Chevy-drums on the rear

Chevy-drums on the rear

Author
Discussion

jeff m

Original Poster:

4,060 posts

265 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
Gavin P. are you about, I'm sure you are the one to answer this.

Chevy have started putting Drums on the rear on some of their models,

A salesman at a Chevy dealer told my buddy "they are better" (than discs) to which he replied "so we'll see the changes in Nascar next year will we"

Anyone have any (real) idea why they are doing this.

GavinPearson

5,715 posts

258 months

Monday 14th August 2006
quotequote all
I suspect there are several reasons.

1) Keeps brake dust off the rims, pleasing customers.
2) Probably reduces brake noise, pleasing customers.
3) Provides adequate braking performance for the customer base, so is optimally engineered and therefore optimal for cost.

Hope this helps.

Andy Mac

73,668 posts

262 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
No problem with drums on the rear. I know people have a whole performance thing about rear discs, but the amoutn they are used is a small percentage of what the fronts are doing, so having big huge dustbin lids isn't so essential, especially on a run of the mill car.

Trooper2

6,676 posts

238 months

Tuesday 15th August 2006
quotequote all
GavinPearson said:
I suspect there are several reasons.

1) Keeps brake dust off the rims, pleasing customers.
2) Probably reduces brake noise, pleasing customers.
3) Provides adequate braking performance for the customer base, so is optimally engineered and therefore optimal for cost.

Hope this helps.



I would also ad that drums and shoes don't pick up road grit as easily so they don't wear down as fast as discs and pads. Less spent on maintenance for the customer.

Hugger Z

207 posts

237 months

Friday 25th August 2006
quotequote all
jeff m said:
Gavin P. are you about, I'm sure you are the one to answer this.

Chevy have started putting Drums on the rear on some of their models,

A salesman at a Chevy dealer told my buddy "they are better" (than discs) to which he replied "so we'll see the changes in Nascar next year will we"

Anyone have any (real) idea why they are doing this.


Cost savings is the main reason I can think of. The drums are cheaper than a disc brake for them to build into a car. Yes sometimes the performance can be better, but it is really a matter of the brake lining material chosen for the application. Sounds like the dealer was trying to hype it up so it doesn't seem like a lower option.

M3 Mitch

538 posts

236 months

Wednesday 6th September 2006
quotequote all
Perhaps not so in UK but in the States car salesmen are liars, plain and simple...whatever they have to sell, they say it's the greatest out there. Most of them are not really car guys. Disgusting really.

GM caters to numpties - Mr. Pearson got it right, they are a cost saving dodge mostly. Also allow for a handbrake with minimal additional parts.

Most here in the states never drive at speed, much less attack a good curvy road where you brake hard into one corner after the next.

All that said, on the old Scirocco and the MGB, rear drums work OK. It's possible to put rear discs on the VW pretty easy but I'm not that motivated to do it.