braking on big mountains...

Discussion in 'Experienced Truckers' Advice' started by elharrison, Feb 8, 2008.

  1. kajidono

    kajidono Road Train Member

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    I don't see how the brakes being applied creates an airtight seal, especially when the pads are made of porous material.
     
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  3. otherhalftw

    otherhalftw R.I.P.

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    With 3 years of experience...and the "physics degree"....why would anyone doubt your authority level?:biggrin_2558:
     
    jlkklj777 Thanks this.
  4. blackw900

    blackw900 The Grandfather of Flatbed

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    I don't know about his physics degree or his 3 years experience but I have heard the theory concerning air causing excess heat to build up for many years.

    You can test the theory if you'd like by going down a hill loaded and keeping steady pressure all the way down and then the next time you go down use the same technique but take your foot off the brake momentarily a few times...Your brakes will start to fade and smoke pretty quickly.

    I tried it about 25 years ago when I knew it all and was trying to disprove what some old timer told me.
     
    Diesel Dave Thanks this.
  5. Y2K

    Y2K Road Train Member

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    Well I may be a relative newb with just one year but almost all my driving has been out here in the West,11 Western with May Trucking 4 months and 8 months with SNI dedicated here in the PAC NW.
    I drive over both Cabbage Hill and the Siskiyous (I-5 Southern Oregon,NorCal) every week on my dedicated account,I think I could do Cabbage in my sleep now..... in fact I think I did the other day lol.
    :biggrin_25524:
    Anyway at least in my limited experience which ever way you brake isn't near as important as taking your time and going slow.
    I ride the jake-brake down the hills in a gear that leaves me using the brake pedal very little,just a snub once in a while if she starts picking up a little speed.
    I've yet to smoke or fade my brakes and I've passed quite a few supertruckers sitting at the bottom of the hill parked with clouds of smoke coming off their brakes after they'd passed me going down the hill.
    :biggrin_25511:
     
  6. okiedokie

    okiedokie Road Train Member

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    If you let the jake hold you back w/ only occasional brake application then I can see snub braking is a good technique. If your running half a gear over/faster than jake application then steady pressure seems a better choice to me. Cabbage Hill and the Siskiyous are no joke in a loaded truck. Ran Cabbage daily in a Super B chip wagon,28mph was my limit, enjoy the view.
     
  7. striker

    striker Road Train Member

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    I think the part that everyone is missing, every hill is different, every truck is different, every load is different, and every driver is different. With my old truck, anything over 50K and I using a lot of brake with hi-jakes going down Eisenhower/Vail in 6th (sometimes even 5th) because the jakes were so weak. My new (relative at this point) truck, I can run off Eisenhower/Vail at 78K in 6th, hi-jakes and never touch the brakes, heck I'm more likely to give it some fuel. Now, let's look at this load. Few days back, 75,400lbs of beer, Denver to Steamboat Springs. Dropped of Floyd in 6th, high jakes and light brakes, why because they were doing construction and CSP was watching heavily. Dropped off Eisenhower in 7th, hi-jakes, very little foot brake until I started to slow for the exit ramp. Rabbit Ears, 5th gear, hi-jakes, light brakes as well. Why, because that's what the road/load called for.
     
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