PupaScoopa

A lot of controversy between using the regular brakes or downshifting (properly) and letting the engine revs slow you down leads me to wonder which most people prefer. The thread going on lately seems to go back and forth. What do YOU have to say about this?

ill_take_one

I think downshifting is fine, unless you are downshifting through each gear which is going to wear the synchros out...

What would you rather replace? rotors and pads? or tranny parts?

misledyouth

i hear that i usually just stick with the brakes.

jesse

JD_B18CDX

on normal driving brakes will be able to do it.
But if you live in a hilly area and approaching a long downhill, you have to hold the tranny in a higher gear or downshift because brakes will overheat.

There is not right answer on which to use more. U adapt to the current situation and keep then engine and brakes within their limits.

DJ KrunchyKracker

i usually use the downshift method. cause then when i see there are no cars coming i am usually still in second and i can accelerate through all right hand corners. and left handers when i got the green arrow. plus y burn up the brakes and decrease your braking distance if u dont have too.

CheezeFrog

Brake pads are easier to replace than piston rings.

KOALA YUMMIES

Why burn up your motor and decrease your driving distance? Idiot, pads a cheap as heck, motor repair isnt.

Kamin

dumbass

brake pads are cheaper than transmissions.

tonesdef

engine breaking is for semi and race car drivers. its stupid to use it for normal use becuase your break shouls be able to handle a moderate down hill breaking why stress your engine out.

96 SOHC VTEC

Brakes people brakes! That's where they are there for! If they wanted a car to slow down by soley it's engine then they would design it that way! Brakes are cheap! Trannies are NOT!

black2kcivic

Honda gave me the brakes to stop, and the engine to make me go.

Heath

Do you think brakes were put on the car for the phun of it? Thats what they're there for! You could replace and ENTIRE brake system for less than you could replace a b series tranny and definently less than overhauling a b series motor. Why else would car manufacturers make brakes out of easily replaceable components? Because they're meant to be used and replaced when needed.

greebler

brakes are cheap, engines and clutches are not!!!

Mojo-Jojo

Semi's, maybe. Race car driver's, NO.

Using the engine like that can unbalance the car. No race driver would ever do that.

Who do you think invented heel-toe shifting, grandma's?

976

I engine break on steap hills, get to about 2nd gear, then light is usally green. Don't need to start in first then. On flat. just keep in gear until I have to apply the breaks. Going around a corner I am ALWAYS in gear. If I need to downshift I heel-toe, you lose control when in neutral.


[Modified by w00t!, 10:06 PM 1/10/2003]

prophet

people should use both.....use brakes to stop, but BE IN GEAR. Normally I downshift AND break...you worried about wear? I've done it to 2 cars each exceeding 60K and no problems what so ever. I have several friends with over 100K that gear brake and only thing that they replaced is the clutch...

Personally I've seen a friend drive (drives like a ********) where his brakes actually fade due to heat...his brake fluid goes to the point where it BUBBLES. And I can assure you, he definately relies on gear braking as well as what is little left of his brakes to slow him down. Still running strong after 100K.

95excoupe

I just revmatch into 3rd and then revmatch 2nd as I'm braking it makes you a better drive anyway plus your in a better gear if the light turns while your braking.

redcxhatch

Heel Toe. Rev match.

_BEN_

I downshift but rarely aggressively, I kinda just let them slip into gear as I slow the car mostly with the breaks. That way it comes to me more instinctively when I really need to slow down in emergency instead of just panicking and locking them up.
Plus it usally keeps me in the right gear so I dont bogg when traffic picks back up, coming out of a corner, stop ect.

Fuster_Cluck

If I'm on the highway and can see the light ahead is red then I coast in neutral. If I need to I'll downshift to 2nd then back to neutral when I'm getting close to the light.

GetawayInMoscow

Who else thinks: "Depends On the Situation" should be an option?

Eee Pee

I do...

FBP Si 2000

Al Bundy

I only engine brake on long, steep hills like truckers

2000CX

guess i will stop doing that now...ooops think i will rely much more on my brakes now.