Was going around a semi-blind curved exit ramp from one freeway to another on my way home @ 65 mph, and didn't see until I got around the blind portion that traffic was backed up onto it. My steering wheel was still turned, so I knew if I was going to stop in time, there was a good chance I was going to lock up the brakes and slide into the wall from lack of avaliable steering. But if I braked light enough to not lock them up, I was hitting somebody.

Split moment calculation, I decked the E-brake with my left foot and held the hydraulic brake with my right foot.

Back tires instantly locked up and started mildly wheelhopping, I kept the wheel turned, and stopped with about 4 carlengths to spare.

My truck locks up the fronts real easy, so 4W ABS would be nice. Instead, I get RWAL, so once the fronts lock, you have zero steering input. I ignored the RWAL unit by applying the mechanical brake, and using the front brake to prevent excessive wheelhop and combine steering ability and braking ability.

 

To get the best braking, you don't want to lock the wheels. You want them at just the point before they lock. Think what ABS does. It keeps them from locking.

There are many experienced drivers that can stop shorter without ABS than with. It's all how you use the brakes. Most people panic and slam on it.

 

my truck locks the fronts at 1/4 brake pedal travel regardless of speed. We've replaced everything [except the proportioning valve] so it's not a hydraulic issue. So I have basically no panic brakes unless I want to lock up the fronts. I find it better control-wise to have the backs lock up than the fronts. Or, at least, a very heavily rear-weighted proportioning valve just short of lock-up.

We just took the proportioning valve off the camaro because we couldn't get enough brake pressure with it on the line [we have 4 pistons on each rear wheel, may go to a 8 piston dual caliper, it's that bad], but it's already been sold else I'd put it on my front brakes set to 50%.

 

wow - that's thinking fast like. Personally, I want the control left up to me. How you thought of slamming the ebrake and feathering the fronts is incredible. #1: never want to hit anyone, then #2: save the truck!

good on ya!

 

It takes practice. That E-brake pedal is so far up, it's hard to get to it sometimes. I drive 2 footed, so half the battle is getting my left foot way up to no-mans-land, then my right foot to move over and catch the hydraulic brake.

The fact that I had the wheel turned is why I went straight for the E-brake. my truck locks the front easy as it is, and you have less traction with the wheels turned. I can drive through wheelhop, but sliding not so much.

I had to do a panic stop today, and it reminded me that unnerving feeling when you suddenly have 100% traction.

Asphalt is where I have most of my problems.

I was on concrete today, got on the binders, and it was like I was in a 4-wheel wheelhop. Whole truck started vibrating and bouncing, tried to jump sideways on me. I just let off and started pumping the pedal.

Trust me, an onboard accelerometer graph of my truck would be interesting as hell to see. I have one (old one from the camaro), just haven't mounted it. It can get interesting, for sure. Between drifting, high speed turns (that dont turn into a drift), and evasive actions....the 'sport' decal on the door sure lives up to it's name.

 

Revision: RWAL is only bad in the wet. Works crazy good on dry pavement.

Chatter chatter skid click click click skid click click chatter chatter in the span of 5 seconds as I feel like I'm about to go flying out the windshield. The backs were trying to lock up and wheelhop before the fronts for a change. Definitely wierd feeling the pedal move around with the ABS working and vacuum going from low to high.