Swap rear drums for discs?

I don't see how disc brakes can cost more to manufacture, nor how they can be less expensive to maintain - mainly due to the smaller number of parts and how easy it is to change pads VS drum brake shoes. I've done a lot of both, on US and other cars. I'd rather do a pad swap on the most difficult disc brake VS any drum brake shoe swap.

The worst part of drum brake jobs are the springs that have to be stretched, which like to slip out of tools when they're just about pulled far enough to hook into the holes. Then there are the ones that use a cable actuated parking brake and the cable goes around a little stamped piece of metal with a very shallow groove to slide in. That piece of metal is held in place on one shoe by the end of one of the springs. Of course the cable will end up out of the groove just as the other end of the spring is hooked. Then there's the shoe adjuster to deal with, and the shoe hold down springs and pins. But before any of the Rube Goldberg brake mechanics can be touched, there's the drum to remove which is almost always held in place with rust on the hub. American Motors RWD cars kept using the tapered end axle shafts with a key on the rear until they quit making RWD cars. Removing those drums requires a special puller and a BFH. At least from 1974 all passenger cars sold in the USA were required to have front disc brakes. A few models whose final year was 1974 were allowed to keep drum brakes as standard equipment, even if discs were an available option.

*sigh* I suppose I should check the rear brakes on the 09 just to be sure.

 

It is probably safer to change the rear drums of older cars (that the brakes system isn't controlled via computer) than any of the newer cars. Mechanically/physically I am sure it can be done on the Prius, but, one may be voiding any warranties, or worse, be putting themselves in jeopardy with a braking system that may fail due to computer error.