Honda says that they use sealed drums because the mud and sand will grind down a rotor too quickly. All the others say you get better stopping power from the discs.

Which ATV to buy - the one with discs or drums or combo? Does it even really matter?

 

You know, I see alot of hype and bad mouthing Honda for their continued use of drum brakes.

What is the pupose of brakes? I assume that they are to stop the vehicle. Honda's "low tech" drum brakes work just fine. I have had 6 of their machines over the years and never had any problems with their brakes.

I also have a 95 warrior that has got to be on it's third set of pads. (disks)

I wouldn't base your purchaseing decision on drum drakes. To me it just doesn't matter.

 

All the manufacturers swear by disc brakes. Even the automotive. Could it be that disc brakes are cheaper to manufacturer? Disc, drums, they all stop your vehicle. The problem with the drums on your quad is, if you get mud and water inside the drum, you loose braking power. The so called sealed drums only seal in the water so now you have to service them to get the water out. If you live in a cold weather area such as, Michigan, you will have to get the water out before parking the quad on the trailer for the trip home or you will face a the problem of having broken brake parts, wrecked gears, etc. because the water is going to freeze and now you can't move the wheels. Some manufacturers install drain plugs in each drum, in a location to allow the owner to drain most of the water out. I guess the important thing is, if you live in cold weather areas, don't go in the water or do it at risk, if you have drum brakes, of course... Honda's do have this problem also... The person above here, is lucky... Better stay in Utah, where it's warm. :0)
Chuck

 

No matter which type you choose, be sure to perform periodic maintenance. Drum brakes include a rubber seal that should be checked and replaced every so often. Others require periodic application of water-proof grease in order to work properly. These seals are often so likely to leak that Greg Hall (Tech Connection) even recommends that you remove the drain plugs on the back of the hub assembly so that trapped water can drain out.
I have always made it a point to maintain the hubs and have never had water to leak into them.

 

DISK. no mo questions

 

I have had three quads with drum brakes and the ones I had after you mud ride all day it would use about half the shoe up. No matter who says what disk brakes are the best all around,they last longer, stop better and easier to change. If drum brakes were better how come they started out with a single seal, then twin seal,then finally triple seal tying to keep the mud and water out?? No matter how many seals they put on them,they can't keep the mud and water out.

 

Not wanting to start an arguement here guys, just wanting to be enlightened. How do disk brake pads on an ATV last longer than drum brake shoes? It would seem the open exposure to mud and grit would cause more severe wear. Is it the semi-metallic makeup of the pads?

 

I know from experience on my quads pads just seem to last longer.It seems that open pads would wear out faster than shoes,but I guess after you get thru the mud and water with disk its gone,on drums I quess after mud and water get in it can't get out to fast so you take it with you for awhile.I have found out that EBC grooved shoes seem to last a lot longer.The grooves give somewhere for the mud to get out of the way I guess.

 

Then maybe Greg Hall is right, it is the dirt and water that get trapped inside the drum that wears out shoes so quickly. Being in a more open environment where water can wash and drain away, disk brake pads are more likely to clean themselves.

 

I haven't tried removing the drain plug,I'll bet it would last longer if the muddy water could get out faster.