Driving an automatic on icy roads and taking off on hills?

I ran maxi flat in the mountains for 10 years. I always used the engine brake coming off a pass no matter the road conditions. Sometimes it was only the first or second stage but I used it. Guys that drag their brakes all the way off a mountain just glaze up the road and pretty soon they’re sliding.

 

Curious what makes it dangerous in your opinion. I have the 510 Paccar and 12 speed transmission and in 335k miles I’ve never felt it was dangerous. I plan to order the same thing in my next truck.

 

I also always use engine brakes coming down. Key in my opinion has been that I'm in manual and starting slow right at the top and just let it crawl off. I can see if your only using it when in a corner and getting that quick drop of gears and/or kick from it engaging would cause slippage .... But when it's just steady application in slower speeds than you think you need it's just a major help. I came over multiple passes with 7+% downgrades last night on US-50 around Ely NV with snowy conditions. Also used combination Jake brakes and Telma Retarders (drive line magnet) over 20+ years in fire engines the same way on very slick roads. It's just like braking, slow steady application vs a hard quick slam.

 

I don't know how the 12 acts but my 13 I can see lotsa ways that it's dangerous.

 

Please explain. Saying you see a lot of ways that doesn’t really say much. It’s no different than anything else, learn to use it and there’s not really any issue.

 

You just can't rely on it to MOVE. And keep MOVING.

 

Yep. You can forget trying to beat traffic.

Ain't gonna happen.

 

Slow & steady Jake application as you say. Spent 2 years working south of Elko ; hwy 50 definitely has some good grades!

Thanks for good advice!

 

Say you're running on wet roads, top safe speed is 45 mph, so you're being smart and running in 9th gear at 1300 rpms, but the truck keeps wanting to upshift you and run in 10th at 950 rpms. Then it lugs, you lose speed and it downshift to 8 at 1600 rpms. So on and so forth.

Or say you're following US 60 from Cario to Paducah. There's a left hand turn where you start on level ground, then after 4 feet there is a short, steep incline. Back with manuals I told my guys to make the quit shift from 2 to 3 and then just stay in 3rd through the turn. Odds are if you try to get the 4th you'll end up lugging and need to stop in the middle of the turn. The autos will make a series of bad shift choices or just get confused and stammer.

Then you have the turns where it tosses you into ecoast midway through. Or the slow maneuvers where it you add just a smidge too much fuel and it upshifts.