Where do you get them, what do they cost and how do they work? We just went over Teton pass and it scared the crap out of me. My husband wants to keep camping in the mtns but I'm not going with out a jake brake and some valuim. HELP
Posted 2007-07-08 6:06 PM (#63468 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Member
Posts: 42 Location: Salinas, Ca
What kind of truck are we talking about?
there's something called a PacBrake thats an exhaust brake... I hope that helps. i know they make one for the duramax, if you goto google and type pacbrake i'm sure something will come up for you.
Posted 2007-07-09 11:27 AM (#63503 - in reply to #63477) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Keeping my eyes closed doesn't help. I already know the dropoff is there!! What is wrong with the engineers designing and building roads like that with no guardrails?!!! Theres a little bit of shoulder and then...... air.
Posted 2007-07-09 2:18 PM (#63514 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 3802 Location: Rocky Mount N.C.
How did we stop our trucks and trailers before the "jake brake", exhaust brake, blue ox brake, pac brake, etc? Did we poke our feet through the floor board like Fred and Wilma? Or did we take our time, drive slower, and pay more attention to what and how we were driving.
Posted 2007-07-09 6:00 PM (#63532 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Location: Texas
There ae several exhaust brake brands available, Banks and Smart Brake are a couple that come to mind. In response to Retento, I guess the older trucks wouldn't tow the weight these newer trucks will, and the brakes haven't kept up with the power. Getting the load moving is one thing, getting it stopped is another. If you tow a load and hit the hills, an exhaust brake will save the brakes and seat covers.
Posted 2007-07-09 6:01 PM (#63533 - in reply to #63514) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by retento on 2007-07-09 3:18 PM
How did we stop our trucks and trailers before the "jake brake", exhaust brake, blue ox brake, pac brake, etc? Did we poke our feet through the floor board like Fred and Wilma? Or did we take our time, drive slower, and pay more attention to what and how we were driving.
i hear ya, and how did we get up those grades without 600 ft pounds of torque? sure wasnt at 65mph like im doing now. i would say KNOWING how to do it the old fashioned way is important........BUT modern technology sure is nice.
Posted 2007-07-09 8:59 PM (#63542 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 479 Location: central sierra nevada foothills
We found some at the cutting futurity in Reno, Nv. years back, they are made by Hyper Diesel and have them for each make of truck, I've never had a problem on steep grades and they are steep where I travel to too! Just low gear it, and use my trailer brakes when needed, but usuall just 2nd gear and the exhaust brake and thats it..................It was easy to install and not a bad price, but I see some from Hyper Power have gone up, but mine got put in 6 years ago.
Posted 2007-07-10 4:15 PM (#63601 - in reply to #63514) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Originally written by retento on 2007-07-09 1:18 PM
How did we stop our trucks and trailers before the "jake brake", exhaust brake, blue ox brake, pac brake, etc? Did we poke our feet through the floor board like Fred and Wilma? Or did we take our time, drive slower, and pay more attention to what and how we were driving.
We avoided the mountians. This was my first trip into the mountians and even though my husband has driven through them before while he was driving 18 wheelers, I was very uncomfortable with the way the roads are built. No guard rails almost no shoulder and a severe drop off. We were in low gear and going about 30mph but it still scared me. Maybe I'm just a chicken.
Posted 2007-07-10 5:14 PM (#63605 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 3853 Location: Vermont
If you have a Duramax then the following is for you...
BD Engine Brakes enable your Diesel to navigate downhill grades and mountainous terrain easier and safer than using the vehicle's conventional braking system. This will increase the life of the stock foundation brakes and also prevent brake fade under severe grade driving.
Posted 2007-07-10 8:25 PM (#63621 - in reply to #63601) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 2453 Location: Northern Utah
I just installed the BD exhaust brake on my ford. I under stand the new 2008 Dodge's with the cummins diesels have an exhaust brake built in at the factory.
It's hit and miss how well an exhaust brake will work or if it will work at all. Their are many manufactures out, Pac Brake, BD are two of the better known.
BD is the only exhaust brake for the Ford 6.0L Automatic. And it actually works better on the Standard and kinda works on the Automatic.
I've only had mine for two weeks, so I'm not ready to give a full fledged report on it. It does offer some additional braking. I came across the Sisters on I-80 outside of Evanston Wyoming last weekend. It held me at 65mph all the way downhill.
Posted 2007-07-10 9:15 PM (#63624 - in reply to #63514) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 1719 Location: PA
"How did we stop our trucks and trailers before the "jake brake", exhaust brake, blue ox brake, pac brake, etc? Did we poke our feet through the floor board like Fred and Wilma?"
You mean back in the time when trailers weighed a fraction of what we try to pull now??
Posted 2007-07-11 10:56 AM (#63656 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 479 Location: central sierra nevada foothills
I don't know about all the new 2008 on the warranty, believe anything will "x" out the warranty with all the new emissions crap.............but the older ones, through Hyper Diesel it will not hurt warranties on the trucks.
Posted 2007-07-11 11:52 AM (#63662 - in reply to #63624) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 1416 Location: sc
Originally written by hav2ride on 2007-07-10 9:15 PM
"How did we stop our trucks and trailers before the "jake brake", exhaust brake, blue ox brake, pac brake, etc? Did we poke our feet through the floor board like Fred and Wilma?"
You mean back in the time when trailers weighed a fraction of what we try to pull now??
well im not sure who was pulling what 20-25 years ago, but i dont see where the trailers are any heavier. back then you just had to have a bigger truck. i believe this duramax im driving now will out go AND out stop the trucks of a 1/4 century ago.
Posted 2007-07-11 1:18 PM (#63667 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Veteran
Posts: 247 Location: NW
Originally written by Terri on 2007-07-08 4:40 PM
Where do you get them, what do they cost and how do they work? We just went over Teton pass and it scared the crap out of me. My husband wants to keep camping in the mtns but I'm not going with out a jake brake and some valuim. HELP
OH BOY Terri, that pass can be hair raising! I was SOOOO glad I had a Pac Brake on my old Ford when I went over that thing. Like you, I hadn't "done" mountains much & once I moved to AZ & started hauling out west, I got the jake brake. Can't remember where I got it for sure....seems like they have a website & I found a dealer from there. I LOVED that Pac Brake for the big 'uns!! A crazy friend of mine never even thought twice about going over that pass w/his big 5th wheel AND his 2H bumper on behind!!! I only went over it in the truck & that was enough for me!
Posted 2007-07-11 1:29 PM (#63671 - in reply to #63503) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 2614
I can only imagine.I would have had to be in a straitjacket,with my mouth duct taped.(Not a bad idea sometimes anyway,the duct tape I mean.)
I get scared to death in these Ozarks with our truck and LQ.We have a dually,but it just feels like there is a house trailer instead of a horse trailer behind us.And these Ozarks aren't really mountains,they are actually just high hills,not like the Tetons.I won't EVER do it regardless of what I'm in.Just nervous that way.Could you rent a bigger truck? Like a Kodiak,or something along those lines?
Posted 2007-07-11 1:30 PM (#63672 - in reply to #63465) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Veteran
Posts: 212 Location: novinger, mo
I had a BD exhaust brake put on a 2003 Dodge 2500 diesel with automatic. They also put a transmission lockout (because of the automatic) by BD on it. It was GREAT! Amazing how much that helped the braking. Now I have just bought a 2004 Dodge 3500 dually automatic and am taking it in for the same thing. Expensive, yes! But worth it, (especially if you burn you brakes out coming down out of the mountains)! I haul a big heavy LQ and want that extra braking. Just make sure you get a good installer. I called BD direct for a recommendation.
Posted 2007-07-11 1:38 PM (#63675 - in reply to #63656) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 366 Location: Albany, Oregon
Originally written by cowpony01 on 2007-07-11 8:56 AM
I don't know about all the new 2008 on the warranty, believe anything will "x" out the warranty with all the new emissions crap.............but the older ones, through Hyper Diesel it will not hurt warranties on the trucks.
All CTD Dodges till 2006 with an auto were not factory approved for an exhaust brake. I'm on my third CTD and I questioned it every time and it was the same answer till 2006. All CTD 2007's on including the new 6sp are warrenty approved and can even be ordered from the factory.
Posted 2007-07-12 11:37 AM (#63768 - in reply to #63667) Subject: RE: exhaust brakes
Expert
Posts: 2828 Location: Southern New Mexico
Fortunately we went UP the steep side, of course that didn't help my sanity any. I didn't know how steep the other side was and I could smell the brakes of people comming down past us. Then I really freaked when I saw that the runaway lane was on OUR side of the road so anyone that needed it had to cross our lane first. I made my husband stop at the top so I could get a grip on myself.
exhaust brakes
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I only went over it in the truck & that was enough for me!