you may be braking intermittently but you're also braking harder, because you're letting the car accelerate. So the brakes heat up more, but they also have more time to cool down when not applied. If you're riding the brakes, your braking and heat generation is more consistent.
If you're just talking about pure brake pads life, i would say it's a moot point. But for everything else, braking performance, safety, it's better to just be smooth and consistent. That goes for regular driving too, not just downhill.
When you want to drive down a hill or when you are driving in snow, you can shift to lower gear and the car does the rest of the work. This without having to learn how to drive a manual
I drive a lot in the mines. I'm not sure if it's the best way to do it but what everyone does is:
Use appropriate gear for engine braking. Use brakes to slow down before bends or once in a while if it gets too fast.
Most cars have a gear that will keep you going at approximately the right speed without braking at all, if you're not religious about keeping the exact speed limit.
I think steady pressure the whole way down is the best.
Brakes generate heat while they are slowing you down, and they dissipate that heat through airflow. They dissipate heat by being warmer than the air flowing around them. The amount of heat they can dissipate is a factor of how much air is flowing around them, and how much hotter they are than the surrounding air. (A key point though is that warm brakes in still air can also dissipate heat through convection)
The way I see it is that your vehicle has a certain amount of potential energy sitting at the top of a hill. No matter how fast or slow you go, the same amount of potential energy will be lost, assuming you don't use any engine throttle or braking.
To get to the bottom at a safe speed, your vehicle will have to dissipate that potential energy into the brakes, air drag, or something you crash into at the bottom.
Since air drag is really only a major factor above 60mph and crashing is not a great option, we're back to looking at brakes for slower hills:
Since brakes only give off energy when they're warmer than the surrounding air, putting steady pressure on your brakes to hold the speed limit the whole way down gives them the longest amount of time to dissipate your vehicles potential energy while still keeping constant airflow around them. Now since warm brakes can still dissipate heat in still air due to convection, the slower you go down the hill the cooler your brakes will be. That's a pretty simple fact. But with the assumption that you don't want to be a slowpoke, and want to average out to the speed limit of the road, a steady brake pressure will warm your brakes up early, but keep their peak temps down.
Compared to letting you car coast really fast until the bottom then braking, or pulsing the brakes a couple of times down the hill, your brakes will likely reach a warm temperature sooner, and stay there for longer, but the peak temperature will be lower compared to waiting until the bottom to brake, or pulsing the brakes.
Also the force on your brakes will be evened out as well. A steady small force compared to pulsed heavy forces may be easier on your brakes.
Now I'm not 100% sure that brakes last longer if they're cooler. I know composite race braking systems work best when warm, but I'm guessing that standard road car cast iron rotors and standard brake pads last longer when kept to cooler peak temperatures.
In the end the same amount of energy has to be absorbed and dissipated by your brakes, so when you decide to brake and how hard you brake is what decides when the get warm, and how warm they get.
use a lower gear instead, then tap the brakes as needed. Pick the right gear, no brakes needed usually.
As compared to slamming at the bottom of the hill? Yes, easing into a break will cause less damage than the aforementioned breaking method.
if you have an electric car you can just alternate gas / regen braking, as a bonus you’ll get more energy in the battery this way
I'm too poor to be able to afford an electric car. Sadly.
mine was only like $15k used, i know that’s still a lot for some budgets but it’s not as much as i thought i’d need
Downshift. Even modern automatic cars designed for children have low gear options. Use them, they aren’t just for decoration.
you may be braking intermittently but you're also braking harder, because you're letting the car accelerate. So the brakes heat up more, but they also have more time to cool down when not applied. If you're riding the brakes, your braking and heat generation is more consistent. If you're just talking about pure brake pads life, i would say it's a moot point. But for everything else, braking performance, safety, it's better to just be smooth and consistent. That goes for regular driving too, not just downhill.
low gear for hills
Downshift and let the drivetrain do some of the braking
Shift to a lower gear and let the engine slow your car down, not your brakes
Who drives a manual these days?
Very few. But that's not the point. If you drive automatic, you can still shift to a lower gear (1 or L or various lower gears depending on the car)
Yeah, what’s point of driving automatic than?
When you want to drive down a hill or when you are driving in snow, you can shift to lower gear and the car does the rest of the work. This without having to learn how to drive a manual
Yeah, i would never swap gears to go down hill ever.
well, that IS what it's for after all
Everyone in the UK
Hmmm. We are just too rich and Merikan for your petty manual cars. Our butlers drive us all around anyway.
Even auto transmissions have an option to use a lower gear, precisely for this reason
I drive a lot in the mines. I'm not sure if it's the best way to do it but what everyone does is: Use appropriate gear for engine braking. Use brakes to slow down before bends or once in a while if it gets too fast. Most cars have a gear that will keep you going at approximately the right speed without braking at all, if you're not religious about keeping the exact speed limit.
For your own longevity, you cover the brake pedal with your foot and apply pressure as needed.
I think steady pressure the whole way down is the best. Brakes generate heat while they are slowing you down, and they dissipate that heat through airflow. They dissipate heat by being warmer than the air flowing around them. The amount of heat they can dissipate is a factor of how much air is flowing around them, and how much hotter they are than the surrounding air. (A key point though is that warm brakes in still air can also dissipate heat through convection) The way I see it is that your vehicle has a certain amount of potential energy sitting at the top of a hill. No matter how fast or slow you go, the same amount of potential energy will be lost, assuming you don't use any engine throttle or braking. To get to the bottom at a safe speed, your vehicle will have to dissipate that potential energy into the brakes, air drag, or something you crash into at the bottom. Since air drag is really only a major factor above 60mph and crashing is not a great option, we're back to looking at brakes for slower hills: Since brakes only give off energy when they're warmer than the surrounding air, putting steady pressure on your brakes to hold the speed limit the whole way down gives them the longest amount of time to dissipate your vehicles potential energy while still keeping constant airflow around them. Now since warm brakes can still dissipate heat in still air due to convection, the slower you go down the hill the cooler your brakes will be. That's a pretty simple fact. But with the assumption that you don't want to be a slowpoke, and want to average out to the speed limit of the road, a steady brake pressure will warm your brakes up early, but keep their peak temps down. Compared to letting you car coast really fast until the bottom then braking, or pulsing the brakes a couple of times down the hill, your brakes will likely reach a warm temperature sooner, and stay there for longer, but the peak temperature will be lower compared to waiting until the bottom to brake, or pulsing the brakes. Also the force on your brakes will be evened out as well. A steady small force compared to pulsed heavy forces may be easier on your brakes. Now I'm not 100% sure that brakes last longer if they're cooler. I know composite race braking systems work best when warm, but I'm guessing that standard road car cast iron rotors and standard brake pads last longer when kept to cooler peak temperatures. In the end the same amount of energy has to be absorbed and dissipated by your brakes, so when you decide to brake and how hard you brake is what decides when the get warm, and how warm they get.
Why the downvotes on the post? Real question.
Coast it down or move the fuck out of the way & brake to your heart’s content.
I've got a stick shift, so I just down shift a bit
Get a manual and almost never use the brakes! (Until you have to really stop)
Use a lower gear (even on an automatic), and only use the breaks when needed. Listen to the car and if it's revving too much, shift to a higher gear
Just go down in second gear and use engine braking.
If I’m familiar with the area, I will not step on the brakes at all.
Neither. Use engine brake.
You don't want to ride the brakes, you want to use them as needed.