Drum brakes and brake shoes: how they work and when to replace them

Many small and compact cars still have a drum brake on the rear axle, and even new electric cars such as the Volkswagen ID.3 use them. This article explains how a drum brake works, what brake shoes and a wheel cylinder are, when they need replacing, how you recognise problems and what the inspector checks at the APK (MOT), the compulsory Dutch vehicle inspection.

By the team at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug, RDW-approved APK (MOT) test station since 1979 · Updated 6 November 2026

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The short answer

A drum brake works by pressing two brake shoes outwards against the inside of a rotating drum. A wheel cylinder pushes the shoes out, springs pull them back and the handbrake usually works on the same shoes. Drum brakes are found mainly on the rear axle of small and compact cars and on some electric cars. The German motoring organisation ADAC advises replacing brake shoes when about 1 mm of lining is left. Brake shoes are replaced per axle, left and right together, and according to Brembo new drums get new shoes. At Autobedrijf Willemsbrug in Rotterdam we measure first, replace only what is worn and tell you one price in advance based on your registration number.

Brake service at Autobedrijf Willemsbrug: brake pads, discs, fluid, calipers, hoses and the handbrake or electric parking brake, for all makes, including hybrid and electric cars, vans and motorhomes up to 3,500 kg. We first measure what is worn, replace only that and show you the old parts. We tell you the price in advance based on your registration number, and we only do extra work with your approval. Call +31 10 479 00 00 or drop by. You bring the car and we call you when it is ready. A loan bike is free while one is available. Saturdays too. Our team speaks English. More about our brake service

How does a drum brake work?

A drum brake works from the inside. On the wheel sits a hollow cast-iron drum that turns with the wheel. Inside that drum are two curved brake shoes with a layer of friction material, the brake lining. When you press the brake pedal, the brake fluid pushes the two small pistons of the wheel cylinder outwards. They press the brake shoes against the inside of the drum and the friction slows the wheel. When you release the pedal, springs pull the shoes back.

  • Brake drum: the rotating cast-iron bowl that the shoes press against. It encloses the brake, so dirt and water find it hard to get in.
  • Brake shoes: two curved steel plates with brake lining that wears a little at every stop.
  • Wheel cylinder: a small hydraulic cylinder with two pistons and rubber dust boots. If it leaks, brake fluid gets onto the shoes.
  • Return and hold-down springs: pull the shoes back and keep them in place.
  • Adjuster: takes up the gap as the lining wears, usually automatically.
  • Handbrake lever: the handbrake cable pulls a lever inside the drum, which presses the same shoes against the drum mechanically.

That last point is an advantage of the drum brake: the parking brake is built in without extra parts. A rear disc brake needs a separate arrangement for it, often a small drum inside the brake disc or an electric motor on the caliper.

Which cars still have drum brakes?

Today drum brakes are found almost only on the rear axle, mainly on small and compact cars and on light vans. Modern cars have a disc brake at the front, because the front brakes do most of the work and have to shed more heat. At the rear the braking force is smaller. There a drum brake is sufficient, is cheaper to make and already contains the handbrake.

Interestingly, the drum brake is making a comeback on electric cars. According to Volkswagen, the ID.3 has brakes with a closed, drum-shaped design that protects against cold and wet and releases less brake dust. An electric car brakes mainly on the electric motor, so the rear wheel brakes are used little. An open disc brake then rusts quickly, a closed drum does not. According to Volkswagen, a mechanic therefore only needs to check the brake pads of the ID.3 every two years instead of every year. Read more in our article on the brakes of an electric car.

Drum brakes vs disc brakes: what is the difference?

The biggest difference is in cooling and in cost. A disc brake sits in the open airflow and sheds heat quickly. A drum brake is closed and holds heat longer, but it also keeps dirt, water and road salt out. As a result a rear drum brake wears slowly and the lining often lasts longer than the front brake pads.

Drum brake Disc brake
Where Rear axle of small and compact cars, light vans, some electric cars Front axle of almost all cars, rear axle of mid-size and larger cars
Brakes with Brake shoes pressing outwards against a drum Brake pads pressing from the outside onto a disc
Cooling Closed, heat stays in longer Open, cools quickly
Dirt, water and salt Mostly kept out Land on the disc, rust after standing still
Handbrake Built in, on the same shoes Separate arrangement needed
Lining wear limit About 1 mm (ADAC) About 2 to 3 mm (ADAC)
Checking Drum has to come off, lining not visible from outside Pads and disc often visible through the wheel

Source: ADAC, Bremsbeläge und Bremsscheiben (7 March 2025), consulted 6 November 2026.

How brake pads and discs work, when they need replacing and what the ANWB (the Dutch motoring organisation) gives as a market price indication is explained in our article on replacing brake pads and discs.

When do brake shoes need replacing?

Brake shoes are replaced when the lining has worn down to about 1 mm. That is the advice of the German ADAC, which uses 2 to 3 mm of remaining lining for disc brakes. Because the lining sits inside a closed drum, you cannot see its thickness from the outside. The mechanic takes the drum off and measures the lining. We check the brakes at every service and APK, and we take the drum off when there is reason to.

The drum itself wears too. A ridge or a worn groove forms on the inside. A drum has a maximum inside diameter specified by the manufacturer. If that is exceeded, the drum has to be replaced. Brembo states in its fitting instructions for drum brakes that the brake shoes must be replaced whenever the drums are replaced, and that drum brakes are replaced for the whole axle. That means left and right together, otherwise the car brakes unevenly.

  • Lining below about 1 mm: replace the brake shoes (ADAC).
  • Lining contaminated with brake fluid or grease: replace the brake shoes, even if they are still thick, and fix the cause of the leak.
  • Drum above the maximum diameter or with deep grooves: replace drum and brake shoes together (Brembo).
  • Springs or adjuster damaged or rusted solid: replace. Brembo specifies that all parts of the drum brake are checked before reuse and replaced when in doubt.
  • Wheel cylinder leaking: replace the cylinder and bleed the brake system.

That is why many manufacturers supply a complete brake shoe kit with the shoes, the wheel cylinders, the adjuster, the springs and the hold-down pins. Whether a complete kit or only the shoes are needed depends on what we find inside the drum. We tell you in advance.

How do you recognise a problem with a drum brake?

You often notice a worn or faulty drum brake first through the handbrake. Because the handbrake works on the same brake shoes, the travel of the handbrake lever gets longer as the lining wears or the adjuster seizes. These are the signs:

  • The handbrake has to be pulled up further and further or no longer holds the car on a slope.
  • A grinding noise at the rear when braking: the lining is gone or a loose part is inside the drum.
  • Squealing at the rear, especially when reversing or under light pedal pressure: often dirt or brake dust inside the drum.
  • A wet patch on the inside of a rear wheel or a dropping brake fluid level: the wheel cylinder is leaking.
  • The car pulls to one side or a rear wheel gets hot: a shoe is dragging because a spring, the cylinder or the adjuster is seized.
  • A soft or deep brake pedal: air in the system or a leaking wheel cylinder.
What you notice Can you keep driving?
Grinding noise, pedal sinks away, car pulls to one side, burning smell or hot rear wheel, wet patch at the wheel No. Do not drive on, call us.
Light squeal in wet weather or after standing still, handbrake travel slightly longer Yes. You can drive and have the drum brakes checked at the next opportunity.

Decision rule of our workshop. Not sure? Call us and we will schedule a short brake check. If nothing needs doing, we tell you that too.

If the handbrake is stuck after a long period standing still or no longer works, read our article on handbrake and parking brake problems. If the brakes squeal, you will find the causes in the article on squealing brakes.

What does the APK check on drum brakes?

At the APK the inspector measures the braking force on the brake tester and checks the drum brake from the outside, without taking it apart. The APK manual of the RDW, the Dutch vehicle authority (article 5.2.31 of the Dutch vehicle regulations), requires that a wheel with a drum brake can turn in both directions with the brake released, without the lining dragging. On a disc brake the lining may drag lightly, on a drum brake it may not. The dust boots of the wheel cylinders must be present and may not be seriously damaged, and there may be no leaks. If the inspector hears metal on metal when turning the wheel, the car fails.

The parking brake is measured separately. A passenger car first registered after 31 December 2017 must reach a deceleration of at least 1.6 m/s² with the parking brake, and the brake must also work in reverse. For cars first registered between 1 July 1967 and 1 January 2018, 1.2 m/s² applies. The parking brake must work on at least two wheels. For the service brake, cars registered after 2011 must reach a deceleration of at least 5.8 m/s², with no more than 30 percent difference between left and right on one axle. A drum brake that drags on one side or does not brake properly does not meet that requirement. A handbrake cable with a broken inner cable is a fail, even if only one strand is broken.

The inspector does not measure the lining thickness and does not take the drum off. A drum brake with almost worn-out shoes can therefore pass the APK as long as the braking force is correct. That is why we check the brakes at every service and measure the lining when there is reason to. If your car has failed on the brakes, read what we do after an APK failure on the brakes.

How we replace brake shoes in Rotterdam

We take the drum off, measure the lining and the drum and replace only what is worn. We show you the old parts. This is how it goes in our workshop:

  1. The mechanic removes the wheel and the drum and measures the lining of the brake shoes and the inside diameter of the drum.
  2. He checks the wheel cylinder for leaks, and the springs, the adjuster and the handbrake lever for rust and free movement.
  3. We tell you in advance what needs replacing and what it costs, based on your registration number. We only work with your approval.
  4. We fit new brake shoes per axle, left and right together. A new drum gets new shoes.
  5. If the wheel cylinder has been replaced, we bleed the brake system. The mechanic then adjusts the shoes and the handbrake according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
  6. Finally we test on the brake tester, including the parking brake, and take a short test drive.

We use good-quality parts that are suitable for your car, for all makes, including hybrid and electric. We check the brakes at every service and APK. Everything about our brake service, and what is included in the price, is on the page brake replacement in Rotterdam.

Frequently asked questions

Are drum brakes worse than disc brakes?

No, not in the place where they are fitted. On the rear axle the braking force is smaller and a drum brake is sufficient. It is closed, so dirt and salt stay out, and the handbrake is built in. At the front, where most of the braking force and heat are generated, a disc brake is better.

How long do brake shoes last?

Usually much longer than the front brake pads, because the rear brakes do less work and the drum keeps dirt out. There is no fixed number of kilometres. The ADAC gives about 40,000 to 120,000 km for a modern braking system. We check the brakes at every service and measure the lining when there is reason to, so you know where you stand.

Can I see for myself whether my brake shoes are worn?

No, not without taking the brake apart. The lining sits inside a closed drum. What you do notice: a handbrake that has to be pulled up further and further, a grinding noise at the rear or a wet patch at a rear wheel. Then have the drum opened and the lining measured.

Do brake shoes have to be replaced per axle?

Yes. Brake shoes are replaced left and right together, otherwise the car brakes unevenly. Brembo specifies that drum brakes are replaced for the whole axle. At the APK the difference in braking force between left and right on one axle may not be more than 30 percent.

Why does my handbrake travel keep getting longer?

Because the handbrake works on the same brake shoes as the foot brake. If the lining wears or the adjuster seizes, the lever has to come up further. Sometimes the handbrake cable has stretched or rusted solid. We find the cause and adjust the brake or replace what is worn.

What happens if the wheel cylinder leaks?

Then brake fluid gets onto the brake lining and the level in the reservoir drops. The lining then brakes poorly and the pedal can go soft. The cylinder has to be replaced, the contaminated brake shoes too, and the brake system is bled. Do not drive on with a leaking wheel cylinder.

Do electric cars have drum brakes?

Yes, some do. According to Volkswagen, the ID.3 has brakes with a closed, drum-shaped design that protects against cold and wet and gives off less brake dust. That suits an electric car, which brakes mainly on the electric motor and uses the rear wheel brakes little.

Drum brakes checked?

Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number. We measure the lining and the drum, replace only what is worn and tell you one price in advance.

You will find us at Boterdiep 11 in Rotterdam-IJsselmonde, close to Stadion Feijenoord (De Kuip). We work by appointment. For a quick question or check you can walk in without an appointment.

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