Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

The Drum Brake

It is a brake in which curved brake shoes press against the inner surface of a rotating metal drum to produce
the braking action applied for rear brake for most vehicles

Advantages of drum brakes over disc brakes

 High leverage represents an internal increase in application force.

 Lining friction generates a torque, which presses the leading brake shoe more firmly against the drum
wall.
 It reduces shoe contact pressure.
 It is protected against dirt to a large extent since the drum brake is housed inside the dished area of the
road wheel
 It is an easy matter to install a mechanically operated parking brake

Disadvantage

 Relining work takes longer than on the disc brake

 It is more difficult to provide any form of automatic compensation
 There is a problem of in the disposal of lining dust
 There is heat dissipation problem.

Main components of the drum brake

Leading and trailing layout

This configuration consists of a pair of shoes pivoted at a common anchor point with a double-piston /
cylinder expander which forces out free ends of both shoes radially against of the brake-drum.
The leading shoe is the one whose expander piston moves outwards in the direction of rotation of the drum.
Friction drag between the shoe and the drum will thus tend to assist the expander piston in wedging the shoe
hard against the drum; hence more braking force will be obtained for a given actuating load on the expander.
This is referred to as the self-servo action of the shoe.
The trailing shoe is the one whose expander piston moves outwards in a direction opposite to the direction of
rotation of the drum. Frictional grip between the shoe and the revolving drum will thus tend to oppose the
expander piston and push it back into its cylinder body. Hence trailing shoe provides less braking force than
the leading shoe for a given actuating force.

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

Fig. Drum brake

Brake shoes

These shoes are curved rectangular steel strips shaped to match the inside curvature of the drum. To provide
rigidity, a steel web is welded behind and in the middle of the shoe sole expander end of the shoe is known
as the ‘heel’. The toe and heel of the shoes may be flat, curved, or have a semicircular groove formed to
locate the expander or anchor abutment.

Brake linings

These materials are usually either a woven or moulded asbestos impregnated with natural resins, bitumen’s,
and drying oils, or with synthetic resins. These materials are chosen because of their ability to withstand
high operating temperatures without their frictional properties being greatly affected. The lining for cars and
light-duty applications are attached to the shoes be adhesives which require a heat treatment to complete the
bond, but commercial vehicles still prefer to have the linings riveted to the shoes.

Brake drum

Brake-drums are generally made of cast or malleable iron. The drum is basically a shallow cylinder with a
flange at one end which is designed to be bolted concentrically to the axle hub. One or two ribs are cast
circumferentially on the outside of the drum near its mouth, to provide support against the radial expanding

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

forces and to improve the heat dissipation. Internally the circumference of the drum is machined to present a
smooth surface to the brake lining.
Anchor abutments

To prevent the shoes from rotating with the drum when the brakes are applied, an anchor abutment is fixed
to the back plate on the opposite side to the expander unit. This anchor may be a single- or double-pin post
or a sliding abutment block. The pin post provides a hinge for shoes, the single and double varieties being
used for light and heavy duty respectively. Some time for light and medium duty applications the sliding
abutment is preferred, as it is self-centralising and to some extent compensates for uneven lining wear.

Retraction springs

Coil springs sometimes known as pull-off springs are used to pull the shoes away from the drum when the
hydraulic pressure is released and so prevent any possible she drag. At the same time, retraction of the shoes
pushes the wheel cylinder expander pistons together and displaces brake fluid back to the master cylinder.

Backing plate

The backing plate is usually a pressed-steel construction which is ribbed to increase its rigidity and to
provide support for the cylinder expander, anchor abutment, and brake-shoes. The plate is bolted to the axle
flange, as it must absorb the entire braking torque reaction of the shoes (because of this, commercial-vehicle
manufactures refer to this plate as the ‘torque-plate’). Its other function is to form a dust-shield to protect the
drum-and-shoe assembly from dirt and mud.

Types of drum brakes

There are different types of drum brake types. But, the following are the most common types.
1. Leading and trailing type
2. Two leading type
3. Uni servo
4. Due servo

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

i. Leading and trailing type

Leading shoe- the shoe that faces the front of the car and trailing shoe- the shoe that faces the rear of the car.
This type has only one wheel cylinder. Application for passenger cars and small commercial vehicles each
brake shoe has a fixed pivot and attachment point instead of anchor pin most have anchor block.
Operation

When the brakes are applied the leading shoe is self energizing it applies more braking force than the trailing
shoe therefore the leading shoe wears more than the trailing shoe. In reverse gear the trailing shoe becomes
self-energizing.

Fig. Parts of a leading trailing shoe

Characteristics
- Operate very smoothly
- Posses very little self servo effect
- Suffer from non uniform lining wear
- Braking effect is the same in both directions

ii. Two leading type

This type of drum brake has two wheel cylinders and each cylinder have a piston. The braking effect in the
normal direction of travel is better than with the leading and trailing shoe type. It exerts a high braking force
exerts self energizing force in one direction only. In reverse both shoes work as trailing and exerts a small
braking force.

Fig. Parts of two leading shoe

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

iii. Duo-servo drum brakes

The type of a brake in which one shoe increases the force applied to the other shoes is called a servo brake.
Two forces acting on the left shoe are the force caused by the drum, and the force caused by the right shoe.

Fig. Parts of duo-servo brake

Characteristics

- has four pistons per wheel cylinder

- The lower ends of the brake shoes are joined by a link or adjusted screw assembly
- The shoes & linings tend to be dragged alloy with the drum
- Both shoes become self energizing
iv. Uni-servo drum brakes
This type is similar to duo- servo type except the number of pistons. But the force acting on the brake shoe is
less than duo- servo type of drum brake.

Fig .Parts of uni-servo brake

Characteristics

- Has two pistons per wheel cylinder

- The lower ends of the brake shoes are joined by a link or adjusted screw assembly
- Both shoes become self energizing

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

Anti-Lock Brake Systems (ABS)

Wheel lock-up during braking causes skidding which in turn causes a loss of traction and vehicle control.

This reduces the steering ability to change direction, so that the car may slide out of control. Anti-lock

Braking System allows the driver to maintain steering control of the vehicle while in hard braking situations.

With ABS the driver can brake hard, take the evasive action and still be in control of the vehicle in any road

condition, at any speed and under any load. ABS modulates braking effort at the controlled wheels to reduce

the stopping distance and increase directional stability when braking. By keeping the wheels from skidding

while you slow down, anti-lock brakes benefit you in two ways:

1. You will stop faster, and

2. You will be able to steer while you stop.

Components of anti-lock brake system

There are four main components to an ABS

 Wheel speed sensors

 Pump

 Solenoid valve

 Controller
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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

 Reservoir

 Accumulator

 Pressure switch

Wheel speed Sensors:

The anti-lock braking system needs some way of knowing when a wheel is about to lock up. The speed

sensors, which are located at each wheel, or in some cases in the differential, provide this information. As

the tire rotates, moving teeth on the sensor rotor induce current in the sensor winding. These signals are fed

to the anti-lock brake system control module.

Pump

Since the valve is able to release pressure from the brakes, there has to be some way to put that pressure

back. That is what the pump does; when a valve reduces the pressure in a line, the pump is there to get the

pressure back up.

Controller

It watches the speed sensors and controls the valves. Using sensors and control modulators; it adjusts

braking effort at the controlled wheels by regulating the fluid pressure applied to each wheel brake assembly.

Pressure switch: It monitors system pressure and controls the operation of the motor-driven pump

Fluid reservoir: It holds an extra supply of brake fluid.

Solenoid valve block: It controls brake fluid flow to the wheel brakes

Accumulator: It is used for storing fluid under high pressure

ABS brake systems are either Integrated or Nonintegrated type:

Integrated ABS

 Combines the power booster, master cylinder, and modulator units into one assembly

 Most common on early systems

 Most expensive and difficult to repair

Nonintegrated ABS
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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

 Major units are separated

 Uses a conventional master cylinder & booster

 The electro-hydraulic modulator is a separate unit

 Most common on recent ABS systems

ABS Channels

ABS channels are separate hydraulic circuits that feed one or more wheel cylinders or calipers.

One-channel ABS:

 operates only the rear wheel brakes together

Two-channel ABS:

 two separate hydraulic circuits are controlled by the modulator

 rear wheel ABS with separate control for each wheel brake

Three-channel ABS:

 three separate hydraulic circuits are controlled by the modulator

 one channel for each front wheel brake

 one channel for both rear wheel brakes

Four-channel ABS:

 four separate hydraulic circuits are controlled by the modulator

 provides a separate hydraulic circuit for each wheel brake

Operation of ABS brake systems mode

1. Normal braking mode

 Master cylinder pressure flows normally to the brake assembly

 No pump or solenoid operation occurs

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2. Pressure reduction mode

 The ABS starts working to avoid a skid

 Solenoids close the inlet valve and open the outlet valve

 Pressure is released to the reservoir

 The caliper pressure is reduced, allowing that wheel to turn

3. Pressure increase mode

 The ABS increases caliper pressure to increase stopping action

 Solenoids open the inlet valve and close the outlet valve

 High-pressure fluid is sent to the back pressure chamber and the piston slides to increase pressure to

the brake caliper

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Adigrat university school of mechanical engineering department of vehicle engineering

4. ABS braking failure Mode

 The ABS control unit monitors the pressure in the high pressure passage

 When the pressure drops, the control unit turns on the ABS warning light

 The sleeve moves and hydraulically locks the back pressure chamber

 The master cylinder is connected to the caliper for normal braking

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