Driving in mountains?

I have a different way to go downhill with manual transmission.

You want low RPMs 1,100-1,500. The reason you want low RPMs is because in the winter if the trailers starts sliding you can jacknife going down hill. The skidding tire will always want to lead. Meaning the only way to stop a jacknife going downhill till is to take you foot off the brakes and get all the tires rolling again.

If you do that and the trailer will not get back behind your tractor you only have one option to save yourself and this is why you want LOW RPMs going downhill. You step on the pedal and go faster and you pull the trailer back behind your truck. You don't have much time to react because once the trailer get pass something like 10 degrees angle you can't even pull it back behind you.

So you don't want waste time shifting gears because if your going downhill at 1,700+ RPMs you can't pull the trailer. So that's why you want low RPMs going downhill. If trailer started to come around all you do get off the brakes step on the pedal and pull the trailer back behind you. Then your back in control and you work on slowing down again.

 

You were speeding, what did you really expect... don't answer that.
Monteagle Mountain Truck Crash

 

Once upon a time I ran Donner pretty regularly. It's amazing how quick you learn every pull regardless of it's a big or small pull and it becomes 2nd nature how to run it. Got to the point where it felt effortless after I learned the pass and figured out exactly what I could get away with (assuming weather wasn't a factor) and what gear to be in and exactly when. Only part I hated was that "mandatory" stop before the long drop. I always made the stop even though a lot of drivers didn't, to stretch or piss if nothing else lol

 

Mount eagle is a breeze.....I'll be the first to say THERE IS NO MOUNTAIN I HAVE BEEN ON *on an interstate* that you cant take a 30mph....jake on...and not touch the brakes.....
From donner,cabbage,grape vine,sandstone,mount eagle,and the one i can never remember going from Oregon to California ....
Weighing 80k......
Just be in the right gear, have your rpms up...and you will be fine...
No of course this is perfect driving condition.... its the back roads of wv and va that should worry you.....just pay attention to signs and take them slow at first...soon you will know what you can and cant do

 

If your truck has an brakes applied air pressure gauge. You can go downhill with little steady pressure of 10psi or less and the brakes will not overheat. That's how you know you going the correct speed for the hill and load. If you can hold the truck back with 10psi or less.

For down shift going downhill you can do that also if needed. You just hit the brakes and slow the truck till the RPMs are at 900. You do this because because it more easy to grab the next lower gear and if you miss the gear you can raise the RPMs to like 1,600 and get the next gear.

Remember the gears have like 300 rpm rang difference so if you slow truck to 900 rpm the next lower gear should be at 1,300rpm. Let say you miss that gear you don't have to panic because you know the next gear should be at 1,600 RPMs. So by slow to 900rpm for a down shift going down hill your building in a safe for yourself f you miss the gear. Just step on pedal raise engine to 1,600 and it will probably go I to gear.

 

And Arkansas. There is a truck route to a chicken plant that ships 18 wheeler. When you are up against the OK Line and run into a sign that says CROOKED and the next saying 5 mph curve. Get it down to two before you get there. You will see nothing but busted concrete barrier and sky as you come around.

 

Brandt is good with this information. However... I offer a plan B. It's only because Im not afraid to shift on a mountain up or down.

If you miss one, you can take the next one up and try again or do try to get the second one down below the one you missed. This is for upgrades so you can capture her and keep it moving.

If you miss going down, get on that service brake no longer than 15 seconds and slow that thing, find the gear you missed or go up one. If you absolutely lost it and speed is past 45 heading through 50 unable to get anything, it's a truck ramp time. It will take a while to get the yelling stopped but it's safer to use a ramp than try to ride out past one.

That is one reason I keep a cool set of brakes ideally untouched so that if she gets away, I know I can stop one time on shoulder and I will get it stopped.

There are roads around the USA that approach 25% Ive talked about them before, you could be bobtail and discover you aint got enough jake and shes getting away from you because you came over the top at 60 around a curve with no knowledge or warning. And there you are smoking it BOBTAIL...

That happened to me in Vermont. Coming back up loaded with hardwood furnature to the max took about two hours of less than walking speed pull. It took 3 more hours after that to cool all the gauges in that freightliner. I was not sure if I was going to get it back, Pyro reached 1500 and stayed there for a hour and change. One of the few times I ever pegged it. Im pretty sure that engine took damage somewhere. It was only a little 350 kitty. Not for those hills.

 

Agreed. Monteagle or Mount Eagle whatever it's called is nothing to sweat, it's just boring going up. There was a decent Chinese place that had parking in town though

 

we cnt understand tht for u dude, u gonna hve to experience it for yourself to hve a better understanding how to handle the problem

 

The 76 up top left something to be desired back in the day.