours. Properly set up, they should work just fine under most circumstances, including panic stops.

mikajo39 · 05-02-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by texanidiot25

Drums, mine were always pure suck. In the few drives I used them, they had little stopping power until they rapidly decided to stop the truck. Which usually meant locking up the front tires. Needless to say the truck now has 12" Disk brakes now that it's on the road.

Emergency stops with drums, is a joke I hear.

Yeah, thats how mine were before the brakes were redone, so something was definetley wrong with your drums, no shoe material left or lack of fluid or a leak. But with my new drums and all emergency stops are pretty damn hard just got to be careful that you don't lock 'em up that why i have 30 ft worth of tire marks out front of my house

Stopped so damn hard it stalled my truck

texanidiot25 · 05-02-2009, 02:02 PM

Good drums/shoes and plenty of fluid.

Their just completely inferior. They can't stop has hard with out locking, or react as quick to peddle modulation as disks can. And as mentioned, heat is a factor. I've never noticed that drums get hotter than disks until I started driving this truck

Even with the Drum MC the truck out stops the OG Drums.

texanidiot25 · 05-02-2009, 02:08 PM

And the 300 or so spent on 73-87 disk brakes with new rotors, BJs, calipers, and pads is well worth the extra safety and control. 12" x 1.5" Disks stomp nice and hard.

70Custom10Nut · 05-02-2009, 05:50 PM

I look at what for, and how much is the truck used. I really had to wrestle with this same thing, but I figured that the cost doesn't justify the gain, since I only put about 500 miles a year on my truck and I don't tow anything. HOWEVER, if I go though with my future plans to build a Quarter miler (70 Nova, like I had as a kid) again, I'll go the route of 4 wheel disc brakes for safety. Hope this helps, Cnut

69halfton · 05-02-2009, 05:59 PM

well there is always the slotted & drilled drums route for extra cooling...

Camper Power · 05-02-2009, 06:05 PM

drums are ok for around town driving, but when your on the highway give yourself room to slow down.

05-01-2009, 04:22 PM	#1
Piece of Work Cultural Infidel Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 668	Disc vs. Drum brakes I would like to here from those that have experiance driving trucks with both disc front/drum rear and drum front/rear. What are the pros and cons of each. Thanks -Mark __________________ posted via La-Z-Boy -Mark 1972 C-10 Fleetside 350/TH350 PS PB A/C Cab Sadly....Sold 1968 Short Fleet 350/TH400 PS PB Delivered by Fine69 Also sadly Sold! It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. A man is not complete until he is married -- then he is finished.

05-01-2009, 04:25 PM	#2
mikajo39 Gearhead and audio junkie Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: nunyah Posts: 452	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes My 69 has drums all around and it stops pretty well P/B. Of course i just had my entire brake system redone. However for drums they stop pretty well, never had any bad brake fade. Of course Discs will outstop drums all around but if your tight on cash a well maintained drum system should be plenty efficent

05-01-2009, 04:34 PM	#3
Sinister Between Trucks... Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Los Angeles, CA. Posts: 3,830	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes X2 __________________ Beat it to fit, Paint it to match...

05-01-2009, 04:39 PM	#4
69halfton Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: King City, Ontario, Canada Posts: 974	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes i have drums all around on my 69 shortbox. power brakes.. if your not trying to road race you truck, they are fine. they will stop really hard real good, once. if you try to stop real hard real fast more then once without letting them cool off is when you start to have problems. living in the mountains, or towing big loads can be tough as you get prolonged amounts of brake use (as in your riding the brakes for long distances) and they will heat up alot faster then discs do, causeing brake fade.. __________________ - Jason If you can turn, Youre not going fast enough. Favorite caption: first car to 200 mph in the 1/4 mile, no parachute, drum brakes all the way around.. ..back when men were men.

05-02-2009, 10:53 AM	#5
Piece of Work Cultural Infidel Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Clearwater, FL Posts: 668	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes Thanks for the replies. Now if I find a truck with drum brakes, I won't be in a rush to change to disc. -Mark __________________ posted via La-Z-Boy -Mark 1972 C-10 Fleetside 350/TH350 PS PB A/C Cab Sadly....Sold 1968 Short Fleet 350/TH400 PS PB Delivered by Fine69 Also sadly Sold! It may be that your whole purpose in life is simply to serve as a warning to others. A man is not complete until he is married -- then he is finished.

05-02-2009, 12:06 PM	#6
Stocker 20' Daredevil (Ret) Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 13,497	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes Drums will be fine. That said, I'm glad I have front discs -- I live in hill country and sometimes the old girl has carried some very heavy loads. Five miles of very steep downhill with tight corners and a few thousand pounds in the bed will get your attention... __________________ - Mike - 1972 K20 LWB 350/350/205 RIP El Jay

05-02-2009, 01:31 PM	#8
texanidiot25 Eat My Rust Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 3,362	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes Drums, mine were always pure suck. In the few drives I used them, they had little stopping power until they rapidly decided to stop the truck. Which usually meant locking up the front tires. Needless to say the truck now has 12" Disk brakes now that it's on the road. Emergency stops with drums, is a joke I hear. Last edited by texanidiot25; 05-02-2009 at 01:31 PM.

05-02-2009, 01:39 PM	#9
Stocker 20' Daredevil (Ret) Join Date: May 2003 Location: Jefferson State Posts: 13,497	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes ^^ I love discs and am not a fan of drums..... but something was wrong with yours. Properly set up, they should work just fine under most circumstances, including panic stops. __________________ - Mike - 1972 K20 LWB 350/350/205 RIP El Jay

05-02-2009, 02:02 PM	#11
texanidiot25 Eat My Rust Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 3,362	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes Good drums/shoes and plenty of fluid. Their just completely inferior. They can't stop has hard with out locking, or react as quick to peddle modulation as disks can. And as mentioned, heat is a factor. I've never noticed that drums get hotter than disks until I started driving this truck Even with the Drum MC the truck out stops the OG Drums. Last edited by texanidiot25; 05-02-2009 at 02:03 PM.

05-02-2009, 02:08 PM	#12
texanidiot25 Eat My Rust Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cypress, Texas Posts: 3,362	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes And the 300 or so spent on 73-87 disk brakes with new rotors, BJs, calipers, and pads is well worth the extra safety and control. 12" x 1.5" Disks stomp nice and hard.

05-02-2009, 05:50 PM	#13
70Custom10Nut Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Vilseck Germany (currently) Posts: 317	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes I look at what for, and how much is the truck used. I really had to wrestle with this same thing, but I figured that the cost doesn't justify the gain, since I only put about 500 miles a year on my truck and I don't tow anything. HOWEVER, if I go though with my future plans to build a Quarter miler (70 Nova, like I had as a kid) again, I'll go the route of 4 wheel disc brakes for safety. Hope this helps, Cnut

05-02-2009, 05:59 PM	#14
69halfton Registered User Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: King City, Ontario, Canada Posts: 974	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes well there is always the slotted & drilled drums route for extra cooling... __________________ - Jason If you can turn, Youre not going fast enough. Favorite caption: first car to 200 mph in the 1/4 mile, no parachute, drum brakes all the way around.. ..back when men were men.

05-02-2009, 06:05 PM	#15
Camper Power Registered User Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Grande Prairie Alberta Posts: 261	Re: Disc vs. Drum brakes drums are ok for around town driving, but when your on the highway give yourself room to slow down. __________________ eh 1970 Chevy C20 daily driver 1975 GMC Jimmy 4x4 project 1966 GMC C10 Dad's project



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