Engine/Transmission (1994 - 1998) 4" ex brake

[Don Tanklage]

whats the best way to go?



already have air on the truck



was looking at the us gear d-cel-grrr-hater brake



not thrilled with giving that company my business tho



what else is there and how do they compare?



thanks



don

 

[Don Tanklage]

did i post this in the wrong forum?



figured you 2nd gen operators would have much a bunch of exp with 4" stuff...



hummm

 

[hsmith]

I went with the BD inline after my new turbo made the old turbo mounted brake unuseable. It mounts on the down pipe. Welding required. Works OK.

 

[Don Tanklage]

not worried about welding. that is why i am asking as i am in the process of building an ex sys for the thing. was hoping you were gonna say it worked 'good' rather than 'ok'. lol. guess i will stay away from that one...



thanks

 

[12V Ford]

I've heard really good things about Packbrakes PRXB exhaust brakes. From what I hear, this is the best working brake at low rpm. You can get a 4 or 5" air operated brake.

 

[Don Tanklage]

perfect



thank you very much



don

 

[hsmith]

Thinking I should have gone with the PacBrake also.

 

[NIsaacs]

Thinking I should have gone with the PacBrake also.

If you don't mind me asking, may I ask why? Is the BD not satisfactory? I really like mine.





"NICK"



PS: This is not a "loaded" question, lol

 

[Don Tanklage]

looks they both work off the same princible



cept bd is big on vacuum operation and i am not



and bd's flanges and clamps dont compare to the ones that come with the pac unit



looks very very nice



imo



ps - for the newer trucks the brake closes when you start and doesnt open until the truck is warmed up to 170°

 

[JHastings]

I have a 4" air operated pac. It has been great. Use it on just a shifter switch with no pedal switch. adjusting it was a little bit of a task b/c I didn't buy the gauge and had to make my own to ensure that it does not push over 60 psi. I now have a drive pressure gauge (extra boost gauge laying around) though which shows the back pressure from the brake. I would switch to a PRXB brake if I had the chance though just because braking is not all that great at low rpm's. Still, I live in cali which has a lot of passes and grades and I haul all the time and sometimes very heavy. If in the correct gear, motor will rev up to about 50-55 psi back pressure and hold just about anything.

Jamie

 

[Don Tanklage]

that is what i want - the prxb



looks like better quality and better engineering to me



i am a sucker for v-band clamps, what can i say...

 

[hsmith]

I cannot get more than 26 psi backpressure before running out of threads on the adjustment rod, so the braking effect is just ok.

 

[Don Tanklage]

the prxb comes from pac set up for your application



they then put a dowel pin in the adjuster and you are not allowed to change the pressure



you can, but i think if you do the warranty is history...

 

[Don Tanklage]

I cannot get more than 26 psi backpressure before running out of threads on the adjustment rod, so the braking effect is just ok.

is that at idle or coming down a grade?



thanks, don



also, with it working off of vacuum does it seem to lose back pressure as rpm's decrease? (is the vacuum created by factory pump directly related to rpm???) how long and what size line did you run to the solenoid valve? how long are your lines from the valve to the actuator?

 

[hsmith]

Don, that is at idle. I have not tried to monitor vacuum or back pressure during operation. Good idea though. Works just as well at low speeds, so don't think vacuum drops at lower speeds.

As far as size of lines, used what came with it, 1/4" I believe, with the solenoid mounted probably 2 feet from the actuator.

Thanks, Smitty

 

[Don Tanklage]

well, if you are out of adj (i see that there is only 1/4" of clevis adjustment, and i dont know what affect on back pressure that would have anyways... ) and want more back pressure maybe if you go to a bigger supply line (like 1/2"?) maybe that will help. only other way to do it would be to redo bd's bracket and move the actuator further away from the point of pivot



they tell you to shot for 25 psi max at idle tho, and sounds like you are already there



the pbxr uses a spring (like a pressure reg would) and looks to be much easier adjusted - probably adj's over a wider range too...



don

 

[gary12744]

I have just purchased the B&D. Reason being I like the bronze bushings in the shaft. The PacBrake is steel and they sell lube to lube the shaft. You are suppose to remove the brake once a year and lube the shaft to keep from sticking. Also the B&D requires 60lb springs, this will give better braking performance. To each his own. I pull a 15k trailer and I need all that I can get.