Berkeley CSUA MOTD:Entry 16350
Berkeley CSUA MOTD
 
WIKI | FAQ | Tech FAQ
http://csua.com/feed/
2025/04/03 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
4/3     

1999/8/20-22 [Transportation/Car] UID:16350 Activity:high 73%like:16345
8/19    Car gurus: Should I brake hard or brake smoothly to save my
        brake pad and tire? A mechanic told me that if I brake hard, then
        I don't have to change my brake pad as often. However, another
        mechanic disagrees and says that if I brake smoothly, then I
        don't have to change my tire as often. Who is right?
        \_ "brake"
        \_ obviously you need to call Car Talk
        \__ don't brake at all
        \_ if you have a manual transmission, downshift gradually to second
           gear, and then use your brakes at the last moment.  If you have
           an automatic, don't worry about it, it won't make a noticable
           difference no matter what you do--just replace as needed.
        \_ Brake pads are much cheaper than clutch parts.  Stop worrying
           so much about something that wears out 2 or 3 times in your
           vehicle's life.  Break gently because the people in front of you
           get edgy when you wait till the last second to not hit them.
                \_ My brake pads cost a few bucks.  No big deal.  The rest of
                   the assembly was very expensive.  Thank god it was covered.
        \_ ob. RIDE BIKE
           \_ Should I brake hard or smoothly to save the brake of my bike?
                \_ Use only the front brake to save the back one for when you
                   really need it.  That way you'll always have at least one
                   good brake.
                \_ If you want to save a brake, save the front one; the
                   rear brake provides only about 25% of the braking power
                   of the front brake.  -tom
                   \_ Shouldn't the percentage depend on how hard you squeeze
                      the left and rigt brake handles?  -- yuen
           \_ dont brake
        \_ brake in spurts, preferrably while going straight before the
           corner.  the discs/pads air-cool and you don't waste tire
           \_  See?  RIDE BIKE!
        \_ Don't brake, rear-end me and let me sue you for $$$.
           traction you could be using to turn or power out of the turn.
           ride your brakes and you'll overheat them, won't be able to
           make the turns as fast, and maybe you'll fly off the mountain since
           i had to tell you this in the first place.  works for cars
           and bikes.
                \-does anyone put automatic trans car in neutral at red lights?
                i had a friend who did that [in my car] and it drove me nuts.
                                                                        --psb
                  \_ I do at long lights.  The vibration in the steering
                        wheel gets annoying.
                        \_ No.  That's stupid.  You still need to brake or
                           you'll roll (obviously) unless on near perfectly
                           flat road.  Two problems here: your friend is an
                           idiot and you let your friend in the driver's
                           seat.  Get smarter friends or keep the keys.
                                \-this isnt about stopping. it is about
                "is that healthier for your car than leving it in drive and
                pressing the brake hard". i think the benefits in the brake
                area are offset by the shifting. --psb
                \_ Why are there benefits on the brake?  The pads don't wear
                   because the discs/drums aren't rotating during red light.
                   -- yuen
        \_ legalities and stupid driving aside, brake pads are
           *expendable*. they are meant to be worn out, and to be
           replaced, and braking hard or soft isn't going to make
           a difference.  the only difference you can shoot for is
           going for different compounds.  but in the end, if you are
           a normal driver, brake properly and (if that mechanic isn't
           full of shit) replace your pads in 2004 instead of 2005,
           bfd.   --caliban
        \_ Just use the parking brake.  Shift into neutral, then yank that
           lever in the middle real hard!  -mtbb
        \_ If you hit them hard at the end, the people behind you won't have
          time to stop and getting rear ended and then rammed into the car
          in front of you is far worse than replacing your tires or pads one
          extra time over the life of your car.  Smooth and early so you don't
          get hit.  Whiplash is for real and hurts like hell.  The legal
                    and it still sucked to get hang out in the emergency room
          hassles are a nightmare as well.
          \_ Whose fault would the police/court think it is in this case?
             The one in front or the one behind?
             \_ unless their (company's) lawyers are way more expensive
                than yours, you're never at fault for making a stop
                and getting spanked.
                \_ Mostly true.  I won't go into petty legalities where this
                   isn't so.  Anyway, you're better off not getting hit at
                   all, no matter who is legally at fault.  I've been hit and
                   was totally not at fault both legally and in the real sense
                   and it still sucked to get to hang out in the emergency room
                   for xrays, dealing with insurance and inspections for car
                   damage, getting recorded describing it over the phone, etc.
                   Just brake nice and smooth and don't get hit.
                   \_ if you do some crazy braking you are at fault
                      but the other person is gonna need serious witnesses
                       \_ It's not worth it.  Don't get hit.
2025/04/03 [General] UID:1000 Activity:popular
4/3     

You may also be interested in these entries...
2013/7/1-8/23 [Transportation/PublicTransit] UID:54700 Activity:nil
7/1     BART labor union holding the transit infrastructure hostage.
        \_ Yesterday's SFGate poll showed that 11% of the readers sympathize
           with the workers, 17% with the management, and 72% with the riders.
           \_ The millions the Koch Brother's spent are paying off. Workers
              now sympathize more with their masters than.
              now sympathize more with their masters than their own
	...
2012/7/29-9/24 [Transportation/Car, Transportation/Car/RoadHogs] UID:54446 Activity:nil
7/29    Is it really true that we subsidize auto driving to the tune of
        $5k/yr? Shit I could probably hire a private driver for less...
        http://tinyurl.com/cars-suck-ass
        \_ You might have missed the point.  Hiring a chauffeur to drive your
           private vehicle won't change the amount of gasoline your private
           vehicle use or the amount of real estate it uses on freeways and
	...
2012/7/9-8/19 [Transportation/Car] UID:54433 Activity:nil
7/9     http://infoproc.blogspot.com/2012/07/nice-guys-finish-last.html
        A study at the Berkeley Marina intersection shows that people
        with nice asshole-cars break the law more frequently.
        \_ Alpha animals.
            \_ sense of entitlement coupled with willingness to pay fines.
               One of the better Freakonomics chapters was about a study
	...
2011/12/5-2012/1/10 [Transportation/Car/Hybrid] UID:54250 Activity:nil
12/5    "Eight Ferraris wrecked in million-dollar pileup"
        http://www.csua.org/u/uw3 (autos.yahoo.com)
        "Police and video reports say the wreck began when a 60-year-old
        businessman from Fukushima driving a Ferrari F430 attempted to pass a
        Toyota Prius, but instead hit the guardrail.  That set off a chain
        reaction among the cars driving in a tight formation behind the lead
	...