Engine braking may be more properly considered an additional but separateelement of vehicle speed control. There's a reason for signs that read "Trucks Use Lower Gear" (that car/SUV/pickup drivers should follow when pulling a trailer) and an explanation for why brake pads/shoes in manual tranny cars tend to last longer than they do in cars equipped with automatics that are otherwise identical.

If you're looking and planning ahead and are willing to let the gap between yourself and the vehicle ahead of you stretch and shrink a bit, many times engine braking is all you need - and you'll tend to maintain a steadier pace as well.


Norm

 

[sm=icon_rofl.gif]

really because he is right... with brakes, if you lose braking power, you're ****ed, sure you still have non-power assisted braking, but what if your brake lines were cut... then have to try and stop in a big hurry.

with engine braking, if you have a manual tranny, and you put it in gear, you are in gear, thats it. and you cant very well get a car going that will later not stop due to engine braking with a manual tranny. so yes, more control


so I will do you a favor and throw your idiotic statement right back at ya you arrogant *****.


maybe next time you can learn to have a little more respect for the other members of this forum.

 

[sm=owned.gif] I couldn't agree more.

One other factor......in a 4x4 you can use downshifting is very slippery conditions (ice) to maintain control and stop much faster than brakes alone. You do have greater control in a lower gear while braking in any vehicle.

 

OK another stupid question.

If you are still double clutching then what is the point in having a synchromesh transmission in the first place? Wasn't it invented at least in part to eliminate having to do that?

 

I would say it was invented to make the average joe able to use a manual transmission. You don't have to double clutch per say. IMO i like doing it because it helps smooth things out and causes less wear on the the drivetrain. And if you want to take off in a hurry it really helps.

 

(1) You don't always get it absolutely perfect.

(2) Why make the synchros work any harder than they have to? The average manual tranny car owner is really only interested in obtaining smooth upshifts and prolonging tranny life based on that. That's a much easier task for the synchros to handle, as the engine revs and the revs of the tranny input bits are all slowing down like they have to. Downshifts made at times other than while rolling slowly is really an enthusiast technique. Point being that if you're going to drive enthusiastically, take care of the equipment. Most actual wheel-to-wheel racing downshifts no longer use this method, but most people would not want to cope with the increased maintenance and repair that's part of the cost of race-level competitive driving - in their daily driver.


Norm

 

Really? I would think that traction is ultimately going to govern how fast you stop, and applying braking force in conjunction with ABS right up to the edge of traction should stop you faster than applying one fixed brake force with the engine.

Anyway, our Mustangs are two-wheel drive, so I doubt that whatever you're thinking of applies to us.

How do you have greater control? ABS can monitor slippage and give you more or less brake at each individual wheel; engine braking is what it is based on RPM - might be too much for traction conditions, since you have no way of varying it. The best control would probably be with the engine disengaged from the wheels, since the most likely possibility with the engine driving the wheels or back torquing them is to upset balance one way or the other.

 

I want to see all of you doing your engine brake thing going downhill in a wet surface and see who is in control.

This is a sporty car, this aint a truck.

This car is rear wheel drive and very tail happy (even light years better than a fox)

One thing is coasting with a gear, or holding the car with it.

Another thing is braking with the engine.

I see most of you haven't heard the world "balance" or have not read anything about sport driving techniques.

BTW, I did not call any names here, I only said that, that statment is one of the dumbest I've ever read here, and stand by it.

But don't worry, me, the arrogant *****, wont end with my stang as hat.

 

all I can say is wow.

 

How 'bout we agree that 'control' and 'braking at the limit' are two rather different things. Yes, what the limit happens to be at any particular instant matters. And downhill on a wet surface won't teach you about effective brake balance nearly as fast as downhill on a snowy/slushy road can.


Norm