Brake Test with Ultrashift

I don't know many drivers performing those brakes tests daily... but I believe as long as you are on a level surface you wont' be going anywhere. Especially since during the brake tests you are only off the brakes very little.

Shutting off the truck in gear accidentally every once in a while shouldn't do much damage, but if you constantly do that then you can mess up the XY shifter. The shifter solenoid can also get stuck and not able to get the transmission back into neutral as the gears are to meshed together, that will cause a no-start and you'll be stuck until fixed.

Also, even if you do keep the truck in gear on an ultrashift transmission your truck will most likely still move since the clutch isn't completely engaged (if at all).

So its either trust a level surface or carry wheel chocks around with you.

 

Just never get out of the truck without the brakes being set...

Wanted to make sure to put that notice in there lol

 

wait.....am i hearing this correctly?

Maybe I am a stickler.....but you don't do a daily pump down of your brakes??

I know, I know, I am a newb.....but seriously, you don't do it everyday?

I don't want to be stupid, but why not? I do a pump down of my brakes every morning when I do my pre-trip inspection....and every time I hook up to a new trailer.

Maybe I am dumb, any reason NOT to do it? I was under the impression that aside from it being required in a pre-trip....that it also automatically adjusts the slack adjusters on your truck and trailer.

 

I don't think I've done that since my driving test to get my cdl.

 

If chocking is not an option, and the surface is not level and allows the truck to roll, put a tire in a hole (All lots have a hole). If you have a co-driver and he is annoying, borrow his cell phone and put it in front of a tire and put him behind a tire.

 

The pump down part of the brake test is just to test your tractor protection valve... Here is what a DOT officer showed me... its quicker and is more of a real thing that could happen as lines do break.

Get out of your truck and with both knobs pushed in (wheels chocked) disconnect the red emergency line. Your knobs will pop at the same pressures as if you would pump down.

But yeah.. I don't do that daily either.

Also, when you hook up to another trailer... after doing a walk around inspection the only other kind of brake check I do is get the truck rolling at a slow pace and pull the trailer brake handle. That tests your trailer brakes and also is one last check on your 5th wheel lock.

 

as far as the ultra goes, when you shut it down as long as your slower then about 17 mph when you turn the key off the tranny is in basically neutral or more or less search mode. The clutch is centrifugal so anything under 800 rpm or 17 mph the clutch is free wheeling, so in a sense neutral. However the tranny may still be "in" a gear because it need to have the input shaft spinning in order to shift it into any other gear but if you were to shut the truck off it will roll like its in neutral.

Its not necessarily bad per say to shut it off without being in neutral but it can be a bugger ext time you turn the truck on and it wont start not realizing you dot have the switch in neutral.


As for the pump down I dont see a point in doing it with the one exception of checking the button popping.

As far as brake adjustment, if the brakes arent adjusting under normal braking conditions as long as you haul heavy every so often or even just the cycling of the trailer parking brakes; there is a bigger issue that wont be fixed by doing a pump down.

The one thing i do when picking up a new trailer, tug test first against the parking brakes of the trailer, slide tandems, then I release all parking brakes and put it in 2nd gear (5mph ish) and apply brake pedal until truck stops. You can normally tell if the brakes are good or bad if you cant slide the tandems with 45k in the box or if you have to really stomp on the pedal when your apply them against full throttle 2nd gear.

 

He could be checking his brakes applied leakage rate and then his low pressure warning.

He either told you wrong or you misunderstood. Fully charged with brakes released and vehicle chocked you remove both air lines. Note the pressure when the trailer air supply button pops and then apply service brakes and make sure no air escapes through the service (Blue) line. AFAIK, the feds still do not require the park brake button to trip, and per the mfg it should not pop at the same pressure as the TAS button.

Probably no one does

Where does that "last check on your 5th wheel lock" thing come from?