How do you save your brakes?

"Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula" (snacktasticc) 11/02/2015 at 22:26 • Filed to: basic help

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I am asking for some really basic car advice. I recently had to replace my front brakes after having a 2013 car for a year (i bought it used with about 17,000 miles and ETA: it’s a Toyota Corolla) and I think I might be doing things to wear them down prematurely. I wonder what things I could do to prolong my break usage in a suburban area of the Northeast?

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:31

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Leave it in gear and engine brake

PowderHound > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:32

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Downshift.

Edit: and coast. Read the traffic ahead

XJDano > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:32

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I replace them.

Übel > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:33

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Never lift. In the odd occasion you do have to stop, make sure to fully lock them up (disabling ABS will probably be necessary). If the pad isn’t sliding on the rotor, it won’t wear down.

Needmoargarage > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:33

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Engine braking if you have a manual. Otherwise I guess the only thing you could try to do is not brake as hard...so brake earlier with less pressure over a longer period of time. If you are concerned about replacing pads often, you could always get a set with harder and longer lasting compound.

Berang > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:33

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Don’t speed or accelerate to red lights.

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > Needmoargarage 11/02/2015 at 22:34

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I have an automatic so I guess that’s out (i’m not entirely sure what engine breaking is)

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Needmoargarage 11/02/2015 at 22:35

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I thought shorter, harder braking was better since less heat was generated?

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:35

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Don’t ride your brake (which you might not be doing, I don’t know you.)

Engine brake, read traffic ahead of you, don’t wait till the last second to start slowing down.

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 11/02/2015 at 22:36

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I am pretty sure I’m riding my brakes and have been trying not to do that so much since i got them replaced but it’s hard to break (ha) that habit.

XJDano > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:36

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In a manual transmission if you down shift, let the clutch out, it makes the engine spin at higher RPM, using the engine & transmission to slow the car down rather than the brakes.

Needmoargarage > Santiago of Escuderia Boricua 11/02/2015 at 22:39

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But you generate heat at a much faster rate with increased braking force. There is probably an optimum distance to brake from that fits in the middle of short hard braking and long drawn out braking. Either way, the amount of energy dissipated will be the same assuming the vehicle doesn’t coast and the distance is equal.

I guess what I meant to say by braking earlier would more accurately be described as reading traffic, coasting, and braking gradually as opposed to racing to the red light.

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:41

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I’m guessing the car is automatic?

Dunnik > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:42

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Look ahead. Plan ahead. If you do, you can often bleed much of your speed via simple inertia (coasting), then, when you do use your brakes, you’re using them at a lower speed and for less duration.

Unless you live and work in, say, Colorado, I wouldn’t worry too much about breaking going down steep hills, but obviously if you can switch to a lower gear (which you can regardless of manual or automatic).

Also, great Toonces meme lol

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles 11/02/2015 at 22:42

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Yes and I’m not a particularly good and experienced driver, which means I am more reactive than I need to be but getting better.

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > Dunnik 11/02/2015 at 22:44

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Thanks! And I feel like Toonces at times.

Needmoargarage > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:44

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Engine braking would mean using lower gearing and the resistance of the engine to slow down the car. Think of a semi truck going down a hill...you hear their engines roar because they are using low gears to keep descent speed down.

Santiago of Escuderia Boricua > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:44

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Coasting. If you have paddle shift or something you can put it in a lower gear and it will slow you down more

Biased Plies > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:47

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Ignore stop signs.

smobgirl > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:52

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Any chance the shop was just trying to get money out of you? My last shop claimed I needed brakes and rotors and quoted me close to $600 for the work. Got a second opinion and they were actually fine but I did the front pads anyway to keep an eye on one that had been wearing funny.

M54B30 > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:53

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Keep replacing them. Brake pads are a cheap consumable part.

$35 brake pads are easy and cheap to replace.

Hell, go to one of those places that has a lifetime warranty on brake service

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > smobgirl 11/02/2015 at 22:54

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Damn! I hope not but it’s a good thing to be aware of.

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > M54B30 11/02/2015 at 22:54

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That’s a good idea.

banjo cat ghost of oppo past > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 22:55

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Its possible it just had shatty low quality pads before you.

I live in a town that is basically a glacial lake valley. You’re always driving up or down at least one bigass hill or gorge or whathaveyou if you want to get anywhere so you are riding the brakes for half your commute.

BTW I don’t recommend using transmission braking a lot whether it be standard or automatic, or avoid it if you can. Like the racing books say, pads and rotors are cheaper than a tranny and so far I’ve had two fail on me (catastrophically) after just being too worn at the worst time for the simple upshift I asked for.

Anyhoo a couple times I made the mistake of buying the cheapest autozone pads because I didn’t think I’d be driving the car long enough to care about the next change.

With our hills the pads were only good for a little over a year.

So, my advice is to just invest in quality pads/ rotors. Heck thow in some steel braided lines if they make ‘em for your car nothing wrong with improved feel.

JGrabowMSt > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 23:05

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How many miles does the car have now?

I would estimate brakes on that car should last you between 30-45k miles when you drive it respectfully.

Also, did you have to replace the pads, or was it mentioned when you took it in for service? I’ve heard of many stories where dealers will sell you brakes whether you need them or not just because of the profit margin. Brand is irrelevant.

Just drive a little slower so you have less reason to mash the brakes. Also, don’t mash the brakes unless it’s an emergency. I don’t brake constantly when slowing to a light or stop sign, I will push and release the brakes a few times to prevent them from getting too hot, but also to reduce the wear.

Having ceramic pads also really helps, when your brakes are better, you use them less and they last you longer. Most shops wont cut rotors anymore, but if the rotors are warped or have a really sloppy surface, that can cause the pads to wear quickly as well.

Captain of the Enterprise > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/02/2015 at 23:50

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Try to time the lights so that you don't have to make complete stops instead coasting and picking your speeds more carefully to try to follow the flow of traffic. It's also helps with fuel economy. I've been doing it for years

Opposite Locksmith > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 00:02

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Use abs during every stop

Blunion05 drives a pink S2000 (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST) > Berang 11/03/2015 at 00:28

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And when lights turn green, anticipate how soon traffic will get moving again, and brake accordingly. If I am pretty close to the stopped traffic, I will brake to a lower speed so that when they start accelerating, I look like I am about to tailgate them.

AdverseMartyr > JGrabowMSt 11/03/2015 at 01:29

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This. I agree -unless one is driving tens of thousands of miles in a year (or commuting up a mountain) it’s unlikely to run through the pads (if one isn’t driving with one’s left foot on the brake)so quickly. So it’s as likely that the shop is messing with Snacktastic, or there is a problem with the brake system. Maybe a caliper/piston is dragging.

I’d also add that if it is mostly highway driving with very limited stops pads can last more than 60,000 miles. But that is (partly) a benefit of making a commute so many times that you know exactly how fast to drive to catch every light green, and having 45 miles of it be highway/interstate with no stop signs.

desertdog5051 > Übel 11/03/2015 at 02:00

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That was good.

Stef Schrader > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 02:03

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Have you double-checked that everything is OK with the brakes themselves? Calipers not sticking and moving as they should?

Also, don’t hover with your foot over the brake pedal or ride it too much. Other folks sorta went over the basic driving pointers. Avoid heavy traffic/sudden stops when you can, read traffic far ahead of you and take it easy.

desertdog5051 > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 02:04

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Don’t buy factory replacements. They are designed to be soft and provide great stops for People who drive Corollas average people. Buy a better pad.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 04:29

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As mentioned many times, use the appropriate gear to control you speed on long downhill roads. In an auto, drop it down from D into 2 or if you have a manumatic, put in manual mode and select an appropriate gear.

You probably aren’t doing this, but I see it all the time, so it bears mentioning: don’t rest your left foot on the brake pedal. Even the light pressure of a resting foot is enough to cause the pads to rub constantly and wear them out fast. It also keeps your brake lights on all the time, making it difficult to tell if you are stopping or not.

Übel > desertdog5051 11/03/2015 at 07:43

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The physics are sound

TheRealBicycleBuck > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 08:49

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Visit this site to learn more about the proper way to descend a hill.

http://driversprep.com/article/going-…

TheRealBicycleBuck > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 09:07

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Riding the brakes is a bad idea. If you ride them too long they can generate enough heat to boil the brake fluid. When that happens, bubbles form in the brake line and you lose all braking power. Then you are left rolling downhill without any brakes.

In mountainous areas, we build runaway truck ramps just for this situation.

Riding the brakes can also generate enough heat to warp the rotors. If your steering wheel shakes when you step on the brakes, you may have already warped them.

At best, you just wear out the brake pads and rotors much faster than normal. Learn to change them yourself and save a lot of money in repair bills.

Learn to drive properly in the hills and you won’t wear things out so quickly. Yes, you can do this with an automatic transmission.

wiffleballtony > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 09:22

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Honestly coasting is your friend. In traffic don’t follow the car in front too closely or you will not be able to guage traffic flow. It’s better to stop quickly than to ride the brakes.

crowmolly > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/03/2015 at 09:55

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Unless you are doing things to build up excessive heat like riding the brakes, stomping on them at lights, etc I don’t think there’s really that much you can do.

Run this set of pads as normal and see where you get. Maybe the previous owner was hard on the brakes or the shop was not being up front with you.

pauljones > Biased Plies 11/03/2015 at 15:53

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I would also advise ignoring any further interactions with Xylo.

I’m going to issue an official heads-up: You need to lay off and don’t go anywhere near Xylo. I don’t care who did what when or why. It’s astoundingly clear that you two are incapable of any semblence to positive interaction.

Yes, she was given a temporary ban for her behavior. But guess what - you’re on deck for one.

In your interactions with her on her Clashtalk (and later personal blog) post, she has indeed been aggressive, but you have been no less so. Neither of you are innocent parties this time around. If that crosses into Oppositelock, you’ll both be on your way to Banadu.

It’s time to let go and move on now. There’s nothing about this situation that’s even remotely worth wasting your time and energy. There are more important things to lavish your attention on than childish internet trollfests.

Thank you.

Stef Schrader > Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula 11/04/2015 at 00:34

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That sounds like an excellent excuse to do a trackday. :o)

Snacktastic Part III: the Return of the Spatula > Stef Schrader 11/04/2015 at 00:44

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That’s a good idea!

Stef Schrader > smobgirl 11/04/2015 at 01:09

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:o( I’ve had this happen, too. It’s a sad reality, but sometimes people assume female = knows nothing.

yamahog > Stef Schrader 11/04/2015 at 08:12

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Yuuuuuup. Luckily I found a shop that doesn’t try to pull that crap, but elsewhere, my sorority little sister was charged over $300 for brake pads on a second-gen Focus. I was furious when she told me.

smobgirl > Stef Schrader 11/04/2015 at 09:54

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It was a great test in its own way. I stopped by a very small, local shop and told him that XYZ shop said I needed brakes but it sounded fishy - I let him know I wanted a fresh start with new pads but really wasn’t concerned. When he went off on a rant about shops screwing people over rather than agreeing with them I knew I’d found a good guy!

Biased Plies > pauljones 11/04/2015 at 10:55

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She is incapable of positive interaction. She’s always on the lookout for something to get offended by and always offensively on the defensive. I tried to be reasonable in the Oppo conversation but that in Clashtalk thread that later got moved to her personal blog she actually got me to stoop to insults. Granted, that no-longer leaves me innocent but she literally asks for it .

She has a habit of doing that and I think it’s her goal to get people to go off on her, just to then cry foul and complain until something is done about it.

Don’t worry, I’m done wasting my time on her.