DRUM BRAKES

SMALL ENGINE TECHNOLOGY

LEMUEL L. COLIS
 Drum brakes
The drum brake is a proven
and reliable design which is
used on many motorcycles and
scooters.

drum brake design is still used at the front and rear on

lighter and lower performance models, where high
levels of braking power are neither required nor
desirable.
 This system consists of two semi-
circular brake shoes located inside
a drum in the wheel hub.

When the brake lever is operated a cam inside the drum

mechanism pushes the brake shoes into contact with the
drum, and this creates friction and deceleration.
DRUM BRAKE EXPLODED VIEW
DRUM BRAKE DIAGRAM
 PARTS
OF
DRUM BRAKE
 BRAKE DRUM

Brake drums are an essential component of drum

brakes. Together with the brake shoe, a brake drum
forms a friction pair, which decelerates the rotation of
the wheel. The brake drum also has the job of
absorbing and discharging the heat generated during
braking.
 RETRACTOR OR RETURN SPRING

The return spring is a drum brake component that is no less

important because it functions to return the brake shoe to
its original position before the brake lever or pedal
pressure. In the drum brake work system, the return spring
consists of 2, namely the upper spring and the lower spring.
 BREAK LINING

The linings are pressed on the rotating drums, which in

turn decelerate the wheels, thereby slowing down and
stopping the vehicle.
 BREAK SHOE

Brake shoes fitted with brake linings (friction material)

which press against the drums from the inside to
generate braking force (decelerate and stop) are set
inside of the drums. With this system, friction is generated
by pressing the brake linings against the inside surfaces of
the drums.
 DRUM BREAK ADJUSTER

Adjusting the brake lining to a constant clearance

towards the drum to ensure optimized braking
performance.
 BACK PLATE

backing plates act as a shield for non-metal components

which would otherwise be damaged by the heat that
braking friction causes.
Motorcycle Brake
Issues & Solutions
Brake Fade
Incidents in which the brakes fail to hold on
the wheels on prolonged application is known
as brake fade. The friction behavior of the
brake changes due to temperature and
deteriorates with an increase in temperature
caused on account of prolonged use.
Brake fade is caused due to repeated severe
application of brakes which causes expansions of
brake drum, or loss of frictional ability of brake lining,
or both. If so, reduce speed/ load and use lower gears.
The brake fade vanishes and the brake effectiveness is
restored as soon as the brake lining cools down.
Poor contact between brake lining and the drum can
also cause brake fade. In this case, the shoes may be
ground to correct radius and/or adjusted. Many of us
are in the habit of riding the brake pedal, which causes
the brakes to drag and thus became excessively hot,
leading to brake fade. The rider should not keep his
foot on the brake pedal or should not hold the brake
lever pressed unless specifically required.
Brake Binding
his is a condition in which the brake gets a
tendency of binding the liner to the brake
drum and remains in applied state without
pressing the brake lever. It is also known as
brake dragging.
Possible Causes and Remedies

One of the key reasons of brake binding is defective

springs. The brake shoe retracting springs or the
pedal return spring may be weak or broken, which
should be replaced immediately.

Another reason includes jammed brake shoes over

the anchor pins. Brake binding can be eliminated by
lubricating this anchor pin. In the case of disc brake,
the fluid level in the reservoir might be kept
excessive which should be rectified to remove brake
binding.
Brake Overheating
The overheating of the brakes is most
likely due to the same reasons as for
brakes binding. Overheating tends to
decrease the friction properties and
increases binding.
Possible Causes and Remedies

Apart from above said reasons, they may

occur also after prolonged use of brakes
while descending a slope. In case of disc
brakes apart from the above, the piston in
the caliper may be seized. As remedy of
this, the caliper has to be rebored and the
piston should be replaced.
Brake Judder
It is an experience in which a ringing
noise radiates from the brakes.
Possible Causes and Remedies

Brake judder may be either due to wrong brake

adjustment, which may be corrected, or due to the
brake lining rivets being loose, in which case the
lining has to be attached again with new rivets. In
most cases, the lining also needs to be replaced.
Grabbing Brakes

It is a state in which the brakes are either seized or have

a propensity towards seize.
Possible Causes and Remedies
In the case of drum brakes, very usual reason for
grabbing is greasy linings. Sometimes worker forgets
to clean the liners before assembling which leads to
grabbing after some use.
Brake grabbing could be reason of wrong adjustment
of shoes.
Scoured brake drum also causes grabbing of brakes.
The same can be eliminated by grounding the drum
within limits.
It is also possible that dirt or dust may have entered the
brake shoe assembly. It should be cleaned to remove the
brake grabbing.
A very unusual reason of grabbing is interchanged
shoes. Primary and secondary shoes may have been
Presence of Air in the Brake Line
This defect arises particularly in disc brake assembly
because disc brake works with incompressible brake
oil. This incompressible oil acts as a linkage between
brake lever and caliper piston. It is a way by which
brake lever force gets magnified and applied to the
caliper piston. For this purpose, brake oil should have
high viscosity. This whole system fails even if a small
amount of air enters into the brake line because air is a
compressible fluid. Air remains in the form of bubble
and compresses itself at the time of braking, resulting
in reduced braking effect.
Possible Causes and Remedies

Only leakage can produce air bubble in brake line.

Reservoir or caliper may have some defects causing
the leak of air inside the system. This leakage should
be repaired or replaced if required. Any loose
connection can be tightened properly to avoid any air
bubble to form. The very safe remedy for air bubble is
bleeding of brakes. It is advisable to perform this
maintenance process at genuine service station.
THANK YOU
AND
GOD BLESS