What 40,000$ Looks Like

Dosent matter what it's made of, enough heat will change the physical properties of anything.

Brakes for motorcycle and other racing applications actually have to be heated up for optimal breaking power, but even they could pass a point where they are worthless. That's actually a problem, new rider with a bike guns it out of the drive way, tries to do a full power stop, smacks into something because they aren't used to racing brakes.

Possible, but something I've seen students do, is ride the brakes at lower pressure which does no good to drop RPMs. But heats them up all the same.

Those cases get corrected real fast, and if they don't pick up on it, they are gone. So far I've managed to make it click Everytime.

 

Yeah, but I'm sure she thought it was funny.

 

I get accused of riding my brakes down mountains, but my 579 turns on the brake lights when the Jake kicks in...I just let the cb 'certified driving instructors' rant and rave. It gets it out of their system before they park for the day.

 

If they really knew #### they would know alot of trucks do that.

 

Black Mountain is a 30 mph grade. Something like 7% for 5 miles maybe steeper in places. If you are not below 30 on all of it's curves that's it.

To get to Black Mountain, you have to run the Smokies. Many smaller hills. If you have hot brakes and fail to stop at Black, you are going to burn em up. This is true for any mountain.

Ex stopped at the brake check on top of black one evening and woke me up to see about going down the #### thing. Can I can I Can I pleeeease.

Sure you qualified yourself for this mountain, get out and follow me while i show you what's what with the brakes, wheels, airlines and bearings.

She did well. Max 80K gross, stayed under 30 on the Jake all the way down.

For me, Black Mountain usually is in fog, rain storms or bitter snow and ice. Totally different mountain than sunshine.

 

Let em rave. What are they gonna do? Shoot you>? Hah. In fact, the louder they rant, the more bad words (Hopefully new ones...) and more drama they kick up passes the time.

 

It does not matter what they are made from. They could be made from Neutronium for all I care. Get em hot enough, they fade out. Or... actually hurt the drums they are working against and crack them bad enough to be unable to disperse heat and themselves metal fatique enough to be DOT out of service should they detect that damage.

The best use of brakes on a mountain without a jake brake on your truck is this.

You drift off the top of the brake check area which will have a sign telling you what speed to take according to your weight. Call it Eagle Mountain scenario for 15 to 20 mph for 80K gross. You will drift off there in 2nd and finally in 4th low. Hopefully you find a balance to stay in 4th low but with no jake you apply 10 pounds or 14 pounds roughly of pressure to your service brake.

You will be adjusing your braking and finding a gear lower to keep her under control. A light enough touch on the brakes will hopefully disappate your thermal building you will have going on there between your pad and wheel drum. You cannot abuse or stomp your brakes. Because that is heat you cannot take away.

Usually you make it to the bottom with hot but not faded or burning brakes. You know you are ok as long you do not see blue smoke from any of your wheels. OR smell that famous burnt brake smell.

IF you start to smoke, do not stop. Get it slowed like 10 mph and keep being steady all the way down., Do not stop whatever you do. That air moving between a moving wheel drum and your hot brake pad is cooling. IF you stop, then fire will erupt and you will need to call the fire department anyhow. Your little extinugisher is only good for maybe two or three pads at most. If you have 4 or more burning you got a problem. If the fires are confined to either the tractor or the trailer, disconnect the #### things.

I hope that I helped you today, I do not want anyone to go about trucking to think nothing will break because we drive the new modern stuff. Mountain work is what I do best. Im bored on flatlands.

 

Plus when drums heat, they expand which compounds the problem. At least when rotors expand they still keep contact with the pads. They'll still burn up though.

 

This entire story is confusing... they say, "it was his first trip behind the wheel of an 18-wheeler." So he never went out with a trainer?? If so, he could be rolling in the dough... if he was trained then it isn't his first trip and he would have been down a mountain like this or even this one, then all of this would be his fault.

 

I too have a problem with that.

First time breaking a virgin on a mountain with no instructor is going to get him, and god knows how many other people killed. Imatelling you.