BD Diesel Performance Exhaust Brake

[Eliminator]

Does anyone have one of these insatalled on a 03-05 vehicle?



Have a quote of 1265. 00 installed, I know BD makes some good stuff. Appreciate any comments on the BD Brake, I have a 6 speed manual transmission.

 

[AlexWV]

I have one. Had one on my Ford as well. Can't live without one of those babies.



I like the ones that mount right at the turbo but I have a Super B and that one wouldn't fit there so I have the remote mounted one.



I have one of those red mushroom head switches like for split axles mounted on my stick.



There is also available a knob with a push button built in to replace your stock shifter knob but I personally thought it looked cheesy and went with the old skool switch. You somehow need to drill a hole the entire length of your stick if you want to use that knob.



I use the exhaust brake all the time in any kind of driving, towing or not towing. They hydraulic brakes should last forever for the amount I use them.

 

[JimBeck]

I like the one on my 04. They are supposed to do more braking at lower rpm than other varieties but it doesn't hook up through computer so can't use cruise control at the same time. Jim Beck

 

[JRMora]

I like the one on my 04. They are supposed to do more braking at lower rpm than other varieties but it doesn't hook up through computer so can't use cruise control at the same time. Jim Beck

I have the Pac Brake PRXB which is supposed to have the best low RPM retarding HP now. Got it for $1032 (free shipping for TDR) an that includes a shifter switch and air tank for faster response (and the ability to air up my air bags!). It's a direct turbo mount (replaces the down pipe) or they have inline mounts as well for non-stock exhausts. It does interface through the ECM. Bought it from Pacific Brake and Clutch (you can PM TDR member Jelag).



I'm really happy with it. It relly makes a difference when slowing down. It'll stop the truck without brakes (pretty fast) if you row down.



My 2 cents worth.



Juan

 

[AlexWV]

I like the one on my 04. They are supposed to do more braking at lower rpm than other varieties but it doesn't hook up through computer so can't use cruise control at the same time. Jim Beck

Not sure what you mean by that. If you have cruise control on and

step on your hydraulic brake, the cruise goes off. If you engage

your BD exhaust brake, the cruise goes off. That's the way it should

be. Does your's not do that?

 

[jayhawktrailers.com]

I think what he means is that with the switch that goes under the throttle pedal you can't use it with cruise since you don't have the throttle depressed alowing the switch to open the circut. I had a pac brake on my 01 and this was annoying as you had to switch off the hand switch to use the cruise, because it always thought you were braking because your foot wasn't on the pedal. I may be wrong as to what he was saying but that was how my 01's pac brake worked. Very annoying. Even worse is that it would work flawlessly for about 10k miles, then it would start hanging up. it would usually be the vaccumm valve but the cylinder would also be problem ridden. I got no help when contacting pac brake. Even worse is that the same problems have cropped up on at least 3 of my friends trucks

 

[JimBeck]

Not sure what you mean by that. If you have cruise control on and

step on your hydraulic brake, the cruise goes off. If you engage

your BD exhaust brake, the cruise goes off. That's the way it should

be. Does your's not do that?

Turn the brake switch on and cruise kicks off. I had the idea that the official dodge accessary one you could have cruise on and exhaust brake ready to engage when you hit the brake, but that it didn't brake as well as the bd at low rpms.

 

[Dick Garcia]

Exhaust brake

Turn the brake switch on and cruise kicks off. I had the idea that the official dodge accessary one you could have cruise on and exhaust brake ready to engage when you hit the brake, but that it didn't brake as well as the bd at low rpms.

I had the Pac Exhaust Brake installed on my 2004. 5 Dodge Truck 3500 with 6 spd. transmission when I bought it. The Pac Exhaust operates with the cruise on or off. I had the BD exhaust on my 97 Dodge and it wouldn't stay engaged below about 30 mph. The Pac Exhaust brake works at much lower speeds.

 

[JStrader]

I've had the BD on two trucks. No complaints. Tow with a brake once and you'll always have one. I had the one in the elbo on my 03 and it worked fine. The 05 now has a in line brake do to twins!!

 

[AJain]

I've been looking at the Pacbrake, too. I've also heard that it interfaces to the ECM, but haven't found much more detail than that.



Can it be activated with the cruise control on, so that on a downhill the exhaust brake will periodically kick in as required to maintain your downhill speed?



aJ

 

[jelag]

The pacbrake will interface with the ECM and function with the cruise control... . and the ECM will turn on the exhaust brake when going down hill with the cruise control set... however for my personal needs... it doesn't come on soon enough for my needs when I'm pulling a large trailer... . I turn off the cruise and set the exhaust brake up to handle the trailer and weight... in some cases that mean going to 5th or 4th gear based on the hill and the grade... .



Remember that its suggested that you go down the hill in the same gear you climbed it in.....



I'm in Southern CA tonight with about 18,000 behind the truck... came down I-5 from Portland through the Siskiyous, and the Grape Vine without having to use the service brakes... .



This truck. . an 04 has 140K miles and the factory brakes... .



If you have specific questions pm me and I'll do my best to answer them...



I suggest that you go to the vendors web sight... and compare... . look for a vendor who has in house manufacturing, engineering and sells to the truck builders.....



Hope this helps...

 

[jayhawktrailers.com]

jstrader what diameter is you exhaust. I'm thinking of doing an inline brake with a 5" exhaust

 

[JStrader]

I had 5 inch from the turbo back. When we put the brake on we put a 4 inch down pipe to the brake then back with 5 inch. The elbo would not work with the twins and at the time I did not know of any 5 inch brakes.

 

[nickleinonen]

could the exhaust brakes just have a signal wire tied to the service brake lamp switch?? that would disengage the cruise control [but light up brake lamps]. . or on manual trans, signal wire to the clutch safety switch. that would too disengage the cruise control...