Mountain Driving Tips

SLOW THE HECK DOWN!!!

If you see a sign that says windy road ahead, it has a sugjested speed of 45, go 40.

Dont care if some idiot passes you, it isnt the place to be in a race.

 

I'm rusty, but I will say you can take the grades too slow as many times as you want. You can only take them too fast once.

There will be others in with more specific advice soon

 

you been in the flatlands all along huh? ok first thing is you can go down them a million times slowly but only once too fast. rule of thumb whatever gear you had to downshift into to climb you go one gear lower for the descent. if there are areas at the top to "check" your brakes etc....USE THEM. I use to stop get out walk around do a tire check take a leak etc.....but give your brakes a chance to cool. DO NOT ride your brakes they will burn up. Use your jakes and the engine to moderate your speed and use the brakes to keep things from going over the top.

 

yes, use your jake, you go down the other side usually 1 full gear lower than you climbed it up in.

Also your johnson bar is there to test your trailer brakes, not to lock up the trailer coming down a hill, it is a good way to start a fire or worse lose control of the truck if you do.

 

that johnny bar can be a real bad idea on a hill

 

I'm really reaching back in the old memory banks here (off the road for 10 years). One thing I was taught, was to steadily apply brakes to bring your speed down to 5 mph below the speed you want to be, release brakes and repeat. This works best when using your jakes and having your truck in the appropriate gear.

 

I dont know how many swift trucks come rolling off Lookout pass doing that crap. it is pretty dumb, I remember back in early 2005 they wrecked 10 trucks there in 10 days all within 5 or 6 miles of each other.

 

If you have to use your brakes more than once a minute you are in the wrong gear.

 

What if your truck doesn't have a jake, like mine... I guess the only thing to do is gear the heck down and let the rpm's build. Better than catchin your brakes on fire...