9in drum brakes

Degrees don't matter, but knowledge does. Not sure what "smart" means. I just know some things, mostly leveraged from hundreds of years of other's research, and much to still learn. Read thru Ch. 5 on friction in any Physics book (even high-school) and report back to us. The force which stops a car comes from the road and only the tires touch the road.
Some of the smartest/dumbest people I have met are engineers and nerds like you. Smart in some areas but when it comes to common sense and dealing with people they are the dumbest of dumb. You don't need to bring up petty physics in a brake forum. You really think you're smart but you're not, its actually gravity that stops the car. Gravity, drag and friction. Seems like you need to go read some more books