So how should one brake to save the rotors and the pads??
I'm not asking about downshifting or cruise in neutral (we already had a huge debate on that).

What I'm asking is do you brake by:
1) stepping on the brake pedal, let go, then step on it again, and then let go again (somehow like manual ABS..hehe..especially for cars without ABS), repeat until the car stops;
or
2) stepping on the brake once and for all until the car stops and then let go?

Hard braking doesn't apply, just for normal day driving, which one will actually make the pads and the rotors last longer?

DOES the same thing apply to Kelvar pads which works better under high temperatures?

 

Here is my experience. On a 96 Nissan pickup. I would brake like normal just hold the pedal till I stop. sometimes down shift first to help slow down. Once I came to a stop I would let off the brake pedal and just sit there, this only works if you are on a flat surface so you dont roll. long story short i got over 110,000 off the front brakes and never had to even touch the back brakes.
so give that a try.

 

Ok so let's forget about downshift for a minute, I know downshift is good and all but that's not what I'm looking for
(actually I brake the same as you do )

But let's say I'm driving an auto today, or teaching someone who's too much of a rookie to know anything about downshifts...

So, either...or...?

PS. and please do not start another debate on whether to downshift or not in this thread.

 

i step on break gentely when im 1/8 miles from the stop light

 

HEY! Use the E brake!

 

I'd hold the brake until I get to a stop, and avoid hard braking. Pumping the brake pedal is only useful in a panic stop on a wet surface. Which is why 95% of the benefits of ABS are on wet pavement. The only goal is to keep the tires from skidding, causing the car to plane over the water. So anyway, just hold the brake pedal at a proper pressure.

 

Yeah e brake is the best bet. Or just stick your foot out to slow down.
No but for real for a minute what you are doing sounds fine letting off the brake will let the brakes cool that will give you more life compared to holding them and letting the system cook. If you want more brake life off an auto put that ***** in neutral and let off the brake. Flip side you will probally get more tranny wear. looks like a trade off.

 

I've been told not to use the parking (hand, emergency) brake for anything but parking.

Reason is this is an AWD car. You're gonna mess the center differential if you handbrake it since the handbrake only brakes the rear wheels.

The STi has an ACD and it automatically disengages the real wheel drive when the handbrake is pulled to prevent this kind of problem.

 

I step on the pedal until it slows down. Don't care about pads or rotors but assume rotors would wear out most evenly if you applied same presure over time rather than different one in intervals thus wearing specific areas more than others

 

just dont step on it too hard, brake early and easy rather than late and hard. also, avoid stop signs and traffic

 

Guys, look at the traffic in front of you. If you see a bunch of cars stopped, take the car out of gear, let off the gas, and tap the brakes to roll to a stop behind the last car. This also allows time for the light to change. Dont use the parking/emergency brake as it is not called the "normal" brake. Drive rationally and your brakes will last. Do not charge a red light only to brake in the last 50 ft so you can impress your friends or catch the mustang next to you.

 

On track or on road (track you just push harder!), either case do not brake progressively, be linear, same pressure from start to finish (with a slight release at the end, chauffer stop). Progressive breaking puts excessive heat in the rotors at the end of the stop which puts a lot of pad material onto the rotors. This is how people hurt their brakes typically

 

The best way to brake is
1) pull e-brake as hard as you can and lock it.
2) clutch and shift into reverse
3) apply pressure on brakes as HARD as Possible.


Just playing...who cares...brakes are brakes. Just use them like their suppose to. I rather hurt my brakes than me or my engine.

PS: Sorry for being stupid but i'm bored up my a$$ in school waiting for my next class.

 

in drivers ed i was told to lightly add pressure and push down harder until u come to a complete stop than let off the brake very quickly and bakc down hard again to a void the hard jerk u get at the end....lol

like mentioned above....do the fred flinstone =)

 

hahah i wonder what will happend... somone should videotape this while u doing it...lol lol jk jk