Disc brakes

In my mind I can only think about this one way. It's like the difference between Cottenelle with aloe opposed to rest area paper. They both do the same thing except one is much more efficient. Through in a trailer and it's like a wet wipe.
Sorry, but I had to reduce this whole thing so I could wrap my head around it?

 

If you replace the whole axle It might be cheaper than retrofit. Keep your Diff's. Not sure of cost. Maybe I do that in a couple years with the tractor.
My upgrade to a newer trailer that has disc and tire inflation. I won't go back.
I've read the disc will operate better as it heats up, because the rotor expands to create more pressure against the pads. Heat dissipates quicker than drum from the internal vents.

 

No we're higher class Petro lol

 

Ive used disc brakes on the older cars despite the cost of retrofit. They have more than paid for themselves when you consider the top end work Ive done with them and it became necessary to come down from say 130 to 40 or less to make a sharp curve that is coming up pretty fast.

In a big truck ABS as of 2001 has saved us time and time again by allowing us to manuver instead of having to lock up the wheels and aim the whole thing hopefully where the car aint. Ive had more than my share of so called emergency braking and think that if you had a full set of disc brakes on a big truck you can really slow that big pig in a bigger hurry and in less space than ever before. That to me should be worth saving lives.

However my focus is on mountain work for those with disc brakes but no jake. You should always have a jacobs on that truck when you cross mountains. Not everyone knows how to do it properly.

I have one more question left after careful thought.

A drum brake transfers heat to the pads and also the drum itself. Then you have the airflow to cool them over time. A set of disc brake assembly looks like it is totally capable of soaking up a huge amount of that heat and then transfer it to the axles and there travel to the gearbox etc. to cook the oils etc potentially. Does that make sense? I wonder if that was ever a issue with those of you with discs. Remember that in my time you had a bunch of gauges on that dash and could know right away if the gearbox oil inside the first or second drive axles are getting hot along with the other oils in the transmission and engine. Today's computer truck all you have is a code light if something goes wrong. And that to me is a shame.

 

You'd think they'd be lighter but I've heard they actually are not. Otherwise they perform much better and last much longer. No real downside other than initial cost.

 

That's hilarious ( although, nothing funny about rest area TP) I don't believe heat buildup is an issue with disc brakes, fact is, the opposite would be true. Being out in the open, and each pad has it's own friction surface, unlike drums, where both shoes grind on the same surface, heat is dissipated a lot faster than inside a drum. IDK, I never heard of gear oil getting hotter because of braking.

 

Ok, Ty. Figures anyhow worth a thought. I loved the rest area analogy as well, that has to be some of the worst quality paper lol. ugh. Anyway.. You know that aircraft when they come in they have these huge assemblies for braking and I think the tires contain nitrogen only I could be wrong. Coming down from 150 mph at 150 ton to zero is quite some work, you should see the heat coming off them.

I also realized that you could have a stator put on and regenerate power for say the Nickolas One type tractor as you brake. feed your power packs on the way down. It would be a form of jake braking using the motors inside the wheels to provide resistance.

I pretty much have run out of exploring disc brakes. I hope that everyone spends some money putting them into the trucks. I suppose as a practical matter adjustments and stroke lengths could go bye bye? What a thought, build a truck with nothing to inspect, DOT goes bye bye too.

 

My equipment has disc all the way around (company driver with permamently assigned tractor and trailer) and I think they are the greatest thing since Betty White! I feel they give greater control over smooth stops in traffic for that one idiot havkwagon that just HAS to be in front of the big truck at the stop light.

 

Been driving all discs for over 3 years over Donner and the sisters
all the 20 mph moguls in Pa the only issue is when I get an old trailer and forget it has drums
you were that guy that hated ABS and power steering too?