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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;primexample, post: 1256599, member: 29202&quot;]MOUNTAIN GRADES WITHOUT A JAKE BRAKE: Stevens Transport through out training, and your first 6 months solo you will not have a jake brake. We were taught,THE OLD FASHION WAY and trained with no jake brake,and to use the 10 point rule. which means with our KW T2000 ten speed truck (10 minus the percent of the grade should equal the gear to be in). say 10-6&amp;#37; grade=4th or 5th gear around 2100 rpms and light steady pressure (7-10lbs) all the way down the grade. worked fine for me the first 6 months solo after training with no jake all over the country never had any problems.I wasnt about to try it any other way.Yes you are going a little slow, but whos in a big hurry to get down a 6% grade with 80,000 lbs.At least this way you can easly tell if your brakes are fading away and you should be able to pull over, and stop. I am sure this way is a good way to break in inexpierenced drivers, and to respect steep mountain grades without getting in a hurry.but as soon as some drivers go solo they start letting other drivers drive the truck for them like come on Stevens you can go down faster than that man. One day i was in the safety office, and a fresh solo driver called in to report he had to take an emergency runaway ramp when the safety director asked him what if he was ok and did anyone get hurt, and he said no one was hurt.Then he asked whats you wieght. he was nearly grosses out, then what gear and method he used when desending that grade. He said 7th gear and useing 5-5 method he was terminated, after getting back to the yard.You must be in the right gear an at the right rpm to use your engines governor.One trainee said his trainer showed him how to do all his major mountains in 9th gear. OMG! I called him and his trainer a dam fool, and told him he needs to tell that to the safety director so he can get retrained the right way. I just hope he was jokeing. fanning your brakes with air aint gonna keep them cool but will make them hotter just like starting up a fireplace the more air the hotter she gets.but by keeping them closed the little heat generated dissapates throughout the hub assembly.Why let your truck speed up to find out your brakes are fading out that 5 mph may not let you pull over to stop.but whatever works for ya stick with it.I know ther are different ways to descend grades i just dont like fanning brakes heat: is a form of energy which can not created nor destroyed only moved away.it flows from warmer to cooler.the greater the temperture difference the faster it will flow. Alway check your brakes before you get to brake check area, and at the brake check area on top of the grade most of the time there is no turning back at the brake check area, and roadside rescue can cost a lot of downtime, and money. you can go down lots of times too slow, but maybe only once too fast.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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