Hills

Until you get the hang of it just keep it in 8th and brake as needed.
Way too many factors for us to give ya a definite answer. Just go SLOW, and turn your 4 ways on.

If your RPMs are getting to high or if you're gaining to much speed then you are in too high of a gear.

Good luck, noob.

 

If you have not driven the road then you want to go slow, You want to jake in the 4 cylinder position with no brakes, that way if you have to make an emergency stop you will have brakes to do that, you want to look up the jake RPM you will find it is a lot higher than the RPM you are pulling the hill at. I live in B.C. we have mountains, big mountains and if you use stab braking every 15 seconds you will have exactly nothing left to stop in an emergency. Many big long hills have a 30 MPH corner at the bottom, that is there to weed out the genetically deficient. If you need brakes use a very low pressure of a long period of time. Every trucker should have an infered temp gun they are cheap, less than $50.00 buys you a great one, if you are on a steady wrought try Stab braking down a hill, coast to a turn out, take the temp of the truck and trailer drums and mark it down, then try using less than 20 lbs all the way down the hill, and stop in the same place.
In a snow covered road you will need chains, you can use Jake's with no problem, you want to go slow, it is much better to go slow, and make it, than to be some kind of hero, and end up in the ditch. If you have not driven the road ahead ask someone at the truck stop for advice, also if you can follow them. Get there CB handle and listen.
Just a thought!

 

Your weight and gravity are why the jake wasn't holding you back in 10th and 9th. 10th gear isn't a go down the mountain gear to begin with. You just need to slow down more than what you are to get down it safely. On a 6% grade 7th-8th with the jake depending on weight will hold your speed pretty constant, even if you have to tap the breaks a little here and there you aren't going to burn them up. If its raining or snowing or just slick conditions, drop another gear or two if you have to and put the jake on the low side. Put your four ways on and enjoy the trip down, whats someone going to do call you a bad name on the c.b. for going slow? Drive it so you can stop it if there is a problem up ahead, and as others have said you can't go down a moutain to slowly.

Here is a real life example for you- Cabbage/Emigrant Hill is posted at 6% with posted speeds by weight 60k-65k 37mph, 65k-70k 26mph, 70k-75k 22mph 75k-80k 18mph.

Keep in mind also using the breaks at say 25mph with no jake and using them at 65mph with no jake is different. At 25mph you are going to need less friction to slow, less friction means less heat, means less chance of brakes fading.