I think I’m loosing my brakes

what's less than moron; they would stop.

 

Troll post. Nothing to see here. Move along.

 

Just take a picture of your smoking brakes and post it?

 

Should have gotten truck with air disc brakes. Drums are old technology.

Their is a way to go downhill and you can ride the brakes all day if you want and they won't overheat.

 

I know this is a troll thread but for those who don't know any better, trying to stop with heating brakes is how you turn a minor issue into a catastrophe.

Slowing enough to downshift into a gear that enables the engine brake to handle the grade is all you need to do, the brakes will heat up far less slowing to that speed than a full stop and rolling against the engine brake with the brakes released will cool the brakes far quicker than sitting still.

Trying to stop should never be your first choice to address brakes that are starting to smoke, just correct your own error and get it into the right gear.

 

Are people still being taught not to downshift going down hills and mountains?
I always hated that hill in I-80 going down into Salt Lake City.

 

At the first place I worked after high school, they had a Ford CL9000 single axle cabover. No Jake brake. The guy that drive that truck worked for one of the LTL outfits, although I don't recall which one. This was a part time gig for him. He claimed he never ran a truck with a Jake brake in 30 years of driving.

I rode along with him a few times and learned a thing or two. He claimed that without a Jake brake, steady light pressure on the brakes is the best way to go down a mountain. Pick a low gear, and just keep steady pressure on the pedal, never slowing down, nor gaining any speed. Claimed you could do that all day and never overheat the brakes.

I can't say I've ever tried it. But I'm going across 68 in Maryland tonight. Maybe try it

 

I don't care what automatic slack adjusters are supposed to do, they don't do it for a number of reasons. Need to climb under there and check them yourself.

 

No Brakes????
STOP; immediately, (So you don't kill someone,)
Cut wheels hard to curb.
Put it in your lowest gear without setting parking brake.
Let your foot off, and see if it stays put, the more level area the better.
If you have a wheel chock; use it (on the downhill side, of course.)
Get your ### out and see what is wrong.
Don't lay in front of the tires.
Fix it - or call someone to fix it. Don't drive it w/o brakes.

And by the way, I had a brake pad flaming on a 4 wheel disc brake setup.
Disc brakes are way better, but not totally immune to fires.
It can happen. Not smoking - flames.

And "brake fade" isn't what he originally said.
Still waiting for you to post picture of smoke billowing from said brakes??