Brake Drum Construction

The Brake System:
Brake Drums

The brake drums are usually made of pressed steel, cast iron, or a combination of the two metals. Cast-iron drums dissipate the heat produced by friction more rapidly than steel drums and have better friction surfaces. However, if a cast-iron drum is made as strong as it should be, it will be much heavier than a steel drum.

Brake Drum Construction

To provide light weight and enough strength, some drums are made of steel with a cast-iron liner for the braking surface. This type is known as a centrifuse brake drum. Cooling ribs are sometimes added to the outside of the drum to give more strength and better heat dissipation. Braking surfaces of drums may be ground, or they may be machined to a smooth finish.

For good braking action, the drum should be perfectly round and have a uniform surface. Brake drums become "out of round" from pressure exerted by the brake shoes or bands and from the heat produced by the application of the brakes. The brake drum surface becomes scored when it is worn by the braking action. When the surface is badly scored or the drum is out of round, it is necessary to replace the drum or regrind it or turn it down in a lathe until the drum is again smooth and true.

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Article Pages
1. The Brake System
2. Introduction
3. Principles Of Braking
4. Braking Requirements
5. Factors Controlling Retardation
6. External-Contracting And Internal-Expanding Brakes
7. Brake Types
8. Brake Drum Construction
9. Brake Shoes
10. Rotating And Non-Rotating Units
11. Self-Energizing Action
12. Disc Brake
13. Comparing Disc And Drum Brakes
14. Floating Caliper
15. Fixed Caliper
16. Hydraulic Brakes
17. Master Cylinder
18. Wheel Cylinder
19. Hydraulic Brake System Insepction
20. Before Road Test Inspection
21. Road Test Inspection
22. After Road Test Inspection
23. Air-Hydraulic Brake System
24. Air-Hydraulic Master Cylinder
25. Air-Hydraulic Cylinder
26. Air Compressor
27. Air Governor
28. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Components
29. Trailer Coupling Hoses And Connectors
30. Air-Over Hydraulic Cylinder
31. Operation Of Air-Hydraulic Brakes
32. Air-Hydraulic Brakes Of Large Trucks
33. Trailer Air-Over-Hydraulic Brake Systems
34. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Inspection
35. Before Road Test Inspection
36. Air-Hydraulic Brake System Road Inspection
37. Trouble Shooting Air-Hydraulic Brakes
38. Air-Brake System
39. Air-Brake Quick Release Valve
40. Air-Brake Relay Valve
41. Air-Brake Chamber
42. Air-Brake Slack Adjuster
43. Air-Brake Auxiliary Components
44. Semi-Trailer Air Brake Systems
45. Operation Of Straight Air-Brake System
46. Miscellaneous Air-Brake Components
47. Troubleshooting Straight Air Brake Systems

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