2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission Maybe Rear Drums are really better..

[Ol'TrailDog]

My two cents. There was no comparison between my 98 and my 02, and the 04 is even more impressive.



Never had a brake repair, replacement, adjustment, or the like with either. Definately prefer the disc. Use the e-brake a lot.

 

[Vaughn MacKenzie]

You guys should take in consideration too, that pre '98 trucks had a vaccum booster while the newer ones had hydroboost.

Actually the hydroboost started with the '97 model.



Between my '03 and my drum-brake '01 the parking brake held better on the '01. Vaughn

 

[McCRam]

Hydroboost? I Learn something on the tdr everyday. My 97 has a vacuum booster. If 97 did have hydroboost it should swap over easy, I'm going to put that on my list of bombs. My drums in my truck work just fine, as long as I adjust them all the time. They rust bad every time they get wet though. I have to watch it after I put the boat in the water. My rear end will swap ends on me pretty quick when they grab. I often tow 20K of livestock, it always seems that the front is doing all the stopping, and I keep my drums very tight. So when these drums wear out, I will put on some disks.

 

[Royk]

For someone's parking brake/disc combo to fail as described there would be something seriously wrong. Roy, have you tried getting it corrected under warranty?

Are the brakes considered part of the engine/drivetrain? Otherwise I am long out of warranty.



Roy

 

[Sojourner]

Are the brakes considered part of the engine/drivetrain? Otherwise I am long out of warranty.



Roy

I was thinking that maybe you were still within your 36/36 warranty, but still, has your parking brake always sucked? I have never noticed any inconsistencies with my parking brake (currently @54K miles on the truck). I'm also wondering what is wrong with yours in case I experience the same problem at some point, and how do you fix it in case it does happen.



I hope you're able to figure it how, 'cause from my experience it works great when it does work. Just a suggestion, but why don't you give Glen at www.egrbrakes.com a call and see if he has any ideas. HTH

 

[SOLER]

C-5 Galaxies, weighing up around the 750,000 pound mark, yes, 750,000 pounds, use disc brakes! The parking brake is a line lock, if I understand your use of the term. I apply the brakes, hold them, and lock them in place. Where do I get this for my truck.



I had a 2000 with drums, and an 01. 5 and my '04 with discs. Hands down, the discs are better. Loaded, unloaded, whatever. I had a near-death experience with drums pulling my 5er in my 2000. I don't worry as much now with the discs on my '04.



My parking brake works great. Granted, I can tell that it won't hold as well as a truck with drums. Drum brakes use the whole shoes for the park brake, whereas discs use a very small drum system inside the hub. Obviously it won't be as strong as a drum-equipped truck for the parking brake issue. This was a problem for many years, and a huge factor why we didn't see rear discs for so long. However, there are other options out there to modify what we have. Driveshaft locks, line-locks (though I haven't seen them for our trucks--educate me, please), etc.



I use my park brake everytime I park. Hopefully the constant use will ensure it's ready always.



SOLER

 

[Sojourner]

SOLER, here's some info on the Hurst Line-Loc

 

[Royk]

From the above-mentioned link...

"CAUTION: The Hurst Roll/Control of Line Loc should not be used as an emergency brake, or any application requiring the solenoid to be activated for a long period of time. "



I'd still like to have one for the boat ramp though.



Roy

 

[jimk]

I would not reccomend the line lock for long time but for setting on a ramp or a gate the truck will have to skid the wheels to move. Now this depends on how hard you set the brakes. That is what I remember about my truck. I have on my wench truck and it is a handy device. good luck Jim

 

[SOLER]

I don't plan on using this. I would want something that I could use instead of the parking brake. However, I don't need anything, since my p brake works fine.



SOLER

 

[Mick2500]

I too can't believe there are still folks out there that think drum brakes are better.



Drum Brakes:

This basic design proved capable under most circumstances, but it had one major flaw. Under high braking conditions, like descending a steep hill with a heavy load or repeated high-speed slow downs, drum brakes would often fade and lose effectiveness. Usually this fading was the result of too much heat build-up within the drum. Remember that the principle of braking involves turning kinetic energy (wheel movement) into thermal energy (heat). For this reason, drum brakes can only operate as long as they can absorb the heat generated by slowing a vehicle's wheels. Once the brake components themselves become saturated with heat, they lose the ability to halt a vehicle, which can be somewhat disconcerting to the vehicle's operator.



Disc Brakes:

Though disc brakes rely on the same basic principles to slow a vehicle (friction and heat), their design is far superior to that of drum brakes. Instead of housing the major components within a metal drum, disc brakes use a slim rotor and small caliper to halt wheel movement. Within the caliper are two brake pads, one on each side of the rotor, that clamp together when the brake pedal is pressed. Once again, fluid is used to transfer the movement of the brake pedal into the movement of the brake pads.



But unlike drum brakes, which allow heat to build up inside the drum during heavy braking, the rotor used in disc brakes is fully exposed to outside air. This exposure works to constantly cool the rotor, greatly reducing its tendency to overheat or cause fading. Not surprisingly, it was under racing circumstances that the weaknesses of drum brakes and the strengths of disc brakes were first illustrated. Racers with disc brake systems could carry their speed "deeper" into a corner and apply greater braking force at the last possible second without overheating the components. Eventually, as with so many other automotive advances, this technology filtered down to the cars driven by everyday people on public roads.



http://tinyurl.com/6r6kh



Mick