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Classic Car Parts
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Disc Or Drum Brakes?
Where Do You Stop?
Nowadays it is easy to upgrade the braking sysyem to match the higher speed of traffic flow and more crowded roads. The original drum brakes can be servo assisted with after market fitting kits but are only capable of getting as much from the drums as they are capable of giving. This may give better braking effort, but can also disguise the slow deterioration inherent in drums. The main problems with drums will still remain, the tendancy to fade out as they get hotter, belling of the drum so it becomes wedge shaped in cross section, corrosion and sticking of the pistons, limited braking ability as pushing harder does not mean that you will stop quicker and poor cooling due to the braking surface being hidden inside the drum.
Converting to disc brakes need not be a wallet breaking experience; there are ways to do it that can keep the cost down to a reasonable 100 pounds or so, depending on just what you buy new, how good a mechanic you are and how dirty you are prepared to get!
For your money you will achieve:-
A low maintenance, progressive, more powerful brake capable of coping with today’s traffic.
Fade out is no longer a problem with discs as the friction area is well exposed to passing air.
Corrosion is minimal due to good sealing, with no belling or distortion.
The harder you push the pedal, the better the braking effect.
Over the last ten years we have supplied Marina/Ital based kits, but we have recognised future supply problems with some components so we have gone one step further than others. A new disc kit based on Ford Sierra components is now available after rigorous testing. The kit is simplified, and of course spares will be assured for many years to come.
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