The Disc Brake Naughty Corner Thread

[Mick F]

I understand that drum brakes are better than disc brakes due to the simplicity and the cleanliness. I also understand that some electric cars don't have disc brakes on the front as the drum brake system is adequate considering they have regen braking.

The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost didn't have any front brakes, just rear drums.

As for bikes, Sheldon Brown said that rear brakes are pointless in an emergency braking situation as the back lifts off if you brake hard enough at the front.

Therefore rear brakes are a waste of time, be them disc, drum or rim ................ and Rolls Royce got it wrong.

[TonyR]

The Rolls Royce Silver Ghost didn't have any front brakes, just rear drums.

As for bikes, Sheldon Brown said that rear brakes are pointless in an emergency braking situation as the back lifts off if you brake hard enough at the front.

Therefore rear brakes are a waste of time, be them disc, drum or rim ................ and Rolls Royce got it wrong.

How many times have you lifted the rear tyres of a car off the ground when braking?

[hamish]

Lots of positives about disc brakes and rightly so. I'm stuck with v brakes having a SON and Rohloff set up. But, with 18,000 miles on the CSS rims and more than enough stopping power, I'm not sure I'd benefit!

I am in the same situation on my Troll. But I Am quite happy with the rim brakes at the moment. Not sure I am desperate to change to disks on it.

[Mick F]

How many times have you lifted the rear tyres of a car off the ground when braking?

I can't easily lift the rear of a car when I'm sitting in the car with my foot on the brake pedal.

However, this is me in our Fiat500 (honest)

[Neil C]

However, this is me in our Fiat500 (honest)

That looks like you do have rear discs then!

[Mick F]

Yes, and pointless too because the wheels are off the ground.

[TonyR]

I think they might have fitted that rear wing upside down

[reohn2]

I understand that drum brakes are better than disc brakes due to the simplicity and the cleanliness.

If you mean they keep the wheels cleaner then possibly,that's because all the brake shoe dust stays inside the drum making it less efficient.
Discs are easier to check for wear and remain more efficient than any drums I've had.

As for bikes, Sheldon Brown said that rear brakes are pointless in an emergency braking situation as the back lifts off if you brake hard enough at the front.

I'd agree though the vast majority of braking isn't in an emergency,I use both brakes on the bike,and there are situations where the front one is useless,unless I want to face plant gravel.

[reohn2]

Fuelling the thread drift to cars we've had a couple with slightly unusual systems (or at least ones I've not noticed elsewhere). A Volvo 240 which had both disks & drums on the rear......

Rick

We had two Vauxhall Carltons(an '88 & a '91)and a '95 Omega with the same system,I could adjust the handbrake to come on at the third notch/click Mrs R2 liked that as it was so easy to apply.Great system IMHO,nice cars too

[rmurphy195]

First car I owned with disc brakes was a Triumph Herald 12/50, though I've never owned a car with four disc brakes.

I wonder, what is the benefit of rear discs?

Ditto on the Herald 12/50!!

Wife's old Golf had 4 wheel disc brakes, so has her more recent Skoda Rapid. Unlike the drum brakes which used to need dusting out every year so they didn't get "brake-dust-glue" syndrome (jamming on in wet weather) the discs didn't need touching until replacement time. Which is practically never on the rears!

Have 4-wheel disc brakes on an MX5 and it stops with no effort. And I mean STOPS!

[rmurphy195]

I have disc brakes on my new tourer (Spyre TRP cable-operated discs).

They get very quiet in the wet, noisy in the dry (sintered pads or something)

First time in the wet last week - and oh what joy, they simply worked without having to wait for at least a complete turn of the wheels first. And the lovely anodising on the wheel rims is not being scrubbed-off! And no horrible scraping noises from the rims riding along gritty towpaths!

[Manc33]

I've got DA 7800 calipers on and want disc brakes lol. No I won't swap.

[reohn2]

I've got DA 7800 calipers on and want disc brakes lol. No I won't swap.

What's with the angry/evil face?
No one's asking or making you to use disc brakes so what's the gripe?

[Mick F]

To list advantages of drum brakes:

less expensive to produce
slightly lower frequency of maintenance due to better corrosion resistance compared to disks.
built-in self energizing effect requires less input force (such as hydraulic pressure).
wheel cylinders are somewhat simpler to recondition compared to calipers.
minor weight savings, primarily from much smaller and lighter hydraulic cylinders vs. calipers.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Drum_brake#Advantages

[Dave W]

I had a large front drum brake on one of my early motorcycles - Yamaha RD200 it threw me over the handlebars once whilst braking in damp conditions. I think it was the build up of brake dust inside the drum that was the culprit.