braking tech

oaktonarcher · **braking tech**

i think this is mostly pref. then any thing else but i fig id ask in there, when my dad taught me to drive a manual he taught me to down shift slowly releasing the clutch with no gas to throw up the RPMS and slow the car coming in to a stop. does any one else do this? and what do you do, now i just throw it in to nuteral and just apply the brakes. is that bad for the car?thanks

timpryor · 02-23-2005, 09:44 PM


Quote: Originally Posted by oaktonarcher now i just throw it in to nuteral and just apply the brakes. is that bad for the car?thanks

when i do drive a std car thats what i do

fast64 · 02-23-2005, 09:50 PM

i usually do what your dad told you to do, just to slow down brake wear.

oaktonarcher · 02-23-2005, 09:54 PM

is it bad for the clutch, when ever i do it i feel like im hurting the car. well the clutch

Ponycarman · 02-24-2005, 10:37 AM

I always down shift when slowing, unless it's an emergency stop or something. The key to limiting clutch wear is to match engine speed whne down shifting, in other words bring the engine rpm up to match when going to a lower gear then allow engine braking to work. Letting the clutch bring the engine up to speed does wear it a touch.

Changing brakes is easier and cheaper than a clutch job.

Steve

lowflyn · 02-24-2005, 11:07 AM

I engine brake when driving a manual. Hell, I do it in my car, get to about 35 and throw my auto in second to slow me down, trying to save my brakes after getting all 4 rotors turned last week.

**SpectorV** · 02-24-2005, 02:34 PM

its much better for the car to use the brakes, i put her in neutral and slow down with the brake, brakes are much cheaper to replace than a clutch.

Horse · 02-24-2005, 11:02 PM

I usually only engine brake when I have to decellerate very quickly, Let out the clutch out slow in 2nd or 3rd and ride the brake. That way the rear wheels are slowing you down more and the front wheels are still doing their braking. Also you can use the brake and engine braking to slowdown and turn at the same time. I do it a lot in autocross. The front brakes do 70% or so of your stopping power, but if your rears are slowing down too, that helps keep the weight transfer down so you're not overloading your front tires.

As far as normal street driving goes? I just push in the clutch and use the brakes to stop.

Tbird232ci · 02-25-2005, 02:26 AM

it depends on the day and how im driving

a typical day, ill downshift a few times, ill never downshift into first, which isnt the smart thing to do anyways

on the lazy day, clutch in, throw it in nuetal, and get on the brakes

in the twisties, its all about the downshift

oaktonarcher · 02-25-2005, 09:33 AM

thanks guys, i think ill stick to the clutch in and brake for awhile until im really comfortable with it. thanks all.

Thomas91169 · 02-25-2005, 04:44 PM

the key to donshifting during breaking is to do it fast enough to where the rpm's hardly drop at all.

or you could do whats called "rev matching" where when you put in the clutch you also blip the throttle and change to the higher gear, so when you let out the clutch it engages and its already at the rpm it would engage at if you just let it out and had to climb to that rpm. thats when you get more comfortable though.

just wait till you get into 'heel toe shifting" boy thats fun stuff.

**SpectorV** · 02-25-2005, 04:46 PM

its easy to down shift smoothly if you have any skill wiht a manual but its still not good for the life of the clutch, just use the brake.