Having a set of good brakes is a crucial safety feature of any vehicle. It is thus important to check your brakes at regular intervals and opt for brake shoe replacements if they seem to be worn out.

1. How to do brake shoes replacement for Car, Truck, Suv
Brakes are among the most important safety tools for any vehicle.
Most people only look into how fast a vehicle can go, but it is
equally important to consider how quickly and effectively a
vehicle can be brought to a complete stop. A good set of brakes
on a vehicle can draw a line between life and death in dire cases.
This is why it is important to keep a look out for the wearing of
your brakes and invest in good spares when opting for a brake
shoes replacement at timely intervals. Here is a guide to help you
understand the importance of choosing the right kinds of brake
shoes to suit your vehicle and ensure that the vehicle has optimal
stopping power at all times.
Drum vs. Disc
Disc brakes and drum brakes are the two most commonly used
braking systems in modern vehicles. A disc brake has two disc
pads on either sides of a brake rotor. When the brakes are
applied, a caliper action forces these discs to squeeze against the
rotor, which in turn slows down the wheel, eventually stopping it.
These are usually found in the front wheels of modern vehicles.
The drum brakes, however, have a set of brake shoes that are set
up on the inside of a brake rotor. When brakes are applied, these
brake shoes expand and push against the wall of the rotor in
order to bring the vehicle to a complete halt. Drums are part of an
older technology and are traditionally used in the rear wheels
vehicles. In both cases, the braking mechanisms use friction to stop
the vehicle. Thus, brake shoes replacement should be done on a
regular basis as the brake shoes wear down, or at regular intervals
as recommended by the manufacturer. This is in order to ensure
that your vehicle has optimal braking power at all times.
Disc brakes are considered to be safer and more efficient than
their drum counter parts because discs can dissipate heat much
more efficiently when compared to drum brakes. Discs are also
generally more consistent in their operation. These properties
make discs one of the most desired braking systems for vehicle

2. manufacturers. However, disc brakes are costlier than drum
brakes, owing to their complexity in manufacture, thus vehicle
manufacturers still rely on drum brakes to do 50% of the braking
in most vehicles.
Types of brake shoes
Car brake shoes are of four types, and the classification is based
purely on their compositional materials. They are-
• Semi Metallic Brake shoes: Like the name suggests, these
types of brake shoes are made of a combination of metallic
and organic materials in the ratio of 30:70. These are highly
durable, and are among the most commonly used brake
shoes. However, they do wear out the rotors faster than their
counterparts under extreme braking conditions since the
material does not dissipate heat efficiently.
• Non Asbestos Organic brake pads: Commonly known as
NAO, these brake shoes are made of organic materials like
glass, rubber, fiber or even Kevlar. They are quite soft and do
not make as much noise as the metallic brake shoes.
However, they do wear out quickly even under nominal
conditions and tend to create a lot of brake dust.
• Low Metallic NAO: These are Organic brake shoes that are
infused with trace amounts of metal such as copper or steel
in order to improve braking efficiency and heat dissipation.
However, the addition of metal also increases the
generation of brake dust and noise when braking.
• Ceramic Brake shoes: Ceramic brake shoes are high end
products that are made of ceramic fibers infused in filler
materials. These are extremely quiet and produce virtually
no dust when compared to the metallic and NAO type brake
shoes. They do not wear out the rotors as fast as others do.
However, they are quite expensive and are used primarily
on higher end vehicles.
Choosing the type of brake shoes depends entirely on the type of
vehicle you drive and what you can afford. Generally, smaller or

3. slower road cars can use semi metallic brake shoes with no
adverse consequences. However, if you need to replace brake
shoes of bigger vehicles such as trucks and SUVs, or faster cars, you
might have to invest in more expensive low metallic brake shoes
or ceramic brake shoes.
How to choose the right brake shoes
One of the first things to consider when choosing brake shoes is
your driving requirements and the type of vehicle you drive. This
includes the most common types of terrain you will be driving on,
the ambient temperature of where you live, how much traffic you
encounter on a regular basis and the quality of the roads.
Next, you will have to think about the type of brake shoes you will
buy. For regular city traffic a semi metallic brake shoes should do
just fine. However, if you find the need for better/ stronger braking
capabilities you will have to invest in ceramic type brake shoes. If
you are unsure of the kind of brake shoes your vehicle needs, you
can look into the manufacturer’s specification to find an
appropriate set of brake shoes.
Once you have decided on the type of brake shoes replacement
you need. You will then have to choose from the numerous
brands that are available in the markets. This can be a harrowing
process, considering the number of options you have at your
disposal. This is why it is necessary to do optimal research before
buying brake shoes. In most cases, it is recommended that your
replace the existing brake shoes with the same make and model
that the car manufacturer had installed. If you know a trusted
mechanic, you can take his help in determining the right brake
shoes for your vehicle. With a professional by your side, you will be
able to find and install the right kind of brake shoes to suit your
driving style and vehicle.
Source:http://www.sooperarticles.com/automotive-
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