>
>
> > >
> > I have to agree there Pat, to replace a brake pad, you have to pull the
> > tire, to replace a clutch you have to pull the tranny, you tell me which
> > is cheaper. (Hope this doesn't start the war again(auto/stick), don't
> > mean it to, just making an observation). Later-
> >
> > bruce
> >
>
> Sure, I know the clutch vs. brake costs... What I was trying to
> say may have been misunderstood.
>
> For example: With my 5 speed, when exiting a fwy via the
> off ramp, I merely take my foot of the gas and the either a) allow the
> truck to slow down via the engine braking that occurs when you take
> your foot off the gas, then brake lightly (and push in the clutch at
> that point), thus only using the brakes (not the engine, or downshifting
> to a lower gear) to slow/stop... or b) I just go to Neutral and and
> use the brakes... Either way is not harmful to the transmission, nor
> to the clutch...
>
> On other occations, I will use the transmission to assist
> in slowing the truck (pulling a heavy boat trailer, U-haul, etc.) and
> will downshift (while braking) to slow the truck/trailer... Yes the
> trailer has brakes on it, but in situations where you need maximum
> slowing, I'd rather use the engine braking (as that's what it was
> designed for) to accomplish a stop rather than fade the brakes
> and not stop...
>
> I've seen enough people wrap up a weekend trip to the
> river (Colorado) on a Friday night 'cause they faded out there brakes
> going down the grade into the desert from San Diego... Most of
> the people who were 'brakeless at the bottom' were riding their
> brakes the entire time down the hill, and cooked 'em... (You
> could smell it...and the rotors were still glowing..) One was a ram
> last weekend, the other was a ford... (When do Aluminum rims
> melt anyway?? :P )
>
> Anyway, back to the ORIGINAL post, 5 speeds will
> typically go farther on pads/rotors than automatic... Let's do
> a poll to find out shall we??
>
> Sam '95 SLT --65000 did first brake job pads/turn rotors
> '91 LE --27000 pads/turn rotors
> --55000 pads/new rotors
> --80000 pads/turn rotor
Maybe, but still, most of the time how quickly your brakes wear is
determined by driving style, not whther it's an auto or stick. Heck my
'86 Dodge 4X4 Auto, didn't need brakes till it had 95,000 miles on it.
I'm just saying, whether you let off your gas a good ways before you stop
and let your truck coast to a stop (Autos coast to a stop fairly
effectively to I've found), or you wait till your about to get to
where you stop, then you brake hard all at once (I must admit I've
started to do the latter a little to often lately, I guess I'll brake
myself of the habit after I put a couple of sets of brakes/rotors on)
is going to deterimine the life of your brakes more than anything else.
Bruce
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