Using Downshifting To Brake

[Bill O']

I drove a 5 speed VW for 23 years and used the engine extensively for braking. Wound up doing only two brake jobs and replacing two clutches over 250,000 mi.

I bought a used '90 LS400 and noticed the need to really get on the brakes when coming down an off-ramp at high speed. (I understand the brakes were beefed up in '91 or '92). My question is will braking using downshifting on the LS 400's ECT cause any sort of damage. I've been using the button on the shift lever to drop out of overdrive to slow things down. Will dropping the trans into second and then first to provide breaking assist blow some seal or worse? In the few times I've done it, I keep the engine under 2000 RPM. Appreciate any advice or scolding.

[UCF3]

I wouldn't if I were you. Chances are you're going to break your transmission or even the driveshaft. If you drop it into 2nd gear from a high speed you're likely to lock-up the breaks and wear out the ABS and pads sooner.

I usually, drop into neutral and brake; the car's pretty heavy. More brake fade over time. You could upgrade the brakes to 13" rotors and pads. Much better than the stock ones.

Any reason why you're late-braking?

[ED.]

I'll ocasionally use engine brakeing. Mostly when i am coming off an on ramp and my speed is below thirty. Not all the time though. Just when ever. Wow! 2 brake jobs in 250k! Thats amazng!!

[JasonInDallas]

Brake pads are cheap. Transmissions and engines and torque converters and rear axles and engine mounts and guibos and driveshafts are not. Engine braking is pointless unless you're going down a mountain and run the risk of overheating the brakes. Will engine braking cause severe damage? Probably not, but why wear out expensive components (engine and drivetrain) in order to protect cheap ones designed to wera out (pads and rotors)?

Engine braking makes no more sense than putting $100 bills on your shoe soles in order to prolong the life of leather.

By the way someone said downshifting at speed would lock up the brakes and add wear to the ABS and pads? Totally untrue.

[monarch]

Downshifting to assist braking is hard on the clutch and transmission of manual transmission cars (except to control vehicle speed on downgrades) and that's probably why you wore out two clutches in 250,000 miles.

When approaching a stop, it's better to put the transmission in nuetral at about 25-30 MPH and coast / gently brake to a stop. I did that with my Toyota pickup and my factory original clutch is still going strong after 465,200 miles. Also, I've been getting 200,000 - 225,000 miles of life per set of OEM brake pads.

The brake pads will wear about 40% faster on any automatic transmission Toyota / Lexus , but 130,000 - 160,000 miles of life per set of OEM pads is still possible of you brake slowly and gently when coming to a stop and drive in mostly flat terrain. However, alot of owners on this forum wear their pads out in only 30,000-50,000 miles, but they have a hard charging driving style.

[dole2000]

I learned to drive from my grandpa who was a truck driver. So I was taught to use the engine to brake. I still do it with a manual but from all that I could gleem from reseraching sites and the saturday morning radio call in show (Frick and Frack) ect.. everything points to the brake pads are cheaper logic.

[Bill O']

Thanks to all of you who replied to my question. I'll let the LS-400's ECT do the downshifting from now on.