Safest way to drive downhill?

Whoever told you that using the Jake in a wet road is going to cause a drive axle skid is an idiot. The reason they say not to use it on a wet road is because IT'S NOT A BRAKE!!!!! It runs your engine on less cylinders, which slows the truck down. The trailer is still moving freely, now, what happens when the trailer wants to move faster than the truck? It goes around the truck. The drive axle skid usually means you have a bigger problem than that skid. With experience, it's really no big deal using the engine brake on a wet road, especially if you have a trailer brake in your truck, but most of the time, it's just knowing how to go down hills so that you're already at that slow speed before hitting the hill, so the jake is only maintaining your speed, not slowing you down. When it's slowing you down, that's when it becomes dangerous.

And follow the common advice here, that you can't go too slow. But going too fast is really easy.

 

Forwards is the safest way to come down a hill. Any other way is asking for trouble.

Now with all the advice given here there will be times where you get surprised. Such as coming over a rolling hill and it just drops off and is loooong. You climb one side in 13 and the other side you should have been in 8th,,, ooops!

Especially as a rookie, you will drop over hills that you have not driven before. Just do what is comfortable for YOU. If you are not comfortable you will be the one making a mistake.

 

Obviously.

http://www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com/technology/exhaust-brakes/

 

Have taken a down grade not exceeding 10mph .. snow packed with chains on.. each hill has it own character.. up or down.. in all seasons

 

Your definition of "Coasting" and mine are 2 totally different animals. Coasting is just that - coasting. I don't consider being in a reduced gear and in control of your descent down a grade or a slope as "Coasting."

 

One situation that is different is when it has been dry for a long time and you get a shower, the road can become very slippery, then you want to act as if it is on snow.

 

Hydroplaning is also possible in heavy rain.

 

You two^^ old jokers be quiet! There are voices of far greater wisdom and experience just above you! </sarc>

 

Just go around all the hills,what's a mountain anyway,it's a big hill,just go around !

 

Go down in a gear and speed that YOU are comfortable with. Period. If that speed is under 45 use your four ways and get on down the mountain.

And if you don't really care, well, go down as fast as you can get to the scene of the crash!

That's a joke. Don't do that.

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