going up a mountain shifting?

I always gear way down before my ride down the mountain. Lower gears than going up for me because that modded cummins loves to pull, and will routinely climb the smokey mountains, for instance (heading towards Asheville) in 13-over, fully loaded. Going down the other side in 13 overdrive is suicidal. Since I pay for my brakes, I normally will gear down to where I can let the Jakes hold her back, screaming down the mountain at 2000 rpm, and a whopping 30 MPH. A lot of super truckers fly by me holding their ego in their hands after having been passed on the way up, only to be smoking and stinking at the bottom (where I pass them again).

Usually the only time I have to step on the brakes going down is if I have someone in front of me or coming off the shoulder and I'm boxed in.

The worst that can happen if you gear down too far is that it'll take longer to get to the bottom, no big deal, so instead of smoking the brakes to slow the engine down enough to shift, just ride her out and take one extra gear next time.

 

Maybe keep foot off clutch.

only time mine gets uses is when stopped

 

Label me jealous, I was out that way a few weeks ago…heading uphill at 30mph in 5-low was absolutely no fun. Pretty sure I was passed by a kite

 

Take foot off pedal, clutch, put shifter at the gear you want, feather the gas pedal and it should go right on into gear.

Personally I don't even use the clutch and shifting is so much easier and smoother.

 

depends on how much weight you're pulling. 30000lbs in your trailer or more (+33,000 for your truck and trailer), I would be in 8th gear. less weight, you could probably get away with 9th gear.

going down a mountain, if the speed limit is 65 or more, then I'm in 10th with the jakes on. If the speed limit is 55 down to 45 then I'm in 9th with the jakes on. 45 mph or less, and I'm in 8th with the jakes. and unless traffic dictates, I try not to shift or brake, but if I need to use the brakes, I give a firm application to get to desired speed and then let off.

note this all goes out the window if it's raining or snowing...if it's raining, take your time, stay in a lower gear, dont ride those brakes and #### sure don't use your jakes. if it's snowing...you better get your hiney to a rest area and wait it out pronto!

 

I have never had any problems going up or down mountains .Also it depends on the mountain.Times I dropped all the down to 2 or 3rd gear climbing it but I know that's way too low of gears going down it.I'll up shift to 4th 5th or 6th while going down it and remain there till I get close to the bottom.There is no need to get your boxers all in a knot.

 

The reason it revs is because the engine is under load...and you are releasing the load when you hit the clutch. Make sure you take your foot off the throttle a second before.

Otherwise, the key to mountain driving is to know the maximum speeds of each gear. For instance. My 9th gear goes up to 53...so I shift at about 55, and it goes into gear about 53 because it slowe a little between shifts. This way I have maximum power in every gear. My 8th gear goes up to about 35, so I shift just under 40...

Most engines are limited to 1600 rpm to save fuel. Most will do 2000rpm all say if you wanted...I've had one go to 550,000miles with a 2000 rpm limiter. 1600 is just to save fuel, nothing more. So if you need to climb at 1600...go right ahead. It's basically only 100rpm over cruise.

 

I'm glad I drive an automatic, I don't have to worry about all this stuff. You all are working WAY to hard. This is 2014 no need to do all this ancient outdated shifting nonsense.

 

Automatics are the reason companies like US Xpress are in the bottom 15% of companies. If you can't shift, you do t have the spied control to be a safe truck driver. That's not disputable... More automatic, more accidents.

 

Ok, so most of the trucks got rid of the switch in the clutch that shut off the cruise and went to some sort of magnetic switch which requires a deeper push of the clutch before the cruise cuts out. What happens is the tranny disengages a split second before the cruise cancels causing a bump in the rpm. I think the logic is so you don't have to bump the throttle like you used to have to do on the older trucks on an downshift. I have this myself and I cancel the cruise before I shift.