31st Oct 2017, 18:52
I'm not giving you a crash course on car maintenance.
Just try driving a few winters in the rust belt with examples of both types, and see what you find.
31st Oct 2017, 21:31
I heard that too, as doing them for many years by some older mechanics is repetitive and familiar.
1st Nov 2017, 16:09
OK, so now you add qualifiers: rust belt cars only. And for mechanics who are only used to the old familiar drum brakes, not those new-fangled disc thingies.
Still waiting for an explanation. Does not require any "crash course" in anything. Just explain how it is easier to replace a brake shoe with all those springs and self-adjuster hardware attached to it, inside a drum, vs. a brake pad which doesn't, and is external.
2nd Nov 2017, 13:01
This is my first comment on this thread. I have to agree. I have driven small, basic cars which had front discs and rear drums. I always thought drums were cheaper, and that this was the reason for the setup. That comment about drums being a lot easier to service caught my attention, and I was genuinely curious to know more.
3rd Nov 2017, 13:42
There is not any "more" to know.
As far as the "rust belt" reference: try prying off a drum that is firmly rusted onto the hub in order to replace the brake shoes.
Then tell me drum brakes are easier to maintain!
6th Nov 2017, 05:57
Or very simply drop off your car on the morning. Then sit at your desk, have a coffee and relax. Doesn’t get any easier with new brakes replaced. Pick it up and stop for a happy hour on the way home. Staying within the legal limits and benefiting from letting the rush hour traffic die down. Life is good.
30th Oct 2017, 21:38
Please keep us updated - I'm in New Zealand, we also have the Cruze as a 1.4T. Re: your comment on the push button for the luggage space within the car, perhaps this is linked to the central locking system - no need for an internal release button. With many cars that have electric luggage locks, if the main doors are unlocked, the button outside can be used if the engine is off, or it will disable it if the doors are unlocked but the engine is running. So, in theory, if (like in many countries) you drive with the doors unlocked, while in traffic, vagrants cannot open your luggage space and steal luggage and run. But if you park and turn the engine off, a passenger you are letting off (say at the airport) can go to the back of the car and open the luggage compartment.