Downgrades in the snow

I’m not gonna edit or read your whole post. The part that you said 10psi and you can ride your brakes all day. Bull crap dude. Don’t spew false info. 10psi will absolutely heat your brakes up. If it is enough to create drag, it is enough to create heat. Heat builds!

Had my brake valve stick years ago on in a pete i was driving. Left the yard, all was well. It was a 20 minute ride to i295. The last light i came out of before i got on 295 i felt a slight resistance while shifting...i had a brake app gauge, i looked at it and it looked like it was all the way down on 0. Well it wasn’t. It took about ten miles and the smoke started to roll, pulled over and first thing i did as i was walking back to the trailer was yank the red & blue lines. The blue line let air out (think opening a soda). Said huh??? Climbed back in the truck & looked at app gauge yup moved just a hair. Wow i said.

I hung my blue line on the back of the cab and ran back to the yard. Swapped into a spare truck for the day. Turned out to be an easy fix, that the mechanics had done before i had even gotten myself back up onto 295.

Moral of the story, stop spewing b/s if it creates drag it creates heat!!!

 

10psi or less on the brakes will create heat ! But it won't overheat the brakes ! The drums can dissipate that much heat without fading/overheating the drums. You can drive downhill safe without the engine brake and avoid a possible jacknife.

If you have one of the newer auto shift transmissions and use the engine brake in snow or ice your not going to like the results because thy downshift gears automatic

 

Or instead of riding your brakes all the way down you figure out the gear and jake stage combo that allows you to go safely down the hill without breaking traction.

 

You don't want to use engine brake in snow or ice. Your settings yourself up for a possible jacknife.

 

I like facts, research, and science.

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...FjAAegQIARAB&usg=AOvVaw0O9r1kLu3_QZEvM5Yga27C

The University of Michigan has done quite a lot of research for the benefit of truckers. The study I linked to is an experiment that found indeed the heat created by continuous light braking is about the same as snub braking. The difference is that snub braking results in more even heat build up. I prefer snub braking, giving it about six seconds running on Jakes alone for every second of brake application at about 15 psi.

 

Any changes in speed on snow and ice, either by brake or jake can result in trailer racing you down that hill. Get in the flow of traffic with plenty of room ahead and look as far as you can to be ready for the changes. Then if you in a area of many cars be prepared for them to jump in front of you and slam the brakes on because they got scared. A good dash cam is needed for winter driving because them drivers are in a hurry and have a great 4 wheel drive or all wheel drive and they can get going real good, stopping is another thing.

 

So in the snow and ice I don't want to use the engine brake and snub braking. It was explained to me your more likely to start a jacknife. You are applying more brake pressure on and off.

Then someone is using the engine brake. If the drive tires hit a slick spot with engine brake on you can cause a tire to lose traction. A spinning tire or skidding tire will always want to lead. That mean it will want to come to the front and now you have get the tires spinning or start recovering from a jacknife.

 

How much experience do you have in the mountains in inclement weather? Because you’re sounding like you don’t have much, anyone who makes their living in the mountains knows an engine brake can be a great tool no matter if there’s snow or not.

 

23 years and yes anyone with experience in the mountains knows you don't use engine brake in snow and ice. Do you run chains and the engine brake ?

If all 10 brakes can't keep you on the road you would know the engine brake is even less traction.

 

I was about to ask this same thing.

It sounds to me you dont have much experience in the mountains, or bad weather.

Yes jakes can get you into trouble on slick roads, so can snub breaking. And there are sometimes situations on what I call glare or glass ice that absolutely ANY type of brake application at all will put the kiss of death on your truck and regaining control on this type of slick is nearly impossible.

And I will guarantee that if you drive for very long with 10 psi of brake application you will have a brake fire sooner rather than later. I followed a guy down Sherman on I80 in WY 2 days ago. At the summit his brake lights came on, and he was probably doing about 60. I downshifted to a gear that would hold me about 55 to 60 and used the Jake's to maintain 58. About half way down I started to smell brake smoke, as my window was rolled down. About another 100 yards and I could see the smoke start to roll off the guys brakes in front of me. His brake lights had been on the ENTIRE time since he left the summit. And he had maintained about the same speed as me. By the time we were nearing the very last corner his brakes were smoking very badly... By now he had already gained a lot of speed on me. And then it happened, his brake lights finally flickered, and flickered again, and again, and again... But he didn't slow down at all, in fact he probably continued to gain speed. Id bet he took that last corner at the bottom at 80+. The speed limit does change to 75 right there, but depending on load that is still to fast. Just judging by the degree his trailer was leaning over and how his brake lights continued to flash, id bet he was about crapping his pants. He did finally get it under control and slowed down, I passed him just before he pulled over to the shoulder, in a big cloud of brake smoke.

You go ahead and let you brakes "drag," but mark my words... Sooner or later you WILL regret it.