Technical How Hot do Drum Brakes get?

I’ve finally gotten all the old paint off my old cars drum brakes & was going to use a black caliper paint which is said to be good to 900 degrees F. However I’ve no idea what temp the drums run within?



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They will be fine. How hot they get is entirely dependent on what brakes they are, what and how heavy the car is and if your driving in the mountains, towing, heavy use stuff. I have been using black engine paint for years on mine with no issues.

if your brakes are in good working order the caliper paint will be fine.

 

We always painted them with rustoleum or whatever rattle can was available. Caliper paint should work fine.

 

as long as you have them off put a mic to them - if plenty of surface material have them machined for a good braking surface

 

I use regular old spray bomb black Krylon and it hasn't burned off.

 

If there is nothing wrong with the friction surface it’s foolish to remove material for no reason.

Regular spray paint works just fine


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Regular spray paint. If you burn off the paint, fix the brakes. (or release the park brake)

 

I've been using Rust-Oleum High Heat BBQ Black 'satin' spray bomb paint(1200°)
It actually makes for a cheap temp indicator as well.
Spray it on let it dry, it's a matte finish.
Get some heat into them, has a satin look.
Get more heat into them, semi-ish-gloss.
Cook the brakes, glossy looking.
Time to check the linings and dump out the excess material.

I've used regular flat black spray, it doesn't seem to cover as well and lets the rust to 'bleed' through if the car sits as well as turn chalky looking.

 

In answer to your question " How hot do drum brakes get? ". When we were racing at the old Saugus, CA half mile back in the late '60s, the track management had spotters between turns 1-2 and 3-4 looking for anyone whose brakes were on fire. Saugus was built like two drag strips tied together with real short turns. It didn't help that the turns were flat and in some places they were banked to the outside. Speeds of 130 on the straights coming down to 45-50 in the turns played hell with the brakes. As I recall, no one bothered with painting the drums.

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I've seen semi trailer drums cherry red........but you won't be trying to hold 80,000 lbs down a 6% grade, so you'll never get them that hot!

 

I would bead blast them and spray the outside with epoxy then prime and sand them till smooth. Then four coats of basecoat and four coats of clear. Then color sand with 1500 grit wet and buff them. Lippy

 

Metal flake too?
-Dave

 

Lace

 

Seem 'em glow.
Of course by then you got bigger problems...

 

I used caliper paint on mine. Seems to be holding up fine.



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Nah, that just means they are working properly.

 

It's possible to get them so hot they fade out and stop working but if it happens in normal street or hiway driving it means you are a rotten driver. Any kind of paint is fine but it's best not to put it on too thick.

 

You think just like the Street Rodders in my area.

 

I was kidding. They probably wouldn't be.

 

Sounds like the perfect excuse to order yourself one of them hand-held non-contact thermometers. I mean, you obviously don't have one yet or you'd already know how hot your brake drums get.

 

I have used the POR brand of caliper paint in gloss black and it has held up well. I have no idea if this works but I have heard about guys rubbing headers with automatic transmission fluid. Supposedly after a couple heat cycles it turns a flat black, doesn’t rust and is very durable. If it works on headers it should work on brake drums. Anyone else heard of this?