I think I’m loosing my brakes

And RET423 is right if you are moving along. Wind will air cool you.
I'm talking about when you first notice a loss of control - braking.

 

“Loosing my brakes on I-70 HELP” gets 0.5 point for trolling effort and 0.05 for recognizing current TTR interests and events.

 

Need to quit using the brakes so they don't get hot and go faster so they will cool down quicker.

 

This was what they used to teach until the early 90's when testing showed with brakes operating 100% their was no real difference between "smooth and steady" and "stab breaking". However they did discover that sometimes with the lighter pressure of "smooth and steady" only part of the brakes would come on and these brakes would be ovrloaded and overheat. Because of this they started teaching "stab braking".

The real secret is to come down a hill slow enough. If you are going slow enough in a low enough gear the brakes will have time to get rid of excess heat. Without a Jake Brake that might be 2100 rpm and 25 mph and slowing to 20 mph but it will work.

I've heard guys say just "let it roll" and only use the brakes one or twice but that won't work on a 14 mi 6% Grade or even a much shorter grade that's 12 or 14%.

 

Just remember, Fuel is a necessity, Brakes are a luxury!

 

I ciouldn'tremember which was the correct term. I think stab braking is the term for apply and release in emergency braking without abs brakes. I'm afflicted with CRS Disease these days.

 

It's the old light and steady pressure.

10 PSI on the brakes or less and you can ride them all day without overheating them. That because at 10 PSI or less the drums can dissipate that amount of heating. So they will never over heat. They will be hot. That also how you can tell if your beginning to over heat the brakes. If you notice your going faster and can't hold the truck back with 10 PSI or less your starting to over heat the brakes. You need slow down and drop a gear

 

Yeah I've witnessed guys just letting it roll coming east on 68 into Cumberland, MD. Thought of trying it once, but I just couldn't bring myself to actually trying it. I'm always grossed out on weight coming down. I've been coming down that hill for the last 6 months twice a week, doing the 45 mph speed limit, never had an issue. But I've seen guys passing me at 65, and they seem to make it down without any trouble. But I'm sure they're lighter.

Now that I think about it, there's a hill that I think is worse than Big Savage, and that would be Sideling Hill. But there's no speed restrictions on that one for some reason. And I have gone down over that one a little faster than I was comfortable with.