down shift or ride the brakes?????

the roads to get to my campus are very hilly. there are many winding step roads and for some reason i always get stuck behind the person who loves that brake pedal. I know brakes would be a lil cheaper over a tranny once a while i'll put it down in to 3 and that slows me down enough to a point where i don't need to hit the brakes. is this a bad idea i'm only going about 45-50 or should i just ride the brake pedal? Its a 97 4.3 4x4 4 door

When I hit the old ladie who rides her brakes lotto, i tailgate her/him. F that shit I hate old paranoid drivers if u are that f-ing terrified when u drive u SHOULDNT DRIVE!! in ur case im not sure whats the lesser evil tho. srry

use your breaks, gm put them there for a reason, so use um...

the roads to get to my campus are very hilly. there are many winding step roads and for some reason i always get stuck behind the person who loves that brake pedal. I know brakes would be a lil cheaper over a tranny once a while i'll put it down in to 3 and that slows me down enough to a point where i don't need to hit the brakes. is this a bad idea i'm only going about 45-50 or should i just ride the brake pedal? Its a 97 4.3 4x4 4 door

Running down a hill in third will not hurt your transmission. Downshifting in these situations makes perfect sense. In some instances (slow tight curves) second would even be called for. If you ever drove a stick you wouldn't even question this.

your automatic transaxil is not your manual transaxil, doing it in a stick is ok, not good, but not as bad

GM (and most other manufacturers) recommend using 3 on roads with a lot of hills. Most manufacturers go as far as to state DO NOT use overdrive on hilly roads.

There is nothing at all wrong withdown shifting on hills in an automatic. I live on top a very steep mountain and downshift to 2nd every time I go down it and have never had any transmission problems in any car I have ever owned. It extends the life of your break pads. At least that is the way us mountain people drive, I don't know about you flat landers. :grinno:

My 85 owners manual ever states it's ok to use first gear if required.

And I have to ocasionally drive on a 5 mile long driveway where it is required in several sections.

My 85 owners manual ever states it's ok to use first gear if required.

And I have to ocasionally drive on a 5 mile long driveway where it is required in several sections.


Yea i guess i could have said I do have an Auto but everyones asuming that any way, When i drive my mom Subaru witch is Manual I always just feather the clutch to a lower gear and i don't even have to tap the brake, I just wasn't sure if by down shifting in my auto to 3 or 2 it may heat thing up or what not, I have done it before and w/ my exhuast it gargles and stuff when the cars weight brings the RPMs of the motor up and sounds awesome, but thats my preff soem ppl don't like that, any way i know when i hit the brakes they are getting real hot I can feel a diff in sensitivity of the pedal, They cool down and fine though. I guess a combination of the 2 would work out just fine, Thanks for ur guys and girls input once again

use a combination of both . case closed

I do a lot of driving over "mountains" here in MD. I have always downshifted to 3rd, and sometimes 2nd, when going down the grades.
As we have our first snowfall of the year falling now, I would also mention that it's safer to downshift when trying to lose some speed in the snow. When you hit your brakes, you stand a good chance of sliding all over hell and creation - even with ABS.
bill

For me downshifting makes a bit more sense if you're trying to slowdown a bit and maintiain that speed for a bit. Obviously, you don't want to be speeding downhill, with turns and stuff. I don't like to ride my brakes, but I will let off of them now and again. I know that most of all its personal preferences, and the way's that we were taught to drive.

I cross a mountain with a very long, straight, steep, side every day going to work or to my fishing hole. I have been crossing it in GM vehicles with OD transmissions since 1985. I've had an 84 S-10 P/U, sold at 202,000 miles, an 88 1500, sold at 181,000 miles, a 99 1500, sold at 166,000 and now a 99 s-15 GMC Jimmy with 81,000 miles. When I round the turn at the top of the mountain I pull the trans back into 2 and take my foot off the gas. I let the truck roll out to about 60 mph then brake to slow it to about 40 and then let it roll out to the bottom. If I don't do this there will be smoke rolling out of the front wheel wells and the brake pedal will get real spongy by the bottom. I do this with the boat attached as well. I lost a trans in the 88, but I plowed snow with it, too. The 99 lost the ability to "hold back" like this, and I had it rebuilt. The rebuilder said the trans was assembled wrong at the factory, pinching an O-ring and causing this failure at 100,000 miles. I will continue to do this, and I am convinced it causes no harm. I am more concerned about trans damage going uphill than going downhill. Going up this long steep side I put the shifter in D without OD, and let the trans shift itself. Pulling the boat I stay below 50 mph, and the trans stays in second. Without the boat I sometimes let her fly, and the 99 pickup would pull strong right to the limiter (100mph) and stay in third. The Jimmy is, as yet, untested.

I cross a mountain with a very long, straight, steep, side every day going to work or to my fishing hole. I have been crossing it in GM vehicles with OD transmissions since 1985. I've had an 84 S-10 P/U, sold at 202,000 miles, an 88 1500, sold at 181,000 miles, a 99 1500, sold at 166,000 and now a 99 s-15 GMC Jimmy with 81,000 miles. When I round the turn at the top of the mountain I pull the trans back into 2 and take my foot off the gas. I let the truck roll out to about 60 mph then brake to slow it to about 40 and then let it roll out to the bottom. If I don't do this there will be smoke rolling out of the front wheel wells and the brake pedal will get real spongy by the bottom. I do this with the boat attached as well. I lost a trans in the 88, but I plowed snow with it, too. The 99 lost the ability to "hold back" like this, and I had it rebuilt. The rebuilder said the trans was assembled wrong at the factory, pinching an O-ring and causing this failure at 100,000 miles. I will continue to do this, and I am convinced it causes no harm. I am more concerned about trans damage going uphill than going downhill. Going up this long steep side I put the shifter in D without OD, and let the trans shift itself. Pulling the boat I stay below 50 mph, and the trans stays in second. Without the boat I sometimes let her fly, and the 99 pickup would pull strong right to the limiter (100mph) and stay in third. The Jimmy is, as yet, untested.


Thanx for the input, Yea i would agree i would suspect there wouldn't be much damage to the tranny aslong as i wouldn't do stuid crap like while in 2 or 3 going downhill floor it and let off it and let the engine rpms bonch around. If i just drop it a gear and let everything go not giving any throttle and a lil brake when needed i think i'll be fine for the long run
thanx guys

if your a downshifter be sure to change your fluid and/or filter every so often too..

Brakes are cheaper to replace