crude form of mechanical drum brakes actually appeared on a Daimler creation in 1899. It was a simple design that was nothing more than a cable wrapped around a drum. The cable was anchored to the vehicle’s chassis and controlled by the driver. Wilhelm Maybach improved upon the design on a Mercedes-Benz by using multiple steel cables wrapped around two drums on the rear wheels and controlled by a hand brake lever.
Despite these early efforts that encompassed the basic idea of drum brakes, Louis Renault is usually credited with the invention of drum brakes in 1902. Renault’s form of drum brakes would become the standard for automobiles for the next 70 years.
In drum brakes, brake shoes generate friction by rubbing against the inner surface of a brake drum that is attached to a wheel. There are external-contracting brakes (in which the brake band surrounds the drum) and internal-expanding drum brakes (in which the shoes, supported by a back plate, are forced outward against the drum).
Modern automotive brakes can be broken down into two basic types: disc or drum. While it can be argued that removing your foot from the accelerator pedal can be a form of braking (deceleration), this book only includes systems that have hard components that are designed specifically for stopping.
Air brakes, which were originally developed for railway use, have been adopted for use on larger vehicles. Air brakes are usually a complicated system of reservoirs, valves, and a multi-circuit control system that make this type of braking too sophisticated for passenger car use. Current air brake systems must be operated differently than the more common hydraulic systems, and most countries require additional training and licensing to legally drive any vehicle using an air brake system. Neither magnetic brake or electrical brake systems are currently used in passenger cars.
Muscle cars from the golden era, such as this 1966 Chevelle, are prime candidates for brake and wheel upgrades to match modern performance. There are several aftermarket brake companies that support these muscle car brake upgrades. Baer Brakes, Classic Performance Products (CPP), Disc Brakes Australia (DBA) USA, Power Brake, Master Power Brakes, Stainless Steel Brakes Corporation (SSBC), TBM Brakes (formerly known as The Brake Man), and Wilwood are all representatives in the performance brake market.
Modern rotor designs include a scalloped version for serious racing applications. Scalloped rotors are specifically designed to reduce surface area, which effectively reduces weight. Saving weight in race applications is critical for obvious reasons. (Photo Courtesy Wilwood Engineering Inc.)
Disc Brakes Australia (DBA) USA is one of many modern companies that make brake pads with a variety of different materials. Brake pads are generally broken down into three groups: organic, ceramic, and semimetallic. However, each of these groups are made up of many different types of materials. For example, organic brake pads can be manufactured from various organic compounds, such as carbon, glass, rubber, or Kevlar. Semimetallic will be made with iron, steel, copper, or graphite in the friction material. Ceramics tend to be made of a manufacturer-specific ceramic compound. Each type has its own pros and cons.
Brake linings and the materials used have seen dramatic changes since their first application in 1888. Various soft metals have been used with noisy results. Asbestos linings worked well but posed a health hazard, so their use was stopped. Synthetic fibers have taken over the lead role in brake lining material. Use caution when dealing with older brake shoes like these. Avoid breathing the dust and try not to disturb the dust and fibers with compressed air or vacuum cleaners.
Disc Brakes and Brake Pad Linings
British inventor William Lanchester patented the disc brake in 1902, which was little more than soft copper brake pad linings that moved against a metal disc, transferring heat better but screeching brutally when applied.
Another British inventor, Herbert Frood, developed brake pads using asbestos as the lining. This quieted the braking action and gave Frood acknowledgment as the inventor of the brake pad by having developed a more efficient frictional surface. Asbestos was used in brake linings into the 1980s, when health concerns forced the mineral’s removal from the automotive industry.
In the United States, one of the first to manufacture drum brakes was the A. H. Raymond Co. of Bridgeport, Connecticut, which opened in 1902 as a four-man shop that built brakes, brake linings, and clutch facings. Renamed Royal Equipment Co. by 1904, the company continued to improve brakes, particularly with a natural silica material called asbestos and copper-wire brake lining known as Raybestos.
These Raybestos brake linings were sold as double acting brakes. Advertising reported the double action as the ability to stop forward or backward motion. This claim left motorists believing that stopping in both directions was impossible before.
Duesenberg began putting brakes on the front wheels as well as the rear wheels in races during the 1915 events. This allowed the cars to carry speed longer before braking to enter corners. This setup required the driver to use a separate foot brake and hand brake to control the braking. A unit that combined both brakes into one pedal to operate the four brakes didn’t come along until 1919.
Chrysler Corporation Muscle Cars Front Disc Brake Offerings
Shown here is a 1970 Dodge Charger R/T. The standard engine on the R/T was the 375-hp 440-ci 4-barrel. For a few hundred dollars more, consumers could have the 425-hp 426-ci Hemi. For 1970, there was also the 390-hp 440-ci with a trio of Holley 2-barrels.
Dodge 330 1962–1964: Front and rear drum brakes were offered.
Dodge 440 1963–1964: Front and rear drum brakes were offered.
Dodge Challenger 1969–1974: Front disc brakes were standard.
Dodge Charger 1966–1975: Front disc brakes were an option from 1967.
Dodge Coronet 1965–1975: Front disc brakes were an option from 1967.
Dodge Dart 1959–1975: Front disc brakes were optional in 1965 and standard on the Swinger in 1970. They did not become standard on all models until 1976.
Dodge Lancer 1961–1962: Front and rear drum brakes were offered.
Dodge Polara 1962–1964: Front and rear drum brakes were offered.
Dodge Super Bee 1968–1971: Front and rear drum brakes were offered.
Plymouth Barracuda 1964–1974: Disc brakes were optional starting in 1965.
Plymouth Belvedere 1955–1970: Front and rear drums were offered. Front disc brakes were optional from 1967 on.
Plymouth Duster 1970–1975: Front disc brakes were standard on 318 and 340 models starting in 1973.
Plymouth Fury 1961–1964/1974–1975: Front and rear drum brakes were
