driving techniques

[Reptile]

mines an auto so the second one.

[dXsquared]

godamn! this is cool... its a tie! i think that the clutch disengage thing is bad because if there is an emergancy and u need power, u wont have it.
Travis

[anchovies]

Originally posted by 87accordlxph
I always try to use all front disc brakes because they are the most easiest to replace besides the rear drum brakes.
Mostly I use all front braking.
If I go too fast front brakes and e brake only.
-Mike

You can't just use the front brakes. All four provide the braking power when you step on the brake pedal.
Though, you can just use the rear brakes with the handbrakes.

[dXsquared]

i noticed that as well. i just didnt say n e thin. let them thank what they want!!
Travis

[87AccordsterLx]

Im not sure about this but... I heard that when you apply the regular break... that it uses all of the front breaks and a percentage of the rear...??? Is this true? Does anyone know for sure? .... Thats why you usually have to replace the front and not thr back as often....

[dXsquared]

it uses all the rear too. jsut in porportion. when u push the pedal, more braking power(fluid) is applied to the front. all the shoe is used in the rear... its just not as hard pussed as the front!
Travis

[anchovies]

yeah that's why we have proportioning valve

[merlindavis]

when braking while moving forwards, if the braking power isn't proportionately favoring the front brakes, you will lock your rear brakes and have less stopping power... because of physics and weight transfer, your front brakes end up doing 70-90 percent of the work... go something like 10mph going forwards, then slam on the brakes, see how long it takes you to stop... now, do the same thing going backwards at the same speed, i bet it takes you longer to stop... if you had a 50/50 f/r brake bias, you would be constantly locking up your rear wheels...

as for downshifting to stop, i do it in my lude... saves my brakes for when i need them in an emergency... i would rather be able to slam on my brakes and stop than have to downshift to stop in an emergency... hard as it may be to believe, downshifting while stepping on the brake is actually easier on your clutch than accelerating... when accelerating, your clutch needs to hold on as more and more pressure gets put on it as you accelerate harder... your engine naturally wants to be at low revs, the only thing stopping it from being at low rev all the time is the throttle cable... when you're off the throttle, as you should be when stopping, you're engine tries to slow itself down... using the brakes to help slow the car down while in gear takes load off the engine and therefore off the clutch...

so, in conclusion... downshifting while braking saves your clutch and your brakes... it's a nice median between killing your brakes, and, well, killing your brakes...

[Caddy]

Yep he's right.

[87accordlxph]

I think I replied to this one before?

[87AccordsterLx]

someone did some major digging to bring this back to life...

[mgirl69]

Ummmmm sometimes i hit the brakes...sometimes downshift to d3...use the engine as a break (good for those cops...they dont c break lights) then i shift to d2 is i need too...but usually i drive "normal" and use the breaks...

btw, this post is mad funny...i cracked up with the "put it into part or reverse..." doesnt that f*** your transmission up....HELLO hhaha

[87AccordsterLx]

hell ya.. I love it when girls are into cars... !!! well it definitly screws up your tranny... the only time I shift into 2nd is when Im already in it.. that way I can let it out when I want and not when my ECU wants to....

[maka_RTH]

lol i just tipped the poll! anyways, when i had my stick, i usually downshifted cuz i thought it was fun and it sounded a lot better. with my auto i just brake though

[tref]

Yeah I will always downshift. I drive a manual and always downshift. I had my clutch checked and it is just like new. The car has 192k miles on it and has always been downshifted. I downshift the car all the way to the stop light I only use the breaks when im going about 5 mph, thats why they are in such good condition still.
Anyone that downshifts get dirty looks from people around you because your car makes that bad ass rev sound?

[1986hbdx]

I just sink the clutch and brake. i do not put it in N becaues if i want to drive off it is quicker. What i do is not safe beacue if some one hit me in the back(at a full stop on the clutch in first) i can slip my foot off the clutch and hit the person in front of me.

[89accordboi]

i think u can stop the fastest when you throw it in reverse and pull ur e-brake all the way up, it works the best.

[buzzbomber88lx]

Either just california stop the stop sign or just run the damn thing (j/k)

[HondaManDan]

well, everytime i've driven standard i've clutched it and hit the brakes.... is this bad?? if im on the highway and i need to slow up dramatically i'll downshift... or when it's snowing.. but normaly, in around town driving, i tend to just clutch and brake...
with my automatic, jump off the gass, jump on the brake... but same thing with the bad weather or high speeds.. i tend to drop down to D3... I noticed One thing though.. up in Mass, we just got hit with a 15 inch snowstorm.. I drive my car in 2 all the time and i've never lost traction once... it helps with going up hills or starting off in slushy stuff... however i am limited to around 30-35mph...

[HondaManDan]

well, everytime i've driven standard i've clutched it and hit the brakes.... is this bad?? if im on the highway and i need to slow up dramatically i'll downshift... or when it's snowing.. but normaly, in around town driving, i tend to just clutch and brake...
with my automatic, jump off the gass, jump on the brake... but same thing with the bad weather or high speeds.. i tend to drop down to D3... I noticed One thing though.. up in Mass, we just got hit with a 15 inch snowstorm.. I drive my car in 2 all the time and i've never lost traction once... it helps with going up hills or starting off in slushy stuff... however i am limited to around 30-35mph...

[od2681]

shift into neutral and then use the brakes lightly from a long distance...usually piss off the people behind me...
hey DarknessRS
did you draw that silvia???

[LX-i Girl]

i use to downshift all the way, but now i throw it into neutral and brake. i just got a new clutch and i wanna keep it in decent condition. like one guy already said, brake pads are much cheaper!

[BMS]

It doesn't feel like a stick if you just brake. It's bad to manually downshift an automatic. You don't slow down half as much by blipping, which is done so that you don't slow down when racing. Exhaust sound best when downshifting.

[AccordEpicenter]

Yeah the exaust does sound cooler but id rather be replacing brake pads instead of clutches... Its kinda fun to downshift but normally around town id just use the brakes

[rideredorgohome]

i was always taught to save the clutch as much as possible, I get off of it as fast as i can without being jerky with it. like the other people say, the brake pads are cheaper than a clutch job. Sometimes though I do downshift by blipping the throttle to the right rpm, like for a corner. Is it bad though to use the brakes to slow down for a minute or two, like while in first waiting for a car to pass?