Engine Braking vs Brake Pad Costs

Agreed, in my younger and more reckless days i've frequently downshifted into the redline with no ill effects. even in my ranger which had 200'000kms and 5 years of reckless/abusive driving which included towing 3 times the weight of the truck(I would never do that again for alot of reasons) and, hauling 1/2 the trucks weight in the bed to name the worse. Also included was the engine being pulled and reinstalled to remedy all the leaks, transmission shearing the bell housing off (cleaned and reused the clutch because I was broke at the time and just out of college) and brake rotors cracking from an ill adjusted master cylinder. (all my fault and gave me alot of learning opportunities from apprentice to technician). Clutch was installed by me when I bought the truck and still had about 60% life when I measured it during the transmission replacement which was about 50'000kms before I got my Tacoma and also when I smartened up and matured out of being a deviant driver. Engine was unphased as far as running and driveability goes. Still pulled 20"hg at 251metres above sea level as it did when I bought it and still would pull 25"hg when you snap the throttle. If none of that killed my piston rings combined then i'm sure responsible downshifting would be alright. Oil change habits would probably have a bigger influence

 

Gravity is a beatch.

 

With todays factory tunes, engine braking (with a manual, or an automatic) also shuts off/or nearly off the fuel supply - increased mpg’s. If you are planning to slow/stop the manual tranny vehicle, engine brake in the current gear until the rpm’s are roughly 1500, place the tranny in neutral, and brake as needed to safely stop or slow as needed. With the tranny in neutral, the engine will idle, using very little fuel, no wear is applied to the clutch, the brake wear is reduced. If there is another vehicle on your bumper, lightly apply the brakes to show the brake lights - safety first….

 

I drag an old tire when I have to drive on mountains

 

Brake pads are cheap and easy to change lol

This is a funny religious thing for some people though

 

Similar to how the right lane can be faster than the left lane. Drive at a steady pace and end up passing the same cars driving in the left lane multiple times as they tailgate each other and have to slow down/speed back up.

 

Ideally you want to limit the heat created by the brakes.
In which case, Engine and Pads is the preferred method.
Under normal circumstances, you don’t really need to use engine braking.
If you’re creating that much heat in “normal” driving, something is wrong.

 

I downshift as much as I need so I’m not on my brakes more than 20% of the grade. Ideally 10% or less.

recently towed a small trailer down a hill and you are also trying to prevent brake fade on top of wear.

 

Interestingly, I'm currently having this exact same argument on Facebook.

I've always used engine braking as much as possible. It's easier on the brakes (especially in the mountains), allows for better control of the vehicle, and ensures you're in the right gear to rapidly accelerate if the need arises.

I've only ever had to replace a clutch twice, both times on vehicles where the clutch was already worn out by the previous owner.

If you're doing it properly, then there really shouldn't be any more wear and tear than regular driving.

If you're constantly accelerating and decelerating with the clutch half engaged, you're going to wear it out fast.

If you're matching the RPMs while shifting, it will last a long time.

 

I looked on out of the window
And I started countin' phone poles
Going by at the rate of four to the seventh power
Well, I put two and two together
And added twelve and carried five
Come up with twenty two thousand telephone poles an hour

 

There are the people that drive with a foot also on the brake. Crazy to see with them gunning it up an incline while their brake lights are on.

 

My dad had an old Chrysler station wagon that would stall the moment you took your foot off the gas. Bought it brand new, and it was like that from day one. Nobody ever could figure it out.

At red lights, you had to brake with your left foot, so that you could keep your right foot on the gas.

40 years later, he still catches himself braking with his left foot sometimes.

 

That’s interesting.

The 2 foot driving seems to get blamed for a lot of those accidents where people drive into store fronts when they mix up the brake and accelerator. lol

 

That doesn't surprise me at all!

 

I got 100k out of my first set of brakes. The only time I actively use engine braking is in mountainous terrain with long downhills. This is not to save the brake pad life as much as because the engine will cool much more efficiently in long downhills than the brakes would if I constantly dragged them. Not to mention I'd be risking brake fade or warping the rotors if not done correctly.

But as far as general use, such as in the city or coming to a stop sign/light, I just use the brakes as normal

 

Well, I looked at Earl and his eyes was wide
his lip was curled and his leg was fried
and his hand was froze to the wheel
like a tongue to a sled in the middle of a blizzard

I says "Earl, I'm not the type to complain
but the time has come for me to explain
if you don't apply some brake real soon
they're gonna to have to pick us up with a stick and a spoon"

 

Crosstrek....eats brake pads because of the "eye site" cruise control...It applies the brakes once you reach your set travel distance from car in front of you...it ALSO applies the brakes if you're merging onto the highway behind a truck and try to cross over to the middle lane while accelerating..BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP...it starts applying the brakes because it thinks your going to rear end the truck while you're gliding across the lane...

 

Well now, that makes a lot of sense...but they really should have gone with bigger calipers/pads if they're going to do that...I had no idea...but those rear pads wear out like front pads! Here car is the top level trim one so it's real nice to drive...