Having a nice smooth brake is essential in maintaining your car’s good performance.
Good drivers that know what they’re doing always get a rush of sweet satisfaction whenever they smoothly brake.
Do you know if you smoothly brake?
Do you intentionally aim for smooth braking at all times?
We’ve got you covered if you have a problem in this area.
In this post, we’d give you pro tips on dos and don’ts when it comes to braking smoothly.
Keeping your brakes working smoothly offers a bounty of benefits.
You should endeavor to learn more about it if you want to always keep your car in tip-top shape.
What do people mean when a car brakes smoothly?
But first, do you even know what it means to brake smoothly?
To truly know your goal and where you’re headed, it’s important to know what braking smoothly truly means.
Defining smooth braking is pretty simple because it is an ideal state.
You achieve it whenever you brake and you come to a safe and complete stop without experiencing shaking, grinding, slipping, or having your car lurch forward.
You smoothly brake when you brake follows your will to a T.
Dos and Don’ts on Braking Smoothly
Aiming for smooth braking is very simple and easy.
It can easily be achieved with consistent practice. It all boils down to knowing how to smoothly transition between accelerating and braking.
You just need to master the following techniques that we’d share and we can assure you that you’d be a smoothly braking before you even know it!
1. Be aware of your speed.
You need to always be aware of your speed if you want to smoothly brake.
Rough braking is often caused by speeding. Always remember that it takes more effort for your car to have a complete stop if you drive fast.
The faster you drive, the harder it would be for your car to achieve a complete stop. Rushing to a stop sign is never the best time to practice braking smoothly.
You should always be aware of marked speed limits.
All speed limits are pre-calculated and strategically placed to cater to visibility, conditions, and crash risk.
2. The size of your vehicle matters.
Size matters if you want to achieve smooth braking. A larger vehicle requires more force to reach a full stop. Smaller vehicles need less.
If you’re driving a big truck or SUV, you need to brake earlier to achieve a smooth full stop.
If you drive a coupe or sedan, you need not brake early as you don’t need extra force for a full stop.
3. Your stopping distance will affect your braking.
Your car has its braking or stopping distance. It is the distance that it runs after you opted to brake.
Every car’s stopping distance is different as numerous factors affect it like speed, size, and weight.
The following factors can also affect your car’s stopping distance:
- road conditions
- worn struts and shocks
- worn tires
- how long it took you to apply the brakes
- your brake’s conditions
The following factors can add extra feet to your car’s stopping distance.
Be aware of the following at all times so that you’d be able to prepare for a smooth stop at all times.
4. Never slam your brakes.
This is something that all drivers already know but just so it’s clear and just so it’s stressed that it plays a big role in achieving smooth braking — you should never ever slam the brakes.
Avoid such a damaging act at all costs.
This is the most important factor that you should always keep in mind.
Slamming on your brakes prevents you from braking smoothly and even prematurely wear out your brake pads.
If you have prematurely worn-out brake pads, you’d experience squealing, shaking, and grinding whenever you brake. Experiencing the following does not contribute to smooth braking at all.
You Will Reap Numerous Benefits from Smooth Braking
Apart from the joy of experiencing a smooth stop at all times, the practice of smooth braking also helps you maintain your car’s good performance.
Your car receives less strain and damage if you know how to practice smooth braking.
Never forget that you’re in control of a two-ton vehicle and it always needs serious effort and force to achieve a full stop.
As the driver, you should have the insight to anticipate all known factors necessary to achieve smooth braking.
Always keep a good speed that matches your vehicle type.
Never forget to consider your stopping distance and avoid slamming your brakes at all costs.
For best car performance at all times, endeavor to always have your tires, brakes, and suspension systems inspected on a regular schedule.
Regular inspection will allow you to see minor concerns that can later become big problems
Deal With Your Braking Issues Effectively
Bad brakes can never give drivers a smooth brake.
You can be the best driver there is and still end up not having smooth brakes because you already have failing brakes.
If your car still fails to brake smoothly regardless of how gentle you use your brake, it’s time to have it checked.
Here at The Automotive Men, we can take care of all your braking needs.
We can accurately evaluate your braking system and recommend everything that you need to do to have in tip-top shape. Feel free to schedule an appointment with us anytime as we’re always ready to help and be of service.