Brake pad smell after long downhills
Checked pads maybe 5,000 miles ago and pads were about 1/2 left. I leave driveway at 10,380 pds in 2003 Ford f 350 frame. Within spec's but sort of close to max on axles. I warmed up brakes pretty ...
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I'll pile on - learn to use your gears!
With respect, you are misunderstanding the manual. Descend in the same gear you used to climb is about right, manual or automatic, but, as noted, that means gear, not selector position. I can assure you that while you may have had the selector in Drive, your vehicle was in first or second, depending on the weight and the steepness of the hill. Now, when you descend in Drive, it will be in your top gear. No wonder you are frying your brakes. And, for what it's worth, an automatic transmission has less braking effect because of the torque converter.
If you don't learn to use your gears, it won't matter what brakes you buy; they will never last.
The good news is that most modern auto transmissions work very well in the mountains. I used an Isuzu auto transmission for years in the Andes, the "Sport" range was perfect for avoiding excessive upshifts. My new Chevrolet has push buttons right on the selector lever, not quite paddle shifters, but effective. The Chevrolet manual is quite explicit about using the gears, and things like the Tow/Haul setting, to control descents.
Even the best brakes can be overheated and fade, especially on heavy RV's.
With respect, you are misunderstanding the manual. Descend in the same gear you used to climb is about right, manual or automatic, but, as noted, that means gear, not selector position. I can assure you that while you may have had the selector in Drive, your vehicle was in first or second, depending on the weight and the steepness of the hill. Now, when you descend in Drive, it will be in your top gear. No wonder you are frying your brakes. And, for what it's worth, an automatic transmission has less braking effect because of the torque converter.
If you don't learn to use your gears, it won't matter what brakes you buy; they will never last.
The good news is that most modern auto transmissions work very well in the mountains. I used an Isuzu auto transmission for years in the Andes, the "Sport" range was perfect for avoiding excessive upshifts. My new Chevrolet has push buttons right on the selector lever, not quite paddle shifters, but effective. The Chevrolet manual is quite explicit about using the gears, and things like the Tow/Haul setting, to control descents.
Even the best brakes can be overheated and fade, especially on heavy RV's.
