Abstract: A method of manufacturing a brake drum having a plurality of axially spaced, circumferentially extending ribs provided on the exterior surface thereof. The method includes casting molten grey iron into a mold cavity formed by a plurality of axially split external mold segments spaced radially outward from an internal mold member, spacing the radially inward portions of the interfacing lateral edge surfaces of the external mold segments to form a flash base free of white iron metal at the parting line between adjacent external mold segments and, after cooling the molten iron and removing the mold members, grinding away at least a portion of the flash metal formed between the interfacing lateral edge surfaces of the external mold segments radially outward of the flash base to provide an axially extending ridge free of white iron and traversing the axially spaced ribs.