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Help me get down this mountain please

Discussion in 'Questions From New Drivers' started by A Bug, Nov 18, 2014.

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  1. Nov 18, 2014 #1
    A Bug

    A Bug Heavy Load Member

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    Can you go downhill in say like 4th gear even though that would make your rpm shoot up around 2000 and beyond? At what point would that damage the engine?

    I was heading northbound today on US-259 in Oklahoma maybe 50 or so miles north of Beaver's Bend and ran into that mountain there for the first time. I got to say that is a pretty intense ride down that thing. I have not really been on too many mountains that made me downshift much further than 9th gear yet.

    The problem is though the engine brake will only work on gears 7-10. So I was in 7th gear going down this thing with the engine brake going when halfway down I see a sign saying 20 mph max. Right now I am doing about 30 and that is while pressing on the brakes occasionally. In order to get down to 20 mph I could tell that the brakes would start smoking soon.

    If I was to go to an even lower gear I would still have to constantly brake to keep rpms down.

    How do you handle the super steep mountains that require you to go slow?
     
    A Bug, Nov 18, 2014
    A Bug, Nov 18, 2014
    #1
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  3. Nov 18, 2014 #2
    mcmanly

    mcmanly Light Load Member

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    Do you have jack brakes?Thats what they're there for . Also how many gears do you have ?Is it a 10 speed?12?14?90? The numbers mean nothing to us .


    Generally speaking you go 1 gear lower than you climbed the summit with and than snub brake ,if it was 20 MPH going down you should have been 15 coming off the summit and applying the brakes everytime you reached 20 back down to 15.


    If its super steep and not slippery out I would also apply the jake brakes .




    Also please tell me you werent shifting going down a steep hill..........
     
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
    #2
  4. Nov 18, 2014 #3
    dog-c

    dog-c Road Train Member

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    Keep your splitter on low -do stab braking not keeping your foot on the brake. 2000 rpm is fine - and why does your truck jakes work in 7-10 gears? Who do you drive for? How heavy are you?
     
    dog-c, Nov 18, 2014
    dog-c, Nov 18, 2014
    #3
  5. Nov 18, 2014 #4
    Old Man

    Old Man Road Train Member

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    Engine brake should work in every gear, talk to the shop.
     
    Old Man, Nov 18, 2014
    Old Man, Nov 18, 2014
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  7. Nov 18, 2014 #5
    mcmanly

    mcmanly Light Load Member

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    Are you really telling him to stab brake going down hill? I'm assuming you don't do hills much since you've been a trucking for 4 years....



    Please for the love of god OP ,do NOT listen to the advice given to you right here
     
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
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  8. Nov 18, 2014 #6
    stevep1977

    stevep1977 Road Train Member

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    If you're in a standard company spec'ed 10 speed and have no engine brake you probably could put it in 5th gear and run it up to around 20 mph and use stab braking to get it back down to 15, rinse repeat
     
    stevep1977, Nov 18, 2014
    stevep1977, Nov 18, 2014
    #6
  9. Nov 18, 2014 #7
    Skate-Board

    Skate-Board Road Train Member

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    Do your stab method and you should be fine. If the speed is 20 then let it go to 25 then stab down to maybe 20 then repeat.
     
    Skate-Board, Nov 18, 2014
    Skate-Board, Nov 18, 2014
    #7
  10. Nov 18, 2014 #8
    mcmanly

    mcmanly Light Load Member

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    Ok ,now I see .


    I think all of you are confusing SNUB and STAB braking .


    Stab is applying the brakes to the floor ,letting go and doing it again .This is only relevant if you don't have ABS .


    Snub is applying the brakes gently to get 5 below safe and releasing till you're back up to safe and repeating .
     
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
    mcmanly, Nov 18, 2014
    #8
    alex94, StrongArm, LGarrison and 1 other person Thank this.
  11. Nov 18, 2014 #9
    sherlock510

    sherlock510 Road Train Member

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    You probably started in too high of a gear. If it takes crawling down the hill in 4th gear at 15mph, so be it. You'll learn this sooner or later.
     
    sherlock510, Nov 18, 2014
    sherlock510, Nov 18, 2014
    #9
  12. Nov 18, 2014 #10
    A Bug

    A Bug Heavy Load Member

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    It is a JB Hunt Prostar International truck. I will ask the shop about that next time I see them. Just assumed that was the way it was supposed to be.
     
    A Bug, Nov 18, 2014
    A Bug, Nov 18, 2014
    #10
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