Jake Brake Info

Like some others have said, it all depends on the make of the truck. Some will shut off before stalling the motor and others wont. I am able to use the jake in both wet and dry but I don't use it in snow or ice as it can put you into a slide. Even using it on lose gravel can cause the wheels to loose traction and slide, happened to me last summer.

Unless your running crap tires wet and dry are probably both ok, but I'd avoid it in the snow when possible. If you need to just use a lower gear and go down without the jake.

 

Yup, depends on the truck. I've had a jake on a international kill the motor, never on a KW though. Not yet on a pete.

 

Well it was a 3406B in a pete that did it to me on my maiden voyage as an O/O oct 28th 1985. Wasn't quite sure if that was going to be the begining of the end!

 

my jake wont work at idle....but it did stall the motor coming down homestake the other day

i was wondering why it got so peacefull in the cab till my hind end headed for the ditch ( big patch of black ice), got the clutch in, just barely cought it b4 she died

thats the only time that has ever happened to me....i normally just leave em on unless im pretty sure its slick

and i have gone down lookout in the snow and jake on....cant say it enjoyed it but i didnt have any problems either

 

All the computer motors kick the jake out long before it dies. TH old mechanicals will kill the engine since they don't shut off untill you make them shut off.
Learn what you are talking about before you give advice, it's a good way to get people hurt.
I'll use the jakes on wet roads. I'll switch it between low or medium depending on weight and road conditions. Using them on a snowy road is just suicidal though at any weight.

 

Its a good way to get people hurt?? what are you talking about it happened to me once so I know what I am talking about, also it has happened to other people on here?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

 

except on an old mechanical motor it will not kill the engine. it cuts out about a few hundred rpm above idle rpm and truck will still lug down below rpm level.
There isn't many people still running mechanical motors but yes there are some around.
It has nothing to do with truck manufacturer, the only variable is mechanical or computer.
I don't know what happened to bronc. First he said it killed it then he says he got on the clutch before it died so it didn't kill it. I think it may have luged it way down but in the end wouldn't have killed it even if he hadn't got on the clutch because I know he is driving computer cat. Either way he shouldn't have been using it on the ice.
Yes, when you give false information someone may actually think ou know what you are talking about and people can get hurt when they fallow it. I didn't necesarilly mean this perticular information.

Furthermore on the mechanical cats you have to be doubly carefull because the jake will not only kill the motor but if the motor stops on the compresion stroke it can kick the the piston back the other way and the motor will start back up and run in the reverse direction. They motor will run backwards but the oil pump doesn't function so you will have no oil presure

 

I have seen my trailer trying to swap lanes and I was in a Mack and theyre jakes suck.But Jakes are brakes Ice snow or rain beware use with care.

 

If it's slippery enough Jake won't kill even a mechanical, your drivers will just start turning opposite directions same as if you are in too low of a gear.
The problem seems to be that alot of people use their Jake for a noise making toy, even when they know they have a turn/stop right ahead they give it
another cog and lay on the throttle just so they can let off and rattle instead
of backing off with just enough pressure on the footfeed to keep the Jake
off till or if they need it. I'm not against Jakes, I use mine in ALL road conditions, but I use discretion, you don't need it hitting on all 6 at governed
rpm.

 

my first experience in snow could've been somewhere less treacherous. my dispatcher could've sent me on my way before noon for this 550 mile trip. I could've known better, but I did'nt.
ascended through donner pass [lake tahoe] at sundown. roads were plowed and clear, although rutted from tire chains. then it began to snow. luckily it was light and fluffy. I was loaded with 40k# worth of lowboy and diesel generators for squaw valley ski days festival that coming weekend.
on the dry pavement I loved the jake, but I dropped 3 gears when the snow got heavier and the wipers started clogging up.I was driving a sterling city tractor with a dovetail lowboy, c12. the bad snow didnt start until we got off 80 toward squaw. it was a 2 lane road, fairly flat with whoops and wall to wall snow banks.
traction on new, crisp snow is pretty good [no chains]. just have a little healthy fear of it and youlle get through. constantly evaluate the conditions. I pressed on because the road leveled out, but I got a room in tahoe city after I unloaded because the roads were freezing up, and they were pretty wet in places earlier that evening. I waited until 0800 to leave and it was okay. you can see the dedicated guys fly past, and you know it's safe to proceed. I don't use the jake when it's fluffy and steep--easy does it in low range. let'em pass if they will.