flagstaff to phoenix

Im not gonna jump in on another HOW to go down the big mountain argument---but a lit piece of advice from an old guy about the post about warning signs on curves---good rul of thumb--the speed posted on sign should be your EXIT speed--or better than that--the speed you are acclerating to as you exit the curve...may seem too slow--but it works

 

Stab braking will cook all of them with a quickness.

 

I have taken hills back in Pennsylvania, Donners, Grapevine, Parleys, Whitebird, Cabbage, etc...all with very minimal use or without ever even touching my brakes, by simply going low and slow, (low gear and slow speed) using the jakes. My second trainer taught me you can go to slow for ever, but too fast only once. It has helped me more than once get down a hill.

 

My gross weight most of the time the last 8 years or so was always 100,000 to 135,000 lbs,
I always slow down before I go down the grade to a speed that my jake will hold me with out touching the brakes all the way down,If necessary my brakes are at their max and cool so if I need to stop or slow down one steady application will do the job with no worries,,you never go wrong going too slow,,but it does not take much too go too fast and get in serious trouble , I usually get over 800,000 miles on a set of tractor brakes and 500,000 or more on the trailer,,Every truck I have bought in the past 30 years had jakes,and my trailers I ordered them with ABS before they were required,, You should always check you brakes for proper adjustment every month or more,,Self adjuster don't always work right..

 

Dear Davidlee, Where were you when we pulled Leveta Pass in Co, a 14% grade on a 2 lane with a load of cows, no jake brake and snow falling at 3 inches an hour or over Monarch at 11,000 300 if my memory serves me right with a load of cow feed twisting and turning a t 25 MPH with the brakes on all the way to the bottom? WE had crummy brake pads then too and more than once I've broken the whole brake cam and had the pads fall out. C'mon, man up! You never drove a real truck with 5x4 or 5x3 or 4x4 have you? Back in the good ol days if your brakes weren't smoking at the bottom of those Co mountains it was because you were just starting up the hill.

 

I just got finished coming out of that route and you'll haft to be careful as the rode puts you at risk for roll over. Don't try passing on curvy down grades and chill out on your speed around the curves. Remember you should not feel any wait variation withing your cab while going around the curves, if you do your going to fast you'll need to slow down.