# When are rear drum type brakes better? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [July 8, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382 "2008-07-08T02:21:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Opera\_House](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@Opera\_House](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Opera_House)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 11:30am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/21 "2008-07-09T11:30:30Z")
You are lucky with the Explorer. The E breake tends to delaminate by this time and the spring clips on the shoes rust so there is no tension. ---
**Author:** ![edb1961](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/edb1961/32/122_2.png) [@edb1961](https://community.cartalk.com/u/edb1961)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 1:08pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/22 "2008-07-09T13:08:48Z")
BustedKnuckles, On my 2000 Blazer (1st car with 4 wheel disc brakes), the front pads were replaced at 70k and the rear pads at 80k. Is the rear change interval reasonable based on your last post? Thanks, Ed B. ---
**Author:** ![oldschool](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e19adc/32.png) [@oldschool](https://community.cartalk.com/u/oldschool)\ **Post date:** [July 9, 2008, 8:17pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/23 "2008-07-09T20:17:02Z")
Was there enough material left on the rear rotors to allow for a cut? These rotors are thin when new,in my area where road salt was used these rotors didnt even survive a rust clean-up cut ---
**Author:** ![irlandes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b5e925/32.png) [@irlandes](https://community.cartalk.com/u/irlandes)\ **Post date:** [July 10, 2008, 12:19am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/24 "2008-07-10T00:19:27Z")
Change Never to Seldom and I agree with you. I use my parking brake almost always. ---
**Author:** ![twotone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e95f7d/32.png) [@twotone](https://community.cartalk.com/u/twotone)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 6:35am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/25 "2008-07-13T06:35:45Z")
Drum brakes are better when stopping is not important. Disks always outperform drums. ---
**Author:** ![alex3324](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@alex3324](https://community.cartalk.com/u/alex3324)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:07pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/26 "2008-07-13T13:07:32Z")
My 2 cents… In 2005 Chevrolet reverted back to rear drum brakes on their Silverado line. They had used a disk assembly for only a short time but they received many complaints of pitting and grit being embedded in the finish on the rear quarters of the pickups. They traced it to hot friction material flying off the pads under moderate to heavy braking. This came from my brother a GM Salesman and this was a specific training topic for him so they could properly address customer concerns. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [July 13, 2008, 1:56pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382/27 "2008-07-13T13:56:34Z")
No they don’t. Cold stopping is superior with drums. Drums work so much better than discs that they don’t need power boost, even in big cars and trucks. They don’t work as well when hot, thats when discs come out ahead. I remember car tests from the 60’s before discs became popular, the stopping distance has NOT improved since then, even with better tires. [Previous page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/when-are-rear-drum-type-brakes-better/16382.md?page=1)