chimmy

... you can stop faster than everyone else?

I had 2 really scary experiences today, back to back. Both on the drive in to work today. First I had this guy that was really weird in front of me. A car started to turn in to the same lane that we were in and the guy really over reacted and locked up his wheels. I hit the brakes pretty hard and then I hear squealing from behind me. I look up in my mirror and see this sedan coming at me really fast. I zip forward as close as possible to the car in front of me (still stopped in the road). The sedan behind me just barely stopped even after I pulled up. I got around the car in front of me and left him in the dust. Not 2 minutes later a guy pulls up to turn on to the road. He must not know how big his hood is and pulls out far enough in to the road to block 1/3 of it. I again had to hit the brakes pretty hard and again behind me I hear the squealing coming from behind me. Its some jeep heading right for me. I again zip forward, and the jeep comes pretty close to hitting me.

Now this isn't the first time that I have noticed I can stop a lot faster than most people on the road. Its really unnerving to know that while I am avoiding people in front of me people could be coming up on my a$$ really fast.

Why can't everyone know how to drive? Do you guys change the way you drive because you can stop fast? What do you change?

Tedster

I know what you mean!

Even stock, I'm sure the S2000 can outbrake the vast majority of the cars on the road.

One thing you can do is to always know who's behind you and how far back, and what other lanes are available for you to escape into. Use those mirrors!

Ted

jerrypeterson

4 out of 11 of my Hondas were totalled because of the above criterion. Uhh, yeah I'm worried, but I refuse to live in paranoia.

chimmy

Wow... I am glad to hear that I am not alone in this but at the same time it really sucks. I almost thought of switching back to stock brakes. They didn't stop me nearly as fast as these. I am going to watch people behind me more. I agree Jerry I am not going to live in paranoia. Its definitely something that I am going to be a lot more conscious of.

pkoop

Response to Chimmy:

Everyone will never know how to drive, especially in this country. One experience of mine in Italy is that everyone, on average, is more aware as a driver than this country. Better is more difficult to define. The CART and F1 drivers are always in traffic to the max. And, magnitudes more aware and better...

One story: I was in a four/five lane arterial (Lucca, IT) proceeding at a decent pace (~40mph) for medium/heavy traffic around a broad turn to the right when I "thought" I had to be in the inner lane for an upcoming left turn. I flashed my left turn signal (not something that Italians even do as a rule), hit the throttle to drop in the hole, not causing the driver behind me to hit the breaks, end of sentence. The driver behind me, probably 65 years old, didn't even flinch (I was watching). So I get around what turns out to be this huge S-curve (I mean 4/5 lanes in both directions) only to discover that I actually had to take a right! Same process: signal, hole jump, but not end of story. The drive that had been following me honks his horn, shakes his fist (as only Italians can do) as iff to say "Hey, you idiot. I don't mind your cutting me off (okay, it was a little close), but not if you didn't have to do it in the first place!" One more lesson learned.

P.S. Jerry, great to meet you at the Reopening, and a nicely done CD too.

chimmy

My first experience after the brakes were broken in, was on 520 just west of the 148th on ramp. I thought that I was just on dryer road then the people in front of me. It was one of those cases where people come over the little hill and then have to hit the brakes hard because there is a pile up to get on 405. I hit the brakes like I still had stock pads. I stopped so fast is startled me. It was the first time that I had any experience with brakes which out performed my expectations. I can't wait until I actually get an S2000 so I can see what real brakes are like Maybe in a year or two... Of course I could win the lottery

MSRS2K

I've always been confused about this. If stock breaks (on any car) are sufficient to lock up the wheels (or engage the ABS if present), then how will upgrading the breaks improve breaking??? I understand how changing the breaks (pads, rotors, lines, fluid, etc) will help in a track situation where heat and break fade becomes an issue, but that is not an issue in a simple one-time panic stop situation on the road. And I realize that changing the breaks will vastly change the feel of the break pedal. But if stock breaks are able to provide enough friction to over come the static friction of the tires on the road, how can you do any better without changing to gripier tires?

I suspect changing the breaks just provides a perception of more stopping power. For instance, less pedal pressure gives more breaking force.



- Michael

jerrypeterson

Your observation is correct Michael. The stock brake system cannot be improved upon without increasing the available traction via tire upgrades.

Tedster

Yup, Michael is correct in terms of stopping power. It's also possible for upgrades to improve 'feel', or the ability to carefully control modulation, so you can brake on the threshold of ABS engagement

Also, I believe chimmy was referring to an Integra with upgraded brakes in his case.

pkoop

You might enjoy , this month discussing the physics of braking.