Brake History

Typically drum brakes and disc brakes were developed within the same time, drums undeniably controlled the automobile braking in the first 50 years of the 20th century. The modern drum brake was invented in 1902 by Louis Renault, notwithstanding a less advanced pattern had been used by Maybach one year before.

The first drum systems employed levers, rods or cables to operate the drums and it wasn’t until the 1930′s that hydraulics launched way into the designs. Even so, drum brakes’ shoes were greatly affected by wear and thus needful constant adjustment. That was up to the point 1950s, when the self adjusting drum brakes surfaced.

The adoption of the disc brake came in the early 1950′s and it was present-day bankrupt Chrysler that first incorporated the technology. The Americans had some issues with the first designs, which allowed the English to obtain the first modern disc brakes, fitted on the Jaguar C-Type racing car.

Nevertheless another most significant step in brake evolution was the creation of the anti-lock brakes, which prevented the loss of control when braking forcefully. The Brits witnessed the creation, they saw implementation on Ford’s series models in 1969.