Ha ha ha... now tha that s out of the way here's my question: I've always been curious as to brake lining wear in regards to how the brakes are applied. Is slow and sure any better than quick and hard braking? Or vice versa? How do you brake? I'm a slow and sure kind of driver not counting panic/emergency stopping. So let's hear the comments. I'll try asking Uncle Google if there is any definitive info on brake wear between the two styles.
It takes a certain amount of application pressure to get enough contact between shoe and drum to get the heat out of the shoe. I have seen cases of constant extremely light pedal pressure cause the shoes to glaze. My guess is that your slow, steady application is just fine.
I'm not sure that "slow and sure" describes how I use the brakes, but I certainly don't do the consistent panic stopping (quick and hard?) thing like my wife tends to do. As far as brake wear, my ride gets nearly 2x the brake life her ride gets. Her ride tends to wear out front tires faster, but my ride tends to wear out rear tires faster... What doesn't make much sense is I usually get a lot better gas mileage then she gets from the same vehicle. Gene
See if my logic is sound, you have a pot of water on the stove, you have it on low heat, you can have that pot of water on the stove for an hour and it won't boil. If you put the heat on high it will boil in a few minutes. More pedal pressure would be shorter time to stop but still more heat during that time. More heat is going to cause more longterm damage to brake components.
"Slow and sure" is the closest of your 2 options to how I play it. I look ahead and anticipate the lights and traffic, and subtly calculate what and where the light and any other vehicles will be doing when I get there. I use coasting and unassisted deceleration just as much as the brake pedal. Saves on brakes and saves on gas, and I usually gain a few positions on the green. It also works just as well for stop signs. You can't pull away from the stop sign any sooner than the car in line ahead of you so why not time it to arrive just as the car in front pulls away instead of getting there sooner and stopping and pulling up and stopping, etc. Whenever I happen to be passing on driving tips to eager, new drivers, I always emphasize that smooth inputs equal "good" driving and that 'style' is generally the quickest elapsed time between Point A and Point B, anyway. There are going to be times when quick reactions and sudden input are necessary, but that shouldn't be a hallmark of your driving style. Your brakes and gas tank will thank you.
So if a watched pot never boils, an alert driver never has to power brake.... not in my cellphone addicted area.
I too have been curious about this. Especially being a former flatland prairie boy that moved to the west coast. I am curious about descending long mountain declines. The car picks up speed, how best to apply the brakes without introducing too much heat? Is it better to apply them lightly over an extended period of time or stab harder to slow quicker but for a shorter period of time?
If I'm doing 55 mph and I see a stop light, quarter mile ahead, turning to red, I'm immediately off the gas. Then, as I coast closer to the stopped traffic, I will apply the brakes lightly to slow down, then off to let them cool for a second, then apply for the final stop. Saves fuel as well as brakes. Probably drives the people behind me crazy though!
I've just never understood people who race up to a stop light or stop sign just to have to almost come to a panic stop!
Yes going fast is exciting but you miss the driving experience. I’ve never understood those guys that have to burn out at every greenlight .all that does is put more stress on your engine and all other parts causing them to break sooner. I don’t know about you guys but I don’t have a ton of money or time to keep fixing stuff from beating the crap out of my car . I will go fast sometimes but I have nothing to prove. I have more fun going on a 100 mile cruise than going 100mph. Sent from my iPhone using H.A.M.B.
Screw um.....if they hauled ass around you they just wait longer at the light... today that means more socializing on their cells.
Pretty much what I do too. The wife on the other hand keeps her foot on the gas till she HAS to stop. I was putting brakes on her DD car every 15,000 miles. She bought a new car and I drove her old DD. I would get over 50,000 miles!
Sounds like the way I drive. Driving a truck, especially my own, taught me to be conservative on brakes. I usually coast up to stop signs and red lights, too, but I'm gearing down in a manual transmission vehicle as well. A lot of times coming up to red lights, I never touch the brakes, I bet that does drive folks behind me crazy, slowing down with no brake lights on!
Applying the brakes sharpish for a short period of time results in less wear and heat. If you are descending a long hill the worst thing you can do is gently ride the brake pedal. Much better to pull speed down quickly then coast back up to a higher speed, then pull it down again. This gives the brakes a chance to cool down. In extreme cases it's best to pull over and let the brakes cool off for 15 minutes.
I use very little brake. I keep my eyes up anticipate stops and hazards as much as I can. If I see a light changing I don't charge it. I roll the throttle, use hills, the rolling resistance, as well as down shifting to use the engine's compression to aid in braking. -Keep you eyes up. The more you can look out in front of you the better you are are going to be. Advice from Brett Hearn Seventy-nine Championships and 919 feature wins in D.I.R.T. modifieds if I works in racing it works on the street!
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