Brakes Overheated in Big Horn Mountains

[WyoJim]

This is what an Illinois flatlander's trailer looks like after he rode the brakes all the way off the Big Horn Mountains. Must be his rear view mirrors didn't work and his nose couldn't smell.

 

[R C Cola]

Brakes

Theres a reason why some companies recruit saying " mountain driving experience required " R C

 

[Crazy Horse]

WyoJim where was the pic taken? My guess it must have happened going down into Cody on Alt 14. We took this picture a few years ago after climbing up from the bottom. This sign was posted on top. Saw 2 trucks starting down over the top running empty under 5mph.

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Here is a view from the top of Alt 14 in the Big Horns, Yellowstone is about 200 miles off in the distance.

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Had to climb at 10mph so we didn't melt the turbo on the dually.



The sign we saw at the bottom warned of inclines up to 12-13 degrees lasting for 25 miles.

 

[Nate]

Woah... that's a nasty grade! There are some sections in Alaska that's aren't too nice either.



I remember heading up to Fairbanks one day with a trailer in tow. They were doing construction on the road, so it was packed gravel. The grade was steep enough that I had to put it in 4wd to get moving again.

 

[WyattEarp]

i think a "here's your sign " is in order for that driver, wonder which part of the sign he forgot to read... that got hott!

that is a beautiful scene and back drop. .

 

[Turbo Tim 1]

Actually, by the time the driver sees smoke it's too late, everything is so hot that it bursts into flames as soon as he stops. I've seen this quite a few times in my travels. In fact, not to long ago I was going to work and could smell burning break pads, about 10 miles down the road I caught up to the truck and I was hesitant to say anything because I couldn't really see anything and just then I saw a little puff of smoke, I called the driver on the CB and he stopped, as soon as he did though it burst into flames.



I saw a car carrier last summer that did the same thing, ruined a few Ford cars too. Sometime the cause is a stuck brake and not driver error but in this case I was not there so I won't pass judgement on that driver

 

[WyoJim]

WyoJim where was the pic taken? My guess it must have happened going down into Cody on Alt 14. We took this picture a few years ago after climbing up from the bottom. This sign was posted on top. Saw 2 trucks starting down over the top running empty under 5mph.

Actually the truck came down route 14 from Burgess Junction into Shell WY. But he didn't quite make Shell. It caught fire about 2 miles out of the Canyon. The hill is about 15 or 20 miles of mostly 5 to 7% grades with lots of switchbacks.



According to the newspaper the truck was loaded with hazardous material (potassium hydracloride I think). Of course the volunteer fire department wallowed around in it like it was candy and one went to the hospital with chemical burns. Plus I guess they ruined a lot of equipment, but they had the fire out using water (duh) before the Hazamat team arrived.

 

[DBF]

Actually the truck came down route 14 from Burgess Junction into Shell WY. But he didn't quite make Shell. It caught fire about 2 miles out of the Canyon. The hill is about 15 or 20 miles of mostly 5 to 7% grades with lots of switchbacks.

I took one look at that road in the Mountain Directory - West, and decided to go up & over thru Billings to Cody. Longer but almost flat.



Regards, DBF

 

[mgoncalves]

I saw that in the paper the other day. All our paper said was bragging up the response of the hazmat team.



Seems like every time we come down off the mountain through Ten Sleep we can smell someone's brakes. I just go slow and leave the transmission in towhaul, hoping to get an exhaust brake soon though. Exhaust brakes should come standard around here.





Matt

 

[jelag]

Guys



Truck brakes have a large cam that forces out the brake shoes to apply the brakes... .



If the driver doesn't keep the brakes adjusted... and by law its his job to check this before he puts the truck into service... . the cam will do what's called a cam over... .



If it cam's over... . one set of wheels can lock and the driver won't know it... . 550 to 575 HP and 2000 ft lbs of torque will pull a trailer with a set of locked brakes... . the only repair to to take the wheels and drums off... and fix the brake shoes...



Or an air suppy to each wheels forces against a spring to take off the emergency brakes... ... if he looses the air to any of these chambers and it sets the emergency brakes and he doesn't see it... . again he can pull the trailer... .



In either case... . its common to catch them on fire (brakes) before he bring the truck to a stop on a bad grade... .



And the last of it... . most truckers want to buy... . what's the cheepest lining you have to fit my axle... . not what costs more, lasts longer and will save 100's in labor over a couple of years... .



From a guy who's in the business and knows.....

 

[NIsaacs]

Just guessing, but based on what the trailer looks like, all four brakes were working well enough to all catch fire. Lotsa newer trucks and trailers have automatic slack adjusters (I prefer to adjust my own). Looks to me like driver error. The truck may not have a "Jake" however with or without, still looks like driver error.





"NICK"

 

[Andersonville]

Not necessarily driver error. A leaky inside wheel seal will cause that fire too. Brakes didn't get too hot,they stopped the truck just fine. The leaking inside wheel seal leaked enough fluid to catch fire and the driver stopped the truck. Once the truck was stopped the fire takes off. The puny onboard extinguisher won't do enough to put it out.

Also,companies have service schedules on their equipment BUT if you have to go out of route to get the equipment serviced (unpaid miles) the company will tell the driver to deliver the load first. The company doesn't want drivers touching or working on the equipment,other than checking oil or replacing head lamps. That driver just had bad luck maybe or it could have been stupidity. Sometimes there isn't an appropriate place to roll out the fire or it is unsafe to do so. I know,it happened to me. Just my . 02

 

[TPCDrafting]

I figured it was the hill from Burgess down to Lovell. Last time up that hill I passed a car, and I was pulling my horse trailer. :-laf

 

[WyoJim]

Crazy Horse's hill from Burgess down to Lovell is a way steeper, way longer steep stretches and a way more treacherous than the hill into Shell that this truck came down.



So last evening my wife and I were sitting in a pull off on 14A eating our supper. It was snowing hard, visability was about a quarter of a mile. There was about 3 inches of snow on a thin layer of ice on the blacktop. Out of the blizzard came an 18 wheeler heading for Crazy Horse's 10% grade hill. There is no place else he could have gone. I don't know if he made it down or not. Thinking about it gave me the chills. I came up from Shell and the snow was down to about 7000 ft. His hill starts down from about 10000 ft. I hope he made it. DUMB!!

 

[Crazy Horse]

Crazy Horse's hill from Burgess down to Lovell is a way steeper, way longer steep stretches and a way more treacherous than the hill into Shell that this truck came down.

After being on this road once I don't think I would go up or down it again. That view from the top sure was something but there are other ways to get there.



The sign at the top shows a 13 mile decline at 9-10%.



The sign I remeber seeing at the bottom said "Warning for the next 25 miles you will incur inclines up to 12%. This was right after I noticed the pyrometer climbing and my foot getting more into the throttle. Compared to looking at the mountains next to us it still appeared we were on the flats :--) .

 

[NIsaacs]

Like I posted before, it looks like all four brakes were working just fine, well enough to set all of them on fire. If a wheel seal were leaking, you won't get enough friction to get hot, much less start a fire. Driver error!!





"NICK"