Brake Drum Refinishing

If a brake drum is deeply scored or warped, it can be machined on a brake lathe equipped to machine brake drums. Follow the manufacturers' instructions on the machining procedure.

Measure the brake drum diameter before machining. If machining the drum will cause the drum to exceed maximum diameter, do not machine the brake drum. It needs to be replaced.





All brake drums are marked with the maximum allowable brake drum diameter.

When machining, make sure the final finish feed cut is fine in order to avoid a screw effect on the brake shoes when the brakes are applied. This final feed cut specification varies from lathe manufacturer to lathe manufacturer.