made a mistake

Use the #### jake unless it is a absolute ice skating rink you can easily get by using it on 2 or 4 cylinder setting. Also if the road is wet find some of that water or slop and run through it to cool the brakes.

 

Get into a lower gear before you start going downhill. Don't pay attention to the truckers behind you. You can go too slowly down a mountain thousands of times. You can go too fast once..

 

On a side note, and I may be showing my age and ignorance on this...are the brakes compromised after smoking them???? In the old days, they would "crystallized"...I changed many shoes on POS Fords, Chevrolets in the 80's

 

use the jakes always. if you hit an icy spot the rpms will drop. but than again if your on your brake its going to do the same thing. get the point. jakes or no jakes if you hit ice using either you will know it atleast with the jakes you have help to keep it slowed down

 

Sometimes, put the wheels on the right side of the truck, just off the main pavemet onto the shoulder where the slush or rougher pavement is. This depends, of course, on the conditions.

 

Ice is less slick at 3 degrees than it is at 28 degrees.
In general, the colder it is, the better traction you will have.

I almost always use my engine brake, to some degree.
At 78k I would have quickly found a gear that allowed me to hold a safe speed using a medium setting on the engine brake combined with very light service brakes every 5-10 seconds.
That might mean 35 MPH speeds from the top down.

If other trucks want to go faster than you are prepared to go, let them either go around you or follow you.
You set your own pace.

 

Jakes (engine brakes) alone will never cause a jack knife. If the trailer starts to show signs of coming out of line (coming around), slight throttle will return the units to a straight line. With that said, the issue of ice/wet roads and jake application is an issue of "breaking traction", in this case, "skidding"...this is a result of excessive application of brakes, either with or without the use of jakes.

This is a good...nay, excellent example of how experience teaches drivers! Having the knowledge that the conditions are less than favorable (wet/icy), heavy load, and long and steep down grade...begin the down grade slower and in a lower gear with jakes at the high setting, try dropping the jake to the middle setting in the same gear...if the rpm's climb up, return jake to high...next try going up a gear with the jakes still on high. Find the combination that will maintain a comfortable speed/rpm with minimal use of brakes. Remember, short, slight brake application is best....why work yourself, let the equipment do the work.

 

Really you should try descending some hills with no Jake usage at all. It will be a good learning experience. Not all trucks used to have engine brakes. I was driving west coast with no engine brake up until 2007. Learn how to do it right and then the jake will make it a piece of cake.

I am sure there are some drivers that would refuse to run without a jake these days.
Also just because the truck breaks traction does not equal instant jacknife.