slowing down your car using gears V.S using brakes

[Tagged]

Hey guys,

I was driving some1s van another day and he saw me braking all the time using brakes and having the gears in neutral. He told me never to do that in a manual car.

He told me that its always better to slow down by gearing down and using the brakes if necessary and have the gear in gear b4 fully stopped.

So I was wondering, doesn't using gear as a braking method wears out the gear much more faster? I though brakes pad are a lot more cheaper than your gears.....please correct me if im wrong on this~

Thanks all!

[evil_si]

doesnt wear the gears out,

and doesnt require as much braking effort,
its a very effective means of engine braking,

[matt dunn]

yeah is best to use the gears too help as well.

[h8wrxs]

you wont wear out your gears

and your friends right, you should use engine braking instead of relying entirely on your brakes

also you shouldnt be in neutral when braking, if the brakes fail you will continue rolling whereas if youre in gear itll stall and stop the car

[Akane]

Leaving it in gear can:

1) promote vacuum assist
2) engine braking
3) Cause the injectors to shut off in EFI cars, hence saving fuel
4) reduce pad and disc wear
5) reduce pad and disc temp

so much goodies.

[TRD Man]

Some years ago in the Rally NZ programme, there was a general motoring article by Jackie Stewart about this issue.
In it he suggested that many people over use gears to slow down rather than the brakes.
"Brakes are for stopping, gears are for driving" he claimed. And I agree.

Whilst we all use gears when slowing down (we should not be in neutral) it is more a matter of keeping engine/road speed in sync whilst braking than about slowing the car down. That is what brakes are for.

[thegreatestben]

When I went for my restricted I failed the first time for "coasting" he said I shouldn't slow the vehicle using only the brakes.

He was a c**t though

[BZG Wagon]

Not in gear - not in control IMO. Especially if you're coasting around corners.

If you're worried about your clutch, try blipping the gas pedal in between down changes to match your engine revs to the gears.

That said I usually don't change down below 3rd when stopping (unless I'm in a hurry or coming up to a decent corner). But you can keep the car in 3rd until you're almost stopped (like 1,000 rpm), and generally you can flick it out of gear at that rpm without needing the clutch (if you're lazy).

[loudstealthGT-Four]

When I went for my restricted I failed the first time for "coasting" he said I shouldn't slow the vehicle using only the brakes.

He was a c**t though

I was taught this when i went for driving lessons

[Tagged]

wow looks like im totally wrong on this one haha~
thanks to all your replies!
I only learnt how to drive manual from a friend which learnt from his friend so yea....never really learned how to drive manual properly...lol!

[h8wrxs]

When I went for my restricted I failed the first time for "coasting" he said I shouldn't slow the vehicle using only the brakes.

He was a c**t though

i almost got failed on this too, the tester actually told me he let me away with it as he was in a good mood

[escortman]

i always engine brake, probably more so than use the brakes, although i have noticed when i down shift i always just lightly touch the brakes for the sec your on the clutch, i dont know when i started doin this maybe comfort thing with always been in control

[cogent]

When I went for my restricted I failed the first time for "coasting" he said I shouldn't slow the vehicle using only the brakes.

He was a c**t though

can't blame him, I wouldn't want you on the roads either.

XD
XD
XD

[pjay]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klMur6TPkrM

[Quint]

Engine braking -> the best thing about driving a diesel.

[FANGIN]

I've tried coasting, makes the car feel twitchy around corners (Especially comming down the Kaimais). But I do coast in traffic as it can be a C*nt changing gear all the time.

Was always taught that when comming to a corner to use the gears and blip the throttle when down shifting, if I'm comming into a corner at a rapid pace I have to use the ol' heel-toe.

COMPRESSION LOCK - the best thing about MK2 Escorts

[1I1]

COMPRESSION LOCK - the best thing about MK2 Escorts

DORIFT!


I remember watching my sisters x change down gears approaching intersections - he would leave his foot on the clutch so there wasn't actually any engine braking yet he would still go through each gear and think to myself "wtf is trying to achieve?!"

[FANGIN]

Sometime when changing down I have to engage third then 2nd without letting the clutch out, as I find that this makes it easier to engage 2nd as it has old synchros

[1I1]

Yeah this guy did it regardless of what car he was in

[Adamal]

Low revs - Engine braking
Medium revs - Engine braking with a brakes to assist
High revs - Brakes with heal-toe to shift down