I was always taught not to press and hold the brake when stopping but rather press and release several times before finally holding it down and stopping thus reducing the speed without putting much pressure on the brake.
It had worked fine for me as I always went 20.000 miles before changing the front pads with my previous cars.
However, I heard that on the ABS system brakes, you should not do that.
Could you share your oppinions on that?
Thanks.

04 Black G 35 Coupe 6 MT

 

Hmm, that pulsing method does not sound correct and a waste of effort.

Normal brakes (not on perf. cars) should last more than 20k miles, so maybe your technique is actually creating more wear.

W/ higher performance brakes, they actually perform better at higher temps, so you should just hold the brake down w/out pulsing. Pulsing defeats the purpose of ABS if you are in an emergency stop situation. To make the Brembo's last longer, you should 'bed' them by firmly braking from 60mph to ~20 mph repeatedly for 10-20 times. I haven't done this yet but I will one of these days.

-------------------------------------------
2004 6MT DG/G Coupe | Premium | Aero Kit | See bio for pix

 

My Brembos feel firmer if I pulse them once before really slowing down.

2003 BLK/BLK 6MT Injen, clear corners, Eibach sways and springs, tint
My G on a photo shoot. More to come!

 

You don't lift with ABS in an emergency situation because it does it for you. If you lock the wheels in non-ABS, you have no control of the car.

I haven't had to brake hard enough to activate ABS in 6K miles of driving.

For normal driving it doesn't matter, lift or hold if it makes you happy.

2004 G35C 6MT Black. Killer.

 

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr>

Hmm, that pulsing method does not sound correct and a waste of effort.

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That is actually very correct. "pumping" of the brakes is not meant so much to extend the life of the brakes as much as reducing the chances of you ending up without your brakes when braking for a long period of time. Example: you are driving on a downhill and start a long and continuous brake - your constant pressure and use of the brake will cause the pads to overheat and temporarily "melt" thus getting to the point of basically losing your braking capability. There is nothing better than pumping the brake pedal on long braking periods especially when there is extra load involved (downhill).

Also, it is not true that with ABS you should not pump the brake pedal - you can do that and actually SHOULD do that. I've been doing it on my car and after 11,000 miles I have used only 25% of the pads (Brembos), leaving me with more than plenty for at least another 20,000 miles easily.



My G-enie

 

I was cut off at 75 mph by some stupid girls (going much slower than me) in a ricer Civic near the 60 West area. It was the first time I ever slammed on the brakes to the point of the ABS kicking in. Let me tell you, it works awesome. I had complete control of the car and narrowly (I'd say 4-5 feet) avoided a major accident. I love my Brembo's and I love the ABS.

Black / Black 2004 GcoupeMT. Premium. Splash Guardz.

 

I don't think he was referring to hills. Any reduction in pad wear under normal stopping conditions by using this will likely be from taking a longer distance to stop. This allows friction in the drivetrain and aerodynamic drag to help slow the car as well. But consider that pumping the brakes or applying it ina steady fashion to maintain a same average speed over the same distance will not have a ton of effect on keeping temperatures or wear down. Taking longer to stop will.


As far as ABS, it only engages when a wheel is about to lock-up. Otherwise it is transparent. When ABS does engage, do not pump the brakes. ABS systems pump the brakes much fast than you can and with the use of electronic sensors, it is able to hold the wheel just beyond the lock-up point which is where braking traction is highest. Throw in the fact that in the real world, traction at all 4 tires will not be equal due to road imperfections or the fact that you might also be turning or swerving to avoid an accident and this becomes even more pronounced. A 4 channel ABS system can keep each wheel individually at the the threshold of lock-up thereby maximizing all available traction. This is why ABS equipped cars can sto so fast. And you'll find a lot of people who compete with ABS equipped cars can take their braking much deepr into a corner as they can trailbrake deeper since they are not limited to the braking force to keep the tire with the least amount of traction from locking up. Pumping the brakes during ABS operation wil shut off the ABS and keep it from slowing the car as quickly.

 

Thank you, guys for all your valuable input. I appreciate your expert advice.

04 Black G 35 Coupe 6 MT

 

Ckwik and MrEllusive are both correct, brake life/pad wear given similar usage will be the same no matter what method you use. I good point to add, if there is a long downhill stretch that you are going to have to continuely brake, and if drag is not enough to keep you at a reasonable speed, dropping down a gear or two (6mt) and engine breaking will save your brakes and prevent overheating. There is always that moron in the SUV or Dulley who is cooking his brakes all the way down the mountain stinking it up for those stuck behind the idiot. Those who board know what I am talking about. An interesting point on the same topic is something called a Jake Brake. You might not know what it is but I gurantee you have heard it pass by on long downhill stretches with big rigs.

 

i just had mine in to look at the squealing from the brembos and after 12000 miles, they say i have 80% of my brakes left. I like to downshift, though.