Braking Tips – Driving Right to Save Money

It’s important to make the brakes of your vehicle lasts as long as you can.  Here are a few braking tips to avoid unnecessary wear.

We often talk about exciting driving dynamics and fun that you can have when you find some open road, but hard acceleration, hard braking, and racing all cause wear and tear on your vehicle.  Your brakes are a consumable part of your vehicle that has to be replaced on a regular basis. In order to make sure your brakes last longer and offer you the performance you want for as long as possible, you need to drive right to reduce the amount of wear on them. Here are some ways you can save your brakes.

Cool Your Brakes

When you have to brake at higher speeds or for longer periods of time they tend to heat up. Higher temps can damage your brakes and the components over time to wear them out sooner. Be aware of the higher temps and harder braking times and try to cool your brakes by driving without braking for as long as possible. The cool air will help to preserve your brakes and the important components that are part of the system.

Proper Maintenance

Your braking system is comprised of more than just the brake pads and rotors. There are several items that need to be maintained and cared for in your brake system. One of the best braking tips is to make sure you follow the owner’s manual guidelines and have the different items lubricated and maintained the right way so that you don’t have to pay more when you change your pads. A bit of prevention will be worth it in the long run for your vehicle.

Back Off

When you drive close to other vehicles, you’re more likely to need to use your brakes more often and have to brake hard when you’re in traffic making your daily commute. Try to leave a larger space between you and the vehicle in front of you so that you can sow smoothly and avoid hard braking. You’ll have to get used to people cutting into your new gap, but this gap can save more than just your brakes.

Look Ahead

If you look ahead more than a couple of cars, you’ll see the road conditions that are coming up and how other drivers are responding to them. This allows you to brake sooner and coast more often. The more you can anticipate what’s going on, the better you can respond and avoid hard braking and the potential of a collision. Keep your eyes moving and see what’s going on farther up the road so that you can have a smooth and easy ride when running errands.

Downshifting

Do you drive a vehicle that has a manual transmission? If so, you can use the gears to help you slow down rather than using your brakes. Downshift when you’re dealing with steep hills or long stops to allow the engine and transmission to slow the vehicle. The engine and transmission both have their own cooling systems to maintain their performance and health. If you have a hybrid or EV, let the regenerative braking system slow you as often as possible and save your brakes as well.

Put these braking tips to work during your daily drive and save yourself some money with one of the consumable parts of your vehicle that won’t have to be replaced as often as before.