[Infidel]

Just wondering - what is the best way to slow down: Drop into neutral and brake or downshift through the gears and brake? Personally, I prefer to downshift, allowing the engine to help slow the car and save the brake pads. One thing I've wondered though. Does slowing the car down with the engine put more wear on the engine than it's worth (comparing the cost of brake pads to repairing the transmission)?

[Rev]

When you drop into neutral while braking, you have no engine compression to aid you slow down.

I downshift to assist the braking ...

[soileauj]

I downshift also. I believe in the manual there is a section on engine braking.

I "rev match" down shift as well, when done properly it's just as smooth as braking.

[GotSTI?]

Originally Posted by BOOST

I "rev match" down shift as well, when done properly it's just as smooth as braking.

(ping) right on the money.

[thunderbird]

I slam the clutch into the next lower gear and pop the clutch. I can't wait to try that technique out on an autocross course (in mid-turn ;-)

[Enchanter]

Race car engineer ledged, Carol Smith, wrote in his book Drive to Win that braking distances will be shortest when the driver is only concentrating on braking. Shifting and rev-matching will only increase braking distance.

If downshifting while braking makes you stop in a shorter distance, then you are not using the wheel brakes to their fullest potential.

[12SecSTI]

braking? who needs that,

[mike_]

Coming to a full stop? just the brakes, car typically in neutral or not if I'm just coasting froma low gear. Slowing down for a turn? Brake and rev match to correct gear. Brake pads are cheaper to replace than clutches and synchros.

[Hawaii_guy]

Brakes? Nah, no need. Just slam into the wall and ride it. Just like how I do when doing Nurburgring in Grand Turismo 4. hehe


Hawaii_guy

[GZA]

Originally Posted by Hawaii_guy

Brakes? Nah, no need. Just slam into the wall and ride it. Just like how I do when doing Nurburgring in Grand Turismo 4. hehe


Hawaii_guy

haha

[jlcool007]

rev mathing (and or heel toe) is used to:

1. keep the car in its powerband for a faster exit out of the turn

2. to keep the car from lurching after a bad downshiftunsettling the weight bias to the front of the car, thus losin some of the grip you had in the rear

3. it just sounds soo cool and tell others that you know how to drive a car, not jsut bang gears

-spyder

[ayanami22]

rev match is the way to go

[jermdeez]

Double clutch/rev match are cool, i do it to save some brakes, but do you do it each gear everytime?? usually I will downshift to third or so and then ill brake and coast the rest of the way depending on stop sign etc.

[Freon]

In day to day traffic I'll downshift until I get to 3rd, but then I'll disengage at about 1000rpm and coast to a stop. I rev match, usually without heal-toe. Sometimes I will heel-toe or just pop the clutch, but thats a bit rare. I usually give myself plenty of time to stop, wait until I get down to 2000rpm or so, pop the accelerator and shift. If I need to emergency brake I'll just slam the brake and press the clutch in before it gets to stall range.

I'm not concerned about saving pads, but I tend to think it is slightly safer to keep the car in gear while traveling at medium to high road speeds.

I assume (haven't installed WB yet) that the engine cuts fuel at zero throttle >1500rpm like most modern cars. So you might save a bit on gas over coasting, which requires fuel to idle.