Okay, I have a long one
No, not that, you perverts. Definitely not that!
So, lets say youre driving a four door sedan with four passengers down a smooth leveled straightaway, with no other vehicles or obstacles around. Youre going at freeway speeds and all of a sudden you realize you have absolutely no brakes. What would be the fasted way to stop the car, but you must continue straight? Oh, and everybody is nude of course!
You can start down shifting, yes this CAN be done with an automatic transmission as well as a manual. Then you can use the parking/emergency brake to bring it to a stop safely. You could just use that parking/emergency brake alone if time/distance to stop is too short.
You can start down shifting, yes this CAN be done with an automatic transmission as well as a manual. Then you can use the parking/emergency brake to bring it to a stop safely. You could just use that parking/emergency brake alone if time/distance to stop is too short.
Down shifting even with an automatic will only slow you down but not come to a complete stop. If you need to continue moving this will help control your speed. Keep in mind that the parking/emergency brake ONLY engages the rear brakes so stopping will take a longer distance than using all 4 brakes as normally takes place.
Your regular brakes are operated hydraulically, and the parking brake works thru a set of mechanical linkages and cables. So just because you lose the hydraulic operation it does Not affect the operation of the parking/emergency brake. Two totally separate and independent operating systems. Like I said before just be aware that only the rear brakes are engaged when using the parking brake. Why would you think the parking brake would not work if the primary system failed???
Also, sometime when you are driving try downshifting one gear at a time to see/feel the effects on your vehicle so you will know more about what to expect should you ever Need to use it in an emergency. Don't wait for a Panic situation to happen before you try this technique. Get familiar with it ahead of time. Don't worry you will not damage the transmission doing this. Check your owner's manual to confirm it.
On a side note, when driving in mountainous terrain, even With normal brake operation, it is perfectly acceptable to downshift to a lower gear when on a long downhill grade to reduce wear on the brakes. Using the brakes continuously on long downhill grades can overheat the brakes and cause them to fail I'm sure This is also outlined in your owner's manual. Get it out and read thru it. You will see I'm right on this.
Yes, I understand how the brake system works. Thats why I said absolutely no brakes. Thank you for the explanation though. I sometimes put the vehicle on cruise control going down hills to control the speed without overusing the brakes, which cause heat and develop warped rotors. Been there, done that. Dodge Caravans were designed with undersized rotors for the vehicle and its weight.
Im looking for more solutions. Think outside of the box (or vehicle). Theres gotta be some engineers or science guys out there.
Yes, I understand how the brake system works. Thats why I said absolutely no brakes. Thank you for the explanation though..
I waited a few days to see if anyone else wanted to offer suggestions, but apparently, they don't want to or can't add anything to what I have already posted. But to get on with the answer for you, if your primary AND secondary brake systems have failed completely the only other explanation is that the brake pads or shoes have totally worn out. If That is the case, then it is because you didn't heed the warning signs on chose to ignore them that the pads/shoes needed replacing WEEKS ago. If your brakes start making some odd noises when you use them, they should be checked by someone who knows how to do it correctly. If you find your brakes have totally failed and you need to stop immediately, then use the Fred Flinstone method and slam your feet through the floorboard and drag your feet on the ground. Otherwise, get your brakes inspected if there is ever any doubt as to whether they will remain functioning or not.
Sorry, but I dont need an explanation on the brake system and brake pads. Ive been through all that before over the years, and that wasnt the question. I gave a clue to what I am leaning towards here. Maybe an aerospace engineer could chime in.
Is this question purely for shits&giggles, a poster looking for another way to say he's got a LONG ONE (spoiler: we can see the profile pics), or is there some ulterior motive for such a weird question - besides trying (and in my view, failing) to look like the smartest nudist in the room? I'm listening for any better ideas than those I've jokingly offered below.
First: though it's rare, catastrophic, total brake failure happens. When working with mechanical and fluid-actuated systems, shit gonna go wrong. That said...
To decrease stopping distance in such an unlikely scenario, have all the naked people open their doors and push both feet against them to swing the doors outward (let's leave the driver to focus on steering), thus creating a makeshift air-braking system and gaining the highest level of wind resistance possible, with windows rolled up and seatbelts secured onto the bare asses if you want them to survive. This technique would be much less effective at higher altitudes do to thinner oxygen levels. I'm kind of making up the last part, but it sounds good, no?
Any Flinstone-style stopping attempts at highway speed would surely end with an urgent call to at least a podiatrist, assuming that since everyone is bare there are no shoes, SO yabba-dabba DON'T.
Or try this one: If someone in the back can fold down the back seat to gain access to the spare tire storage compartment and retrieve the wheel, the strongest person among the four might be able to chuck the spare in front of the moving car, lodging the wheel underneath the careening vehicle and likely decrease the stopping distance a tit, albeit while destroying the rim and rubber and likely taking a toll on the asphalt along the way. Another distinct possibility in this maneuver of desperation would be that the car's undercarriage does hang up on the tossed spare, and steel meets asphalt, and something's gotta give, sending the car into total airborne mode and giving our bared bunch of unwitting flight attendants a much better opportunity to come to a quick halt, depending on whether the car lands back on its tires or onto its roof. It might work.
Slightly safer (though arguably less effective) and given the above parameters, if everyone is okay with sitting their bare buns right on the pleather seats and willing to give up their butt towels for the cause, it would afford the opportunity to tie them all together, then tie one end of the makeshift rope to the spare, the other end around maybe a door hinge, and then toss out the spare to add a small drag coefficient.
That outside the box enough?
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