A question about driving downhill

[italianbigsky]

Hi all once again I have a question to you experts.
Talking to a friend of mine who has a 2nd gen explorer too, he told me that he often shifts to 2nd gear (automatic transmission) when approaching a downhill.
I read it on the explorer instruction too, and I can understand that engine helps brakes and helps them to last longer.
Obviously, the shifting is at relatively low speed.

The question is: is it the engine or the transmission that makes the bigger job to brake the car? I'm curious because I have a doubt: dpoing this way so often could help the brakes, but could damage the transmission.
Afterall, brakes are cheaper than trasmission... does this way of driving really worth?

 

[2TimingTom]

Is this for normal driving or towing?

 

[italianbigsky]

For normal driving.I prefer not to shift gear, I usually shift to N while in long traffic jams.
He prefers to shift to 2nd or turn OD off each time there is a downhill.
We both are new to explorers!

 

[deadernie]

I usually never sift down into second but do frequently shift out of overdrive going down some hills on slower roads. I usually brake to below 40mph before hitting the overdrive button though. And it won't hurt the transmission as long as you are not going too fast when you do it.

 

[my98nnj]

After all, brakes are cheaper than transmission...

This is your answer.

 

[Baddecision93]

If you carefully watch your tachometer your engine naturally downshifts as you brake in order to keep you in the right RPM range.

Generally there is a little bit of engine braking that occurs when this happens as brakes decelerate you quicker than your engine does (so your engine is trying to "catch up"). So where it really doesn't necessarily hurt anything to do this (since the vehicle does it naturally) you should consider that Ford engineered their vehicles to use this brake/engine & transmission retardant optimally. Doing it differently than Ford intended may save you brakes but it will probably cause some premature tranny wear. After all if it was more effective to apply more engine braking, and earlier, Ford would have incorporated this into their design.

 

[2TimingTom]

I'd say it all depends on the hill. I've overheated the brakes on my '98 Mountaineer coming down a slow, steep and twisty mountain neighborhood road. I rode the brakes all the way down and wasn't able to stop at the stop sign at the end. Had I not been BSing with the people in the Mountaineer, I may have downshifted to take the load off the brakes- maybe.

If it's just a high speed straight hill, I wouldn't.

 

[bobflood]

Most of the time, put it in D with the OD on and leave it there. However, in long mountain downhills, it's a good idea to turn off the overdrive and use the engine braking to help control your speed.

 

[italianbigsky]

Tank you so much for your anwers. I'll keep my "style" without sifting, unless in a really strong downhill.
I drove manual transmission cars all my life and I learnt the importance of shifting, saving brakes and so on, but I laso noticed that engine could play a bigger role in manual transmission than it does in autmatic. That's my impression, maybe wrong, but that's it.
Here where I live, there ar a lot of up and downs, a lot of traffic jams and a lot of road crossing where you must brake, engine alone won't do so much, and transmission is stressed a lot, so I can't understand why my friend would tress it even more.

Thank you!

 

[Big Z]

I don't do too much for downshifting in automatics. Heck, I got brakes and it'll shift itself. Admittedly, I still gear brake here and there. Sometimes I have jakes and more gears....say, 18...and I don't even need the brakes