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I've skidded my car in wet weather several times in the past few years and I want to learn to brake better. The idea of pumping the brakes makes sense but in the heat of moment what I actually tend to do it just slam them on. No ABS of course.
I've read about threshold braking and I want to practice. I'm looking for advice on where to practice, hopefully free. Also, can I learn based on repeated practice and online guides? Know of any good ones? What is your experience?
Cars, with 4 huge contact patches, are difficult. I always did it in empty parking lots with motorcycles (commuter parking lots on weekends, church parking lots on weekdays, school lots in the summers, etc... there's always some big empty lot somewhere), but the performance ratio is Much larger there, it's exceedingly easy to lock up the brakes on a motorcycle.
The only place I've done it with a car is at the racetrack on their skid-pad, which is watered to create a low friction surface. Most have 2 parts, one for throttle modulation and the other for brakes (and sometimes combined with a slalom. It's not horribly expensive, at least the one I used, I seem to remember about $100 if you go on a day that's scheduled for just that and you share with others. The upshot is that you can usually get some free education from more experienced drivers, the down is that you have to share the time (but should get more than enough to feel satisfied).
It is something you have to experience first-hand so you Know what it feels like, what to expect and that it's no big deal. But that's really it, with some basic knowledge (online) and a good bit of time behind the wheel, you'll be better for it than the yahoos who just rely on their rarely maintained machines to do it for them. It's a skill that needs to be refreshed, I was doing it yearly on motorcycles before hanging up my helmet but having done it in a car for over a decade ~ I can tell the difference but also can still keep the ABS from kicking on in the one vehicle and the tires from locking in the second.
i learned threshold braking in large dirt lots at moderate speeds. once you get feel for how to do it, you can do it under most any conditions.
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