Final balanced brake drum having integral squealer band and method for producing same

A method for producing a final balanced brake drum comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a brake drum including a generally cylindrical body provided with an integral raised squealer band, the squealer band having an outwardly facing surface initially machined to a predetermined diameter around its entire circumference, the brake drum having the initially machined squealer band incorporating an unacceptable imbalance;
• (b) positioning the brake drum on a balancer;
• (c) determining the location and amount of the imbalance relative to a predetermined fixed reference point on the brake drum;
• (d) providing a reference mark on the brake drum at the predetermined reference point;
• (e) transferring the brake drum to a cutting machine which includes a reference mark;
• (f) positioning the brake drum on the cutting machine such that the reference mark on the brake drum is aligned with the reference mark on the cutting machine;
• (g) measuring the outer diameter of the squealer band near the location of the imbalance;
• (h) determining as a function of the outer diameter of the squealer band, first balancing specifications consisting of the location, length, and depth of a first substantially constant depth cut along the squealer band and second balancing specifications consisting of the location, length, and depth of a second substantially constant depth cut along the squealer which are necessary to correct the imbalance;
• and
• (i) operating the cutting machine to make the first and second constant depth cuts along the squealer band in accordance with the balancing specifications determined in step (h) to thereby produce a final balanced brake drum.

A method for producing a final balanced drum comprising the steps of:

• (a) providing a brake drum including a generally cylindrical body provided with an integral raised squealer band, the squealer band having an outwardly facing surface initially machine to a predetermined diameter around its entire circumference with spaced apart perimeter edges defining the outwardly facing surface, the brake drum having the initially machined squealer band incorporating an unacceptable imbalance;
• (b) determining balancing specifications consisting of the location, length, and depth of a circumferentially extending substantially constant depth cut which extends along a predetermined length of the squealer band and which is necessary to correct the imbalance;
• (c) positioning the brake drum on a cutting machine;
• (d) operating the cutting machine to make the constant depth cut along the squealer band between the spaced apart perimeter edges in accordance with the balancing specifications determined in step (b) to thereby produce a final balanced brake drum.