flagstaff to phoenix

Hey guys - Op got me thinking. I've driven that stretch many times, and there are a few off camber corners that you have to watch for in a car. I was curious, do these affect trucks the same ways as cars?

 

Flag to Phoenix on I-17 is easy,,first of all make sure all your brakes are adjusted correctly,,don't get over confident if going down hill seems esy and other trucks are passing you,,heed and obey all warning sings, if you have an engine brake pick a speed that it will hold you at about 1600 RPM<<even of you go down hill slower than anyone else just know that you will make it safely and only loose about 15 minutes going slower.
Watch your mirrors and if you see any smoke from your brakes pull over and let them cool, oh and most important slow down before you start going down the grades,,

 

Also keep in mind a whole lot of elk around the Flagstaff area. They love to get out on the highways, particularly at night. Easy does it, is the rule there. Don't let anyone push you into driving faster than you feel comfortable with. It really isn't that bad a run down I-17. There are many that are much worse. But you still could get over your head if you let somebody push you, whether it is your dispatch, or some CB Rambo. Ignore 'em.

 

That's way to long of a detour to avoid I-17.... I-17 isn't even close to being dangerous to go out of route 100 miles...

 

It is demanding for the truck cooling and breaking system with heavy loads, ; there's truck vital fluids on all the high grades sections on the shoulders, ; not realy dangerous , but can be dangerous for a new driver not familiar with transmission and correct shifting .
I use also, I-40 west to Albuquerque. I-25 south, Us26 to I-10W.

 

This guy is absolutely right about the elk. Most other things he is probably wrong about! Just kidding!

 

Yup, I had a real scare with them once on the Harley just about dusk running through Flag.

To the OP,get ready for a big change in temperature from Flag down to the valley below, it's amazing how much it can heat up in that short distance.

 

I ran that route bout a month ago in the rain /wind at least the 30k should hold down the box , high speed means nothing if you don't finish , old fellow trained me on braking years ago explained it like this , don't ride the brakes , use engine first then if speed increases beyond limit apply brakes for a few seconds to shave about 5 mph or so then release service brake allowing it some time to cool when sped increases again apply again shave 5 or so mph and so on , I usually use 8 low on 13 SPD apply brakes occasionally as needed , the engine brake does reasonable job keeping steady ,the worst thing u can do on down hill is trying to down shift mid hill , split hi /low OK just down shift can get u In Trouble , many people carry WAY more weight than that and they do it the same way , if you ride the brakes example light pressure constantly the brakes never have a chance to cool and sometimes leads to failure or at least shortens life of them. Hope this helps ,
PS I Totally agree with advice about , " don't listen to cab RAMBO " THATS FUNNY LOLOLOL

 

10 psi or less on the brakes and you can ride them all day without overheating. The brake drums can dissipate that much heat. You want low engine rpm going down hill because if you need to download shift you can get the next lower gear. If you go down hill at 1600 rpm and try down shifting you would have to get engine to 2200 rpm to get it in gear. That's why want low rpm going downhill. You don't rely on the Jake brake to get you down the hill. That what the brakes are for, the Jake brake just lets you go a little faster. If you use 10 psi on the brakes you go one speed down hill. You use 10 psi plus the jake brake you can go faster because it add more braking power.