Date: Sat, 14 Sep 2013 13:42:16 -0700
Reply-To: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@TURBOVANS.COM>
Organization: Cosmic Reminders
Subject: Re: Why Bigger Brakes Was Cause of brake rotor warping
In-Reply-To: <20130914094200.RX15T.304735.imail@eastrmwml214>
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Hi Dave ...
obviously .....one doesn't waituntil loss of control of descent speed is
starting to happen.
I think you live in an area that does not have a lot of long or steep
descents.
Those two mentioned the other day are classic descents on the West
coast (where there are many long chalelening descents' )
as soon as one starts into one of those ..if thinking and at all a
skilled driver ..you go right into 'long steep descent mode' ..
you keep speed down, you downshift etc.
done right ...there's never any feel of brake fade.
Heck ..if someone ever feels brake fade affect at all, they've already
over-driven the brakes.
If that does happen ..you immeidately go into 'even slower more careful
mode' .
'usually' when a truck can't control their descent speed ...they may
have never built up much real speed.
a say 60,000 lb truck can be going 7 mph and not be able to stop. Even
slowerthat that sometimes.
So probably, most of thetime trucks don't fly into those gravel traps
at say 60+.
I think I have seen just one ever in a gravel trap ..
and I doubt they entered going very fast at all.
there is a LOT one can do that's intelligent when braking any vehicle.
It's not just 'pushing on that pedaland seeing what happens.'
Develope a feel for it. Use your brakes all kinds of ways that you
wouldn't usually in safe places.
People should have an idea what their van is going to do in a panic stop
situation at say 70 mph.
Of course people should never 'drive into' situations
where there's going to be any panic stop situation.
Manypeople do though ...'most drivers' are fairly clueless.
not montioring what's going on behind them and way behind them..
or WAY out in front of them ..
they let people fly formation on them, follow too close ..
drive alongside buses and trucks for miles at a time..
and many other dumb things ..
and..
heck ..even in a panic stop ..it is not 'cream on the brake pedal full
instaneous effort' .
that's good way to loose control of the vehicle.
Even in a 'oh crap !!' panic stop ...use 'feel' ....you want the tires (
on dry pavement ) just short of lock-up.
if fact ...super modern high tech cars like BMW's and Mercedes can tell
when the driver has freaked out and is in full panic stop mode, and will
operate the breaks appropriately and much better than a paniced typical
clueless driver can.
Electro-hydrualic brakes ..all computer controlled, can do things like
drag the pads very lightly on the discs in rainy conditions..to keeep
the pads dry.
Modern cars have 'electronic brake force distribution' ..
the sensors and computers in the cars are working hard to get the
absolute most out of the brakes.
Heck ....some exotic cars have carbon ceramic brakes that are an 8,000+
dollar option.
Those don't fade, period.
Just drive smart is all ! Drive within the capabilities of the
vehicle and stay 'AWAY' from other cars as much as possible - you'd
think people would realize this, but they don't. One gender I am sure
feels better closer to other cars ...like that's more trusting and
intimate driving that way ... ...something that we are not allowed to
say ..but it's an actual factor.
I've had someone 'lock on' to me at night ..
on totally empty roads ..over and over ...just could not shake 'em ..
whether I sped up or slowed down ...every 10 minutes or so ..there'd
they be ..'locked on' again ..close to me, on a totally empty deserted
road. Sure enough ..it wasn't a man.
try to drive AWAY from other vehicles please ! It can onlyhelp. Dense
traffic is a differen story of course.
And even then people don't see how to 'control and defend their
position' intelligently in the whole mass.
besafe !
On 9/14/2013 6:42 AM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
> Well Scott, what does one do if the brakes are overheated, but not using them will result in uncontrollable speed? I have never had this situation, though I have driven on some several mile long, steep grades. But some people have. Truckers certainly have faced that situation, to the point that highways are equipped with runaway truck ramps. I can sure imagine the fear involved in having to pull into one of those things! mcneely
>
> ---- Scott Daniel <scottdaniel@turbovans.com> wrote:
>> I hope everyone recognizes it's better to cool brakes by driving and not
>> using them, then to just stop with very hot brakes.
>>
>>
>> On 9/13/2013 8:29 PM, Dave Mcneely wrote:
>>> ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote:
>>>> I certainly didn't do it on purpose. In both cases when it happened I just didn't think it would, but there was never a place to get off the brakes and let them cool. Constant downgrade and suddenly overheated!
>>> What gear were you in? Was there a place to stop? Maybe not, on some mountain roads there is no place to pull over. But in a low gear one is usually able to keep the speed down enough to rest the brakes sometimes.
>>>> On Sep 13, 2013, at 3:54 PM, <mcneely4@cox.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> ---- Mike Miller <mwmiller6@ATT.NET> wrote:
>>>>>> Haven't had to gear down yet, but I haven't gone over those two roads again either
>>>>> I don't have to be on brutally downhill roads to gear down and avoid excessive braking. I have never overheated brakes, and I don't intend to. mcneely
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> ________________________________
>>> --
>>> David McNeely
>>>
> --
> David McNeely
>