Brake shoes are a key component of a vehicle’s braking system, located inside drum brakes and providing friction to slow down and stop the wheels. They wear down over time and should be replaced to avoid damage and ensure effective braking. Most cars have drum brakes on the rear wheels and disc brakes on the front wheels.
Brake shoes are an integral part of a motor vehicle’s braking system. When a driver hits the brakes, the brake shoe is the mechanical part that he or she is controlling to stop the car. The backing of a brake shoe is a metal part, but the area that actually comes into contact with the brake is padded to provide friction to stop the car without damaging the brake. Brake shoes are located inside drum brakes; Disc brakes have calipers, which serve the same function in a slightly different way.
Drum brakes work with hydraulic pressure. When a driver steps on the brakes, pressurized brake fluid travels to individual wheel brakes, and small hydraulic pistons push the brake shoes into the wheel’s rotating surface. The friction from the shoes slows down the wheel and eventually stops it. When the brake is released, the springs return the brake shoe to a rest position, away from the wheel. Disc brakes work the same way, except instead of applying pressure from inside the drum, calipers grip a disc that stops the wheel.
Over time, the surface of the shoe will begin to wear down. If allowed to wear down completely, the metal backing of the brake shoe will come into contact with the drum, which could cause serious damage as well as an unpleasant sound. For this reason, most drum brakes have an inspection hole so drivers can check their brake shoes without dismounting the wheel. When shoes start to wear out, they need to be replaced for effective braking. The padded lining used to be made of asbestos, but greener materials are used in most modern cars.
In general, most cars have drum brakes on the rear wheels and disc brakes on the front wheels. Drum brakes also house the emergency brake mechanism, so it’s important to make sure they’re in good working order. Be sure to check all your brakes regularly and replace pads and shoes when necessary to save expensive refinish or replacement bills for the discs and drums that stop your car. It is possible to replace the brake shoes yourself, if you have mechanical experience. However, maintaining drum brakes is more difficult than working on disc brakes, and you may want to use the services of a reputable professional mechanic to replace your brake shoes.
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