For the past 50 years, self-adjusting drum brakes have been standard equipment on almost all vehicles. Before the self adjuster, some drivers had to visit shops every 1,500 to 2,000 miles to have their brakes adjusted. If the drums were not adjusted, the pedal travel increased and the car would pull to one side under braking. Studebaker beat a lot of manufacturers  to market with self-adjusting front brakes. As the linings wore down, a plug that was flush with the friction material would push on a wedge that kept the shoe the correct distance from the drum. This feature was extremely innovative and was not adopted by Ford until 1957.