6 replies to this topic

[millermilla]

Hiya,

I need to replace the rear brake drums on my ERA and I was looking at replacing them with Mini fin type alloy drums. The prices vary from £55 for a pair to £120. All of them claim to be high quality. Can anyone recommend any?


Thanks

[Dan]

The cheapest ones, usually found at shows, are more or less certain to kill you or someone else at some point. Ally is of course completely the wrong material to make a brake drum from, so they have a steel band shrunk into them that the shoes bite against. Cheap ones have the band fitted poorly, often not even shrunk in, and so once you get some heat into them the band starts to slip. If it frees up completely and moves it will eat through the ally drum in seconds. I've even seen some that have no band at all. Buy genuine Super Mini Fins from a reputable supplier and if they seem too cheap, or massively cheaper than everyone else is selling them for, ask yourself why. Don't take chances with brakes.

[Deathrow]

This is making me consider cleaning up my steel drums and putting them back on.

I don't know the origins of my Minifins.

[Ethel]

Real Minifins say Minifin on them in big letters. That could be copied too, but it would be an out 'n out counterfeit, so hopefully no bona fide business would stock them.

[Tommyboy12]

Something wrong with the standard spaced steel drums? They are much cheaper and less likely to kill you.

[Tamworthbay]

Something wrong with the standard spaced steel drums? They are much cheaper and less likely to kill you.

Nothing at all wrong with them, but Minifins dissipate heat quicker so improve braking efficiency. Probably only makes a real difference with track/ spirited driving or if you are in the habit of carrying 3 x lard arse passengers!

[Tommyboy12]

They will dissipate heater quicker yeah but they absorb heat more easily, which lowers brake efficiency. Steel has a high specific heat capacity than alloy. So in the more likely event that you will only be braking extremely hard once or twice in a row steel still wins out. Plus the split of front to rear braking means they arent *that* heavily used anyway. So unless your trying to save a few kilos they really arent necessary.