I'm one lucky guy!
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I would agree that tires have more to do with stopping distances than brakes. Have you ever tried to stop on ice? Brakes turn kinetic energy into heat. Ice doesn't decrease the ability of brakes to turn that energy into heat, but losing traction does greatly increase stopping distance. Ever try to stop on bald tires? Not so great.
Think about it another way. Would you rather stop with huge race style brakes with wet tires or worn breaks with dry tires? Personally i would choose the later. The contact patches of your tire are much larger than the contact patches of your brakes, therefore the tires produce more friction, which in turn transfers more kinetic energy into heat.
Also, of the cars on that list how many are even close to the s2k in terms of price? I see the evo, sti, crossfire, rx8, mr2, saab, touareg, g35. Half of them are within 3 feet of stopping distance, which is less than a fraction of a second in reaction time. And sorry, but 9 feet isn't the difference between the morgue and walking away. In the last 9 feet of an emergency stop from 80mph you can't be going more than 25mph, tops. Thats nearly 1/3 of your speed in 1/12 of your stopping distance. Thats residential driving speeds. People do not die (very often) going those speeds given todays crash technology. You can calculate your speed in those last 9 feet, but I am too tired to go dig out my physics book and look up the equations.
Think about it another way. Would you rather stop with huge race style brakes with wet tires or worn breaks with dry tires? Personally i would choose the later. The contact patches of your tire are much larger than the contact patches of your brakes, therefore the tires produce more friction, which in turn transfers more kinetic energy into heat.
Also, of the cars on that list how many are even close to the s2k in terms of price? I see the evo, sti, crossfire, rx8, mr2, saab, touareg, g35. Half of them are within 3 feet of stopping distance, which is less than a fraction of a second in reaction time. And sorry, but 9 feet isn't the difference between the morgue and walking away. In the last 9 feet of an emergency stop from 80mph you can't be going more than 25mph, tops. Thats nearly 1/3 of your speed in 1/12 of your stopping distance. Thats residential driving speeds. People do not die (very often) going those speeds given todays crash technology. You can calculate your speed in those last 9 feet, but I am too tired to go dig out my physics book and look up the equations.
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Home
Originally Posted by Caffeinated21,May 4 2005, 05:24 PM
ABS significantly reduces stoping distances; just look at any test of stopping distances, non ABS cars are alot worse than those with ABS. Just recently for example, Motor trend did a test of the three Evo's, and the RS, the stripper without ABS, had the worst braking performance despite being the lightest.What are the tires on the stripped car compared to the others?
What are the size of the rotors on the stipped car compared ot the others?
What are the calipers like on the stripped down version compared to the others?
I am not saying that cars equipped with ABS don't stop as well. I am saying that once you get INTO the ABS you don't stop as quickly.
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Okay, going 80mph you are travelling at 117.333 feet per second (80mph*5280 feet/mile= 422400 feet/hr.
422400feet/hr / (60min/hr * 60sec/min)= 117.333 feet/sec.
So your 9 feet, which "lands you in the morgue", is equivalent to a reaction time of 0.0767 seconds.
I don't buy that <8/100th of a second is all that seperates you from the morgue at 80mph.
Just something to think about for all of you who say the S "brakes poorly".
Also, when do you go from 80mph to 0mph? I think a better test would be 80mph up to a line, then swerve around an obstacel while braking (think lane change test to those who know what I am talking about). For example, if you are driving along at 80 and see a deer in the road, do you A) slam on the brakes and hope to stop? or B) slam on the brakes and try to swerve around it?
Just trying to get a rise out of the crowd.
422400feet/hr / (60min/hr * 60sec/min)= 117.333 feet/sec.
So your 9 feet, which "lands you in the morgue", is equivalent to a reaction time of 0.0767 seconds.
I don't buy that <8/100th of a second is all that seperates you from the morgue at 80mph.
Just something to think about for all of you who say the S "brakes poorly".
Also, when do you go from 80mph to 0mph? I think a better test would be 80mph up to a line, then swerve around an obstacel while braking (think lane change test to those who know what I am talking about). For example, if you are driving along at 80 and see a deer in the road, do you A) slam on the brakes and hope to stop? or B) slam on the brakes and try to swerve around it?
Just trying to get a rise out of the crowd.
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Joined: Feb 2005
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From: Chicago
Originally Posted by herrsonic,May 4 2005, 08:21 AM
U got lucky bro. 
But maybe the cop was trying to get home as fast as possible upon learning that his wife was giving the nookies to one of his buddies. 
Just don't get caught cuz u might get an ass-whooping like Rodney King.
U also got lucky with the fuzzbuster because those things are not so good picking up cop radar with the cop coming up on u unless there's alot of objects around to reflect the signals. The signals get bounced off objects in the front of your car and comes back to your radar detector. I still would recommend one. They're not fool-proof but they work.
As for the brakes, it's always a bad idea to slam on the brakes. I doubt this is what happened, but the brakes on the S are good although they can be better.
But maybe the cop was trying to get home as fast as possible upon learning that his wife was giving the nookies to one of his buddies. Just don't get caught cuz u might get an ass-whooping like Rodney King. U also got lucky with the fuzzbuster because those things are not so good picking up cop radar with the cop coming up on u unless there's alot of objects around to reflect the signals. The signals get bounced off objects in the front of your car and comes back to your radar detector. I still would recommend one. They're not fool-proof but they work.
As for the brakes, it's always a bad idea to slam on the brakes. I doubt this is what happened, but the brakes on the S are good although they can be better.
Joined: Mar 2003
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From: Home
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/vrtc/ca/capub...999-01-1287.pdf
Just seems like this MIGHT be a little more reliable than C&D comparo.
Just seems like this MIGHT be a little more reliable than C&D comparo.
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From: Kingman
If you can lock up your tires or go into ABS during a stop test, then your TIRES are the weak link. At this point your brakes are at 100% and no better brake pads, calipers, hydraulic system (with exception of ABS operating specs/params) would be able to stop your tires even more.
If no matter how hard you step on your brake pedal and cannot get the tires to either lock up (skid) or go into ABS then your brake system is the weak link.
That said, I'm willing to bet 95% of cars stop times are based on the tires.
If no matter how hard you step on your brake pedal and cannot get the tires to either lock up (skid) or go into ABS then your brake system is the weak link.
That said, I'm willing to bet 95% of cars stop times are based on the tires.
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Originally Posted by v-tecie,May 4 2005, 06:20 PM
Okay, going 80mph you are travelling at 117.333 feet per second (80mph*5280 feet/mile= 422400 feet/hr.
422400feet/hr / (60min/hr * 60sec/min)= 117.333 feet/sec.
So your 9 feet, which "lands you in the morgue", is equivalent to a reaction time of 0.0767 seconds.
I don't buy that <8/100th of a second is all that seperates you from the morgue at 80mph.
Just something to think about for all of you who say the S "brakes poorly".
Also, when do you go from 80mph to 0mph? I think a better test would be 80mph up to a line, then swerve around an obstacel while braking (think lane change test to those who know what I am talking about). For example, if you are driving along at 80 and see a deer in the road, do you A) slam on the brakes and hope to stop? or B) slam on the brakes and try to swerve around it?
Just trying to get a rise out of the crowd.
422400feet/hr / (60min/hr * 60sec/min)= 117.333 feet/sec.
So your 9 feet, which "lands you in the morgue", is equivalent to a reaction time of 0.0767 seconds.
I don't buy that <8/100th of a second is all that seperates you from the morgue at 80mph.
Just something to think about for all of you who say the S "brakes poorly".
Also, when do you go from 80mph to 0mph? I think a better test would be 80mph up to a line, then swerve around an obstacel while braking (think lane change test to those who know what I am talking about). For example, if you are driving along at 80 and see a deer in the road, do you A) slam on the brakes and hope to stop? or B) slam on the brakes and try to swerve around it?
Just trying to get a rise out of the crowd.
9 ft could save u alot of money though
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From: No.VA
glad that u didnt get caught. be safe though. im also suprised there is no flaming.
thresh-hold braking is supposed to be better than using ABS. your supposed to get better stopping distances. i have no proof, just what i heard.
thresh-hold braking is supposed to be better than using ABS. your supposed to get better stopping distances. i have no proof, just what i heard.
Joined: Oct 2001
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Originally Posted by Caffeinated21,May 4 2005, 10:24 PM
ABS significantly reduces stoping distances; just look at any test of stopping distances, non ABS cars are alot worse than those with ABS. Just recently for example, Motor trend did a test of the three Evo's, and the RS, the stripper without ABS, had the worst braking performance despite being the lightest.
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From: Knoxville, TN
Chassis, suspension geometry, braking system and tires all play a role in a car's braking system. To the poster that spoke highly of the M3, the M3 is a great car but it also has a $60k price tag.
I have braked relatively hard in my S2K from 132 mph down to 60 mph just fine. The thing is, when you brake from high speed, don't rush physical movements inside the cockpit.
Gently roll your foot off the throttle. Don't just yank your foot off the throttle. Then slowly get on the brake pedal and progressively go harder and harder on the pedal. Don't try to push the bloody pedal in all the way at once.
The technique I described prevents weight from dramatically transferring to the front of the car all at once.
but it also has a $60k price tag.I have braked relatively hard in my S2K from 132 mph down to 60 mph just fine. The thing is, when you brake from high speed, don't rush physical movements inside the cockpit.
Gently roll your foot off the throttle. Don't just yank your foot off the throttle. Then slowly get on the brake pedal and progressively go harder and harder on the pedal. Don't try to push the bloody pedal in all the way at once.
The technique I described prevents weight from dramatically transferring to the front of the car all at once.