I think my brakes SUCK - CEG Archives

Alright guys. I need your help once again

. Yesterday I was driving down the street when the I had to make a panic stop to keep from rear-ending the guy that swerved in front of me to keep from plowing the guy in front of him. I didnt hit him, but I realized that as i slammed the pedal, my car did not slow down at near the rate that it should have considering i had the pedal all the way down. I was really expecting to hear tires squalling but they did not. Is this normal? My mom "had the brakes done" before she sold it to me but she does not remember what they did to her brakes. My tires are slightly wider than factory sized tires, but I dont think that that will have that much of an impact on overall braking performance. If anyone has any ideas where i should start, let me know. It would be greatly appreciated. (99 SE v6 atx 81K, if it matters.) Thanks guys

if your car has abs it would keep the tires from screeching during a had stop. during a hard stop and abs equipped car would feel as if the brakes were going on and off in a seemingly random way as you mashed down on the pedal. screeching stops aren't a good thing anyways. I dont know if that helps, but I figured I should throw that in.

Do you have ABS?? That might explain it.

Oh sorry guys. No, I do not have abs. i dont need to do screeching stops all the time, im just kinda worried now because i know that I couldnt do one if need be. Thanks guys.

screeching means your tires LOST traction... aka.. a bad thing.

You never NEED to screech when stopping.

you want to modulate the pedal to the VERGE of screeching, but let off just as it would start doing that..

Ray

Did you find anything out, yet???)

Ray

Originally posted by Ray:
screeching means your tires LOST traction... aka.. a bad thing.

You never NEED to screech when stopping.

you want to modulate the pedal to the VERGE of screeching, but let off just as it would start doing that..

Ray

I agree, but it will not even come close to the point of almost screeching.

Sounds like you need to find out exactly what was done to the brakes and when. Or at least have the system looked over by someone knowledgable about brakes. More than likely you should have the system flushed with good, fresh brake fluid, and check to see if the pads and rotors are all still good, and that the calipers are all assembled correctly and not sticking, etc.

Thanks for your help guys.

You should be able to lock up the brakes if you don't have ABS. Locking up the brakes is the fastest way to stop on DRY pavement(and your brakes will screech in this case). You may have air in the lines.
In a couple of cases, I had to do this in the past in cars without ABS and I am glad the brakes locked or else I would have been under the truck in front of me.

Wrong... Wrong... Wrong..

If you are screeching, you've LOST traction, period.

NOT the fastest way to stop with a non-abs equipped car.

As stated, modulating the brake pedal at the verge of lock up but NOT skidding is the most efficient stopping method.

Now, I am sorry that you almost hit a truck, and I am glad that you didn't, but the difference was NOT in the fact that you were skidding. If anything, that made you closer.

Ray

Originally posted by Ray:
Wrong... Wrong... Wrong..

If you are screeching, you've LOST traction, period.

NOT the fastest way to stop with a non-abs equipped car.

As stated, modulating the brake pedal at the verge of lock up but NOT skidding is the most efficient stopping method.

Ray is correct. That is why there are ABS equipped cars - to prevent LOCKUP & shorten stopping distances.

Mostly in the dry. In snow ABS actually INCREASES stopping distances!

Originally posted by v6contourse:
Alright guys. I need your help once again . Yesterday I was driving down the street when the I had to make a panic stop to keep from rear-ending the guy that swerved in front of me to keep from plowing the guy in front of him. I didnt hit him, but I realized that as i slammed the pedal, my car did not slow down at near the rate that it should have considering i had the pedal all the way down. I was really expecting to hear tires squalling but they did not. Is this normal? My mom "had the brakes done" before she sold it to me but she does not remember what they did to her brakes. My tires are slightly wider than factory sized tires, but I dont think that that will have that much of an impact on overall braking performance. If anyone has any ideas where i should start, let me know. It would be greatly appreciated. (99 SE v6 atx 81K, if it matters.) Thanks guys

For me at least, I have discovered a perception that there "is something wrong with the brakes" any time you find that you have overdriven the situation and you just didn't allow enough room to stop. It is a natural feeling that I have had many customers describe to me as well.

Perhaps that is part of what you are feeling.

Originally posted by Stazi:
Mostly in the dry. In snow ABS actually INCREASES stopping distances!

Even in dry conditions someone well skilled in "threshold braking" can often stop better than ABS can do.

The biggest advantage of ABS is that it is somewhat "idiot proof" and will aid someone who for any variety of reasons is in over their head.

Including such situations as:
"Deer in the headlights"
"Boy, am I tired... zzzzzz.. WHAT THA..."
and
"Where did my cell phone g.... OH S.."

Ray

All you gotta do is pull the abs fuse...

Even though, yes, threshold braking without ABS is going to give you shorter stopping distances, I think it's a bit of an oversight to say ABS is for idiots.

Our natural reaction to impending collision is a surge of adrenaline followed by slamming down on the "stop me so I don't kill myself pedal," not so much "let me apply and then feather the pedal so as to achieve optimum braking levels"

in the dirt abs will take longer to stop as well

Originally posted by Zetetic:

Our natural reaction to impending collision is a surge of adrenaline followed by slamming down on the "stop me so I don't kill myself pedal," not so much "let me apply and then feather the pedal so as to achieve optimum braking levels"

the point of learning to drive is to learn to stop being the former and begin being the latter.

Originally posted by JB1:
in the dirt abs will take longer to stop as well

Originally posted by Zetetic:

Our natural reaction to impending collision is a surge of adrenaline followed by slamming down on the "stop me so I don't kill myself pedal," not so much "let me apply and then feather the pedal so as to achieve optimum braking levels"

the point of learning to drive is to learn to stop being the former and begin being the latter.

Learn to stop having natural reactions? No, I would argue part - but not the point of - of learning to drive is learning to be cognizant of these reactions and control them as much as possible.

On a very related note, I believe every driver should know how their vehicle behaves under panic braking. I recommend to everyone they try a 20mph and then a 35mph stop in a deserted area. This gives people a better idea of what to expect should the situation ever come up yet does not enter into dangerous territory. First time I ever dipped into ABS I was quite surprised by exactly how it felt!