What Is Brake Boosting? Is Brake Boosting Bad For Your Car?

Brake boosting refers to a technique of amplifying the pressure the brake pedal exerts on and transfers to the brake master cylinder.

Simply put, brake boosting is when you press down on the brake pedal, while simultaneously holding down and slightly pressing on the accelerator.

Boosting your car brake essentially means that you’re trying to roll the car while still keeping your foot on the gas pedal and pushing on it.

As a general rule of thumb, car operators shouldn’t hold their brakes too long. Or else, you’ll roast them. If you’re roll racing, maybe 40 miles per hour, brake boosting is super great for your experience.

What does it do to your power brakes? It allows you to transfer the force to the brake master cylinder to allow the car to keep at the speed.

Is It Proper To Brake Boost?

I have heard some car operators express fear and anxiety over brake boosting. Some even argue that it is a dangerous thing to do to your car’s braking system. Let me tell this to all car owners and drivers reading this: There is absolutely nothing wrong, dangerous or to worry about in boosting your car brakes.

The rationale behind the idea is to make your brakes work more efficiently even while under pressure downhill. Also, with brake boosting, chances are pretty high that your car will keep a consistent speed before it starts with a power boost.

However, if your car runs on a manual transmission, there is caution. It’s fine if you try to boost your manual transmission brakes while rolling racing. That time, you’re probably boosting within the same revolution per minute, only building a boost.

However, if you’re revving the engine while at the same pumping the brake, it won’t be a proper thing to do. In that instance, you won’t be boosting but destroying the brake.

For safety reasons, however, brake boosting is not safe in densely populated areas. As much as possible, avoid places, including freeways where the traffic or pedestrian flow is crazy. Also, public roads are not safe places to do brake boosting.

If you must do it in public places, make sure you’ve done enough run-throughs. You can start the practice and master your skills on a racetrack. There, there’ll be a lot of space for all manner of skills and movements you want to learn.

After all, losing control of your vehicle and running into a crowd should be the last thing that should ever happen to you when brake boosting.

Why Should I Brake Boost?

Understanding the technique of brake boosting is not enough; let us quickly look at the benefits of this method. There are several reasons why the brake boosting technique is helpful to your car.

While you should understand how the system works, you should also keep an eye on why you should use it for your automatic transmission car.

So, the natural question will be ‘what’s in it for me to break boost? Let’s run down the benefits.

As I noted above, when you brake boost, what you’re aiming at in the long run is boosting the power and speed or motion of your vehicle. The technique is quite different in purpose and goal from left-foot braking, for instance.

I shall compare the two techniques later. Suffice to say that brake boosting fundamentally involves smooth and consistent speed. Ultimately, the driver will also target a speedometer jump.

Benefits Of Brake Boosting

Let me get back to your question, ‘why should I brake the boost’? There are three important benefits you derive from boosting your vehicle brake. They include:

• Reinforces Speed Boost: One of the things brake boosting does is prepare your vehicle for a smooth and consistent speed. When you press your foot on the gas while slightly and simultaneously hitting the brake pedal, you’re indirectly preparing the vehicle for motion and speed boost. Improving the speed comes from pushing on the throttle and brake pedals at the same time.
• Improves Rally Racing: Roll racing requires that your vehicle boasts great speed and high-quality boost while on the road. Hence, with brake boosting, the rally racing gets better for the driver, thanks to the power it receives through the technique. You can get ahead of your opponents.
• Provides A Head Start: With brake boosting, the vehicle can take off with a power boost. This way, the power of the car is enhanced from the start and can make it livelier, smoother, and more efficient.

What Are The Downsides Of Brake Boosting?

It’s just natural for the curious driver to ask whether brake boosting can harm their vehicle. Despite all the beautiful and tantalizing benefits it offers, doesn’t brake boosting have any damaging effect on the car?

My answer, without mincing words, is that brake boosting can potentially inflict some damage on your vehicle. The answer is honest and straightforward enough, I suppose? Ok, these are the downsides of this technique.

• Braking System Wears Down Faster: It’s a no-brainer to say that braking boosting can wear down your vehicle’s braking system quicker. The technique is analogous to an athlete using energy booster drugs, like caffeine.
  When you boost your energy, you subject the body to extra work; the same rule applies to brake boosting. The brake performs outside its normal activity. Consequently, it can wear down very fast.
• Potentially Cause A Fire: Because the braking system is working somewhat under pressure, there is a high chance that it will potentially give off smoke or in some extreme cases fire.
• Overall Vehicle Weakening: The vehicle can also suffer from weakness if you make brake boosting a norm. This is why you must keep to the manufacturer’s recommendation as contained in the vehicle manual.

Left Foot Braking Or Brake Boosting: Which Is Better?

Each of these braking techniques differs significantly, even though they share quite a number of features in common. The table below shows their differences. Characteristically, both left-foot braking and brake boosting involve the application of the gas and brake at the same time to brake the car.

Let’s look at the common features of these two techniques and highlight the benefits of one over the other.

Well, in terms of which is better, there’s no cast-in-stone answer. Ultimately, the purpose of each method is fundamentally different. Choose your technique wisely.

Here’s the thing about left-foot braking: there’s a higher chance of hitting the right pedal. For instance, when you’re in an emergency, chances are higher that you’ll press on the wrong pedal, maybe the throttle pedal. You can minimize the error of hitting the wrong peal by leaving your left foot on the brake.

Another reason for left-foot braking, especially on-street driving, is that it responds to emergencies faster and more efficiently by cutting down on the brake’s response time.

In other words, having your left foot hovering around the brake, unlike having to move from throttle to the brake pedal, requires less interval between hitting the pedal and starting to brake.

Additionally, left-foot braking frees the driver’s right foot. Put differently, you can accelerate and avoid potential danger when your right foot is not engaged or can hover around the throttle.

Don’t’ forget, keeping the left and right feet in their respective places allows you to apply the correct foot more precisely on the brake. This way, you can manage the speed of the vehicle and ensure smoother braking.

Final Thoughts

Now that you have every detail that needs to be learned about brake boosting, it’s time to decide whether you’ll go for it or not. If you weigh the benefits against the effect, you have the choice of either going for the technique or not.

For me, I don’t see why you shouldn’t, provided you keep to the rules. As a rule of thumb, don’t make it a continuous thing. As you may have noticed, only those in rally or roll races should subject their braking system to brake boosting.

After all, this category of people is always in a race and competing for a prize. In a bid to outsmart their opponents, the athletes can boost their vehicle brakes. But who is the private driver trying to outpace?

James Alabi

My name is James. Call me your ‘Born Auto Neighbor.’ I am an auto savvy with a burning enthusiasm to help vehicle owners, auto technicians, DIYer auto caregivers, and drivers like you have a seamless time with your vehicles. Do you own or work on a Dodge Convertible, a Chevy Crossover, a Ford SUV, a Toyota Hatchback, a Honda Coupe, a Datsun MPV, or a Mercedes Sedan? I have enough automotive content to help your auto service and repair on the go.

I have been around for more than a decade, examining and analyzing car issues while proffering practical fixes that will help you spend less time and money. I take auto care, service, and maintenance very seriously and my tested experience in the industry means that you can always get the best auto tips and tricks.

Don’t fall for the auto myths; take the facts as I give them out freely.

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