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[beechkid]

While there are advantanges to disc, the problm is that the oems never use components that can be compared on an equal level- apples to apples so to speak. Meaning when disc brakes were 1st available as an upgrade, when you compared the stopping capabilities, it was minimal difference. Why, clamping force, lining material, etc was all to blame- saved a few pennies by using cheaper materials, etc.

but let's look at drum brakes in general. Everything that the cool kids have claimed is new, improved, better is very old school- whether you look at cross drilling the rotors to types of brake material. Drum brakes were drilled in the old days to help cool and relive the gasses.dust/dirt built-up. It was not unusual and even a taught practice, that if the shoes/linings were not "slotted" (groved), you were to take a hacksaw and cut the linings within an 1/8" of the shoe a slot, preferred diaginal, to shift water/dust/etc towords the backing plate- this eliminated/reduced many issues such as brake fade due to water and in racing conditions, helped to clean the contact areas----- Hmm, yeah, crossdrilled & slotted rotors are "new"- grin.

What is happening is 50% of the industry is failing as a result of the penny pinching junk that has been brought to the market as an effort to make money. With regards to rotors, I have previously run Brembo OEM replacement rotors that are cryogenically treated at Diversified Cryogenics, making them almost as hard as stainless steel. Unfortunately, Brembo, Powerslot, Raybestos, Bendix, Hawk etc. are all purchasing their rotors from the same foundary in China (with the exception of the $300 each composite high end units for Ferrari, Porsche, etc). And the chinese drums sold by Wagner, Bendix, Raybestos, TRW/Autospecialities, etc, do not meet any DOT spec- and are DANGEROUS. i had a brand new set of Raybestos drums shatter with only 20 miles on them. Pics and phone messages were sent to Raybestos by myself and the machine shop but not even a return phone call- since 2005. it shows the level of concern. I highly recommend always cryogenically treating any aftermarket rotor or drum and have done such since.

With regards to brake linings, if you ask for the brake co-efficient, you will find 99% of the over the counter replacement linings are rated at around .25- This is criminal since the oems in the 60's spec'd a co-efficient of .30 or higher.

There are numerous manufactureres that produce excellent brake linings with co-efficients exceeding the original oem spec- used in racing throughout the 1970's & 80's in both drum and disc applications (VelvaTouch for example). Today 4-wheel drum is still used in the jalopy circle track racing and are excellent linings for todays drum applications.

A friend of mine who was an EVOC instructor didn't believe 4-wheel drum could stop as fast as his 1980's Camero (4-wheel oem disc). i knew just how cheap the GM oem system components were. We made tow side by side stops- 1 from 50 mph and 1 from 80 mph. Each time I stopped about 1 fender length shorter than him.

Good linings also do not promote brake lock-up and can easily be modulated to bring a car to a very safe stop. VelveTouch lining has been used for many decades and was the original lining used in all Shelby Mustangs in the 60’s (I personally have used the Velvetouch lining since 1960’s until brake lining production ceased in 1986), then switched to Carbo. Wellman has been the builder of braking linings for all of the Formula 1 race teams for more than 30 years and Hawk recently bought the VelvaTouch brake line from Wellman.