the unnecessary usage of j-brakes, why????

Hey but I was trained OLDSCHOOL so I knew how to go down the moutains without jakes so was not to bad Monarch was the ONLY time I ever got anything a little warm and I routinely did Parley and Ike and Vail with that truck grossed out to 80K without even smeelling the brakes. Never forget that CADOT officers face at the Truckee scale when I got hit with a level 1 and he is like you run this truck over Dinner with out JAKES I was like no biggie try Monarch or Parley or Cabbage this is nothing compared to those. I still respected Donner.

 

Same here, Eagle.
I was with my first trainer for over three weeks before he'd let me flip the Jake on, or use the CB radio. We made several trips over the GrapeVine, and up to Washington State on I-5.
No Jake.
No smoked brakes.

Good trainers have a knack of successfully implanting that ability into a newBee.

 

Just out of curiosity, how much worse is Donner than Parley? I've heard Donner is bad, but I don't care to find out for myself.

 

Another made up story.... on the same lines of the ping pong ball story....

 

I'll choose Donner over Parley in ideal weather. Inclement weather and all bets are off.

 

That's nice to know... I didn't actually know that it was Parley I went over until I heard the chatter on the CB asking about the weather. Amazing how it can be clear as day in SLC and a blizzard just a few miles east.

 

I've been over them both in ALL types of weather. Personally I rather Like them both. Donner is OK except when there is a snowflake and CA DOT has you chain-up, Parley doesn't have that problem. As long as you run them at a safe speed all passes are safe. If rules of the road and weather are kept in place.

 

Hey Big D You ever run Monarch at all if you have that sucker is a PITA even with jakes let alone without them. Earl Henderson's 7700-7800 series trucks were assigned to a regional fleet and NOT even supposed to see WEST of the Big MUDDY at all yet there were drivers that ran them all over the place. I had prepass and needed to get the fricken permits for alot of states the first time for my old girl 7806 which BTW is still running for a steel hauler near me in fact he lives 12 miles away and she has 1.7 million on her with her first overhaul happening at 1.5 million not to bad for a truck that was supposed to be a throw away fleet unit.

Big diesel I was hit with Epileplsy about the time you would have been qualified to be a FIRST SEAT at HENDERSON I was training drivers there and had already hit over 1 million accident free total miles by now I would be at over 2 million accident free and still training drivers on how to go down the nastiest mountains without Jakes at all.

Here was how I graduated any of my trainees they had to be able to comedown the Baker grade into Nevada and get off at Primm without Jakes and not heat up the brakes at all. BTW everyone 80% of my trainees never made it to my graduating test most of them flunked out in the first week I did not want a steering wheel holder I wanted Professinal Drivers only out there.

 

On some trucks with Cummins engines that are 2007 and newer with the new emission related devises on the are not loud at all when you use the jake brake. Inside the cab with the radio off and the jake brake at full force I can barley hear it. Those particulate filters and catalyst do a great job at quieting things down also.

 

Mind if I ask how old you are?

A bit of history: In 1931, Clessie Cummins, founder of the Cummins Engine Company, drove across the United States to demonstrate off the viability of his new diesel engine. While descending Cajon pass in California (something that took real cajones in those days), the brakes failed on his truck and he and his pals barely survived the hairy ride. After that experience, Cummins devised the idea of an engine brake to supplement the use of wheel brakes on diesel trucks, especially for use on long downgrades.

Cummins developed the compression release engine brake in 1954 and shopped the idea around, but none of the major engine manufacturers were interested. His brother's son introduced him to the Jacobs Manufacturing Company, established in 1903 by A.I. Jacobs, makers of the world famous three jaw Jacobs Drill Chuck. The Jacobs company ran with the idea and marketed a successful line of compression release and other types of brakes. The firm split in 1986 and chuck manufacturing now takes place in Clemson, South Carolina, while engine brake producition remains in Bloomfield, Connecticut under the Jacobs Vehicle Systems name.

All of the brake systems made by Jacobs Vehicle Systems can accurately be called "jake brakes," not just their compression release engine brakes. They also produce the Jacobs Exhaust Brakes and Jacobs Driveline Brakes, both of which are nearly silent. The engine brakes are the ones that make that distinctive staccato sound, and if I could make a WAV, I'd include my imitation of it here.

The Jacobs company blames the loud noise you hear from passing trucks on the use of engine brakes in vehicles with poorly muffled or unmuffled exhaust systems (straight pipes, for example), exhaust systems that have been illegally modified or are poorly maintained, and/or truckers who simply enjoy making noise. Because of this, the Jacobs company feels that it's inaccurate, unfair, and maybe illegal to use their trademarked name in the generic sounding "NO JAKE BRAKES" signs, especially since some of their other jake brakes are quiet and noisy compression release engine brakes are made by other companies, too. These signs are often seen in residential areas adjacent to a highway. The federal government has required all vehicles manufactured since 1978 to meet noise requirements.

That means basically you would need to be what? 85+ years of age? Now I am not knocking the elderly here but lets be realistic!!! At age 85 you didnt just wake up this morning and decide you hated something you lived with all your life.