No Engine Brakes???

Just slow down a little. You'll be just fine. It's not a race, take your time getting down the hill.

 

Not always that easy. The other day it was everything I could do to keep the truck under the speed limit.

Ethan

 

There was a time that most of the trucks didn't have the luxury of engine brakes. The drivers knew to slow down early and start down the hill in a lower gear. Just take your time and be patient you will get down the hill just fine.

 

It's always easy. I've taken overloads at 119,000lbs with Mr.Ryder's tractor down grades and never smoked the brakes. You just have to slow down. My first company was in FL and they didn't have any engine brakes either. You'll find more of the flat states that do not have them than the states with hills. I believe it's just downright stupid not to have an engine brake for going down grades. It's the best safety tool we have but just like everything else it gets abused.

 

How do you think the ol timers did it?
They did'nt have engine brakes. Just take your time..
Heck I had mine go out on me several years back going across I68 in Md. and W.Va. with a heavy haul ld.
Finally got it fixed about 2 months later when I had the extra time..
You just need to remember to go slow.
Even with my engine brake I go slow enough that if it goes out, I'm not heating up my brakes and can stop without issues.. just my 2 cents

 

I'm not talking about when you know it coming up or have warning signs telling you there's a steep grade.

I was going down i84 in CT. Trees all around so I couldn't see what was coming around the next bend, turns out it was a steep drop. I was doing 60mph. If i go over 70mph for more than 4 seconds it sends it to my company and I don't get a raise.

That was my concern. I had my engine brake on full blast, sitting in 8th gear, and my rpms and speed kept climbing as if i didn't have anything holding me back at all.

I don't mean a gradual increase, I mean it as if someone pushed me down the hill. I only had 40k behind me grossing 78k, that's it.

My old Detroit 60 series would hold me at 50 in 9th gear going down that kind of grade with the engine brake on high and I wouldn't go over 1400 rpm. That's also grossing 75-78k.

This Mercedes engine brake is down right USELESS. I've tried getting down to lower gears in this truck but even in 7th the rpms would climb to 2200 then id use the brakes.

I love this truck I'm in but I need a real engine brake. I've been told this has an exhaust brake, not a Jake.

Ethan

 

Should know how to drive without 1 as not every truck has one.

 

I agree. They are spoiled. Everyone should resort to the basics if they are to know everything about the job.

Any mountain can be safely navigated with no engine brake. Heck they have better brake shoes and drums now that resist higher temperatures than they did in the old days.

Do you ever see that old truck in the right lane going 20-30 mph slower than everyone else? That's the oldtimer with no jakes. You don't attack the hill the same way as you rely more on gears and brakes. You have to slow to a speed where you can maintain control. If you are trying to keep up with the trucks with jakes you are messing up.

You are going too fast for the gear. Slow her down to about 1800 rpm. You'll tear an engine up taching that higher.

 

Well just a heads up for anybody going west tonight on I70 / I68.
Me and my slow over size will be rolling along in the dark with the police.
Going real slow up and down the hills...
Fun Fun