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Spec sample · Sell sheet

A brake drum sell sheet, front and back.

Written for Steadline, a fictional heavy-duty brake drum maker. The front sells the fleet buyer on a drum with its runout and balance printed on the box. The back gives counter help the fit checks and replacement limits they need every day.

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Side 1 · Front

SL-1657 · 16.5 x 7 · Outboard · Drive and trailer

SL-1657 balanced cast brake drum

Shake after the brake job? Rule out the drum at the counter.

Every Steadline drum is machined round, balanced and measured before it ships. Its runout and balance readings are printed on the box label, where you can read them before you buy.

You've seen this one.

Six new drums go on. The truck that stopped straight as an arrow before the brake job now shakes at highway speed, and it comes right back to the bay.

Maybe the hub pilots are worn. Maybe the drum was out of round or out of balance before it ever left the box, and nobody can see that on a shelf. So the mechanic pulls the wheels a second time to find out which one it was.

Steadline takes the drum off the suspect list.

  1. Round to the hub.

    We machine the braking surface and the pilot in a single setup, so the braking surface runs true to the pilot that centers the drum on the hub. Every drum then goes on a gauge, and none ships with more than 0.010 inch of runout.

  2. Balanced by cutting, not welding.

    We balance every drum by machining metal away, never by welding weights on, so there is nothing to work loose down the road. Drive and trailer drums are balanced to 20 inch-ounces max, and the label shows the actual reading.

  3. Proof on the box.

    Each box label also carries the inspector's number, the date and a serial number. The same serial is stamped on the drum, so you can match the two in the bay before installation.

Sample box label. The readings change with every drum.
STEADLINE · SL-1657 · 16.5 x 7 MAX DIA 16.620 Ø 8.78 PILOT 11.25 BC
SL-1657 mounting face: 8.78 in. pilot, 11.25 in. bolt circle.

Ask for Steadline SL-1657 by part number, and check the label before it leaves the counter.

Fit checks and replacement limits are on the back.

Spec sample by Riggs Copywriting, riggscopywriting.com. Steadline is a fictional brand. Part numbers, specifications, the box label and product claims are illustrative.

Side 2 · Back

Counter guide · SL-1657 · 16.5 x 7

The right drum, the first time.

Replace drums in pairs on the same axle. Run these four checks on every pair.

Before it goes out the door

  1. Read the old drum.

    The maker's name and part number are usually cast into the drum. Cross that number to the matching Steadline part before you pull a pair.

  2. Can't read it? Measure it.

    Measure the pilot diameter, bolt circle, bolt hole size, number of holes, overall depth, and the diameter and width of the braking surface.

  3. Outboard or inboard?

    An outboard drum comes off without pulling the hub. An inboard drum mounts on the inboard side of the hub flange. Match the type coming off.

  4. Weigh old against new.

    The replacement should weigh about the same as the drum coming off. If the weights aren't close, stop and recheck the part number.

Before it goes on

Clean rust and debris off the hub pilot and the drum pilot before installation. The pilots center the drum on the hub, not the studs.

SL-1657 at a glance
Brake size16.5 x 7 in.
PositionDrive and trailer axles
MountingOutboard
Pilot diameter8.78 in.
Bolt circle11.25 in.
Bolt holes10 at 1.07 in.
Overall depth10.50 in.
Wheel systemsHub-piloted, or stud-piloted duals
Weight110 lb
Balance20 in-oz max, by machining
Runout0.010 in. max, measured
Maximum diameter16.620 in., cast on the drum
Axle rating23,000 lb GAWR, standard duty

Also made in steer sizes: 15 x 4, 16.5 x 5 and 16.5 x 6.

Six signs the old drum is done

  • Wear has reached the maximum diameter cast on it. Go by that number: 16.620 inches on the SL-1657.
  • An outside crack opens when the brakes go on, a crack runs through the wall or a bolt hole, or a piece is missing.
  • Heat checks run longer than 3 inches, or open wider or deeper than 0.060 inch. Short, fine heat checks are normal.
  • Black, hard spots show on the braking surface. They make the drum more likely to crack.
  • Runout is over 0.020 inch on a dial indicator, measured on the truck, even after re-indexing the drum.
  • The drum has been dropped, even once. Scrap it.

Cross the old part number to Steadline SL-1657, and show the customer the label.

Sell them in pairs.

Spec sample by Riggs Copywriting, riggscopywriting.com. Steadline is a fictional brand. Part numbers, specs, the box label and product claims are illustrative. Fit checks and limits follow published drum service literature and 49 CFR Part 396, Appendix A, checked October 13, 2026.

How this sheet was built

A sell sheet works twice: once when the buyer reads the front, and again every time counter help flips it over. Each side was written for one of those readers.

Their words first

I collected 130 verbatim quotes from diesel techs, drivers, owner-operators, fleet managers and counter help on trucking forums, Reddit, YouTube and the trade press. The headline comes straight from their complaint: a shake after a brake job.

One promise, one proof

A drum can't promise a truck won't shake. It can prove it left the factory round and balanced. The headline sells exactly that, and the label on the box is proof a competitor can't copy without changing how they build and ship.

A back for counter help

Four fit checks, a spec table, the pairs rule and six signs the old drum is finished. It's built to stay with counter help after the buyer leaves.

Facts checked at the source

The fit checks and replacement limits follow drum makers' service literature and the federal inspection standard, checked October 13, 2026. Where the makers differ, the sheet uses the stricter limit.

Sources for the fit checks and replacement limits (checked October 13, 2026): Webb Wheel Products, Service Bulletin #140, Brake Drum Identification, Technical Service Bulletin 12-001, Guidelines for Brake Drum Replacement, and 2022 product catalog; ConMet, Brake Drum Service Manual 10081803; Gunite (Accuride), Brake Drum Maintenance and Installation Manual WE3.000 Rev. 3, and Disc Wheel Hubs Maintenance and Installation Manual WE3.003; Meritor, Maintenance Manual 4, Cam Brakes; 49 CFR Part 396, Appendix A, Minimum Periodic Inspection Standards.

Need a sell sheet for your parts line?

I'll write yours the way I wrote this one: the front for the buyer, the back for counter help and your outside reps. I inspected and tested the brakes on my pre-trips for seven years. I spent about 15 years at a steel-products distributor, in the warehouse, purchasing and sales.

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