1985-1998 [Subscribe to Daily Digest] |
As fundamental as this sounds, the best way to prolong the life of brake components is to not use them, or at least use them as little as possible. Using the brakes negates the work accomplished by the engine to get the car mass moving, thus any such action is counter-productive and affects gas consumption and brake component life.
It is better to use the engine for braking whenever possible, but there's a limit to the benefits of this procedure. Downshifting to brake is a bad idea because it stresses engine components that are far more costly than brake parts. The best way to prolong brake life and enhance fuel efficiency is to anticipate stops by gradually slowing down using the engine's own braking, or better yet no engine braking at all by coasting in neutral. I look blocks ahead and anticipate stops, coasting in neutral or 5th gear when possible without impeding traffic. If properly executed, this can be accomplished without inspiring road rage from the driver behind you or slowing your own progress. If you must stop ahead, it is counter-productive to prolong the engagement of the stopping process. Thus, it's best to start stopping as early as possible by releasing the throttle and applying the brakes as late as possible.
Oddly, coasting in neutral is illegal in many areas, but your chances of getting ticketed for this infraction is nil since there's no evidence to convict, nor do most cops even know it's illegal even if they could recognize it. Also, this likely is a good idea only for cars with manual transmissions, but I also sometimes wonder if transmission life would be prolonged if gears were normally engaged while moving. I wrote Saab back in the mid '80's when I owned a C900, asking if coasting was potentially damaging to the transaxle. They wrote back saying that it was not with "modern" gearboxes. I presume, therefore, that later gearboxes can also be coasted without potential damage.
By using this philosophy, I find brake component life to be exemplary. I've never replaced or turned a rotor in my entire automotive experience of 33 years--including five Saabs, two of which were driven well over 100k miles. On 9K's, I usually get about 70k on front, 50k on rear pads (Repco/Axxis/PBR Deluxe without exception). I change brake fluid every two years and have also never replaced or overhauled a caliper or master cylinder on a non-classic. My '66 'Vette is a case all its own with its four-piston calipers with spring-loaded pads, but that's another story.
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