PaqcBrake Installed

[the2ofus]

Installed the PacBrake today. Took me about four hours in the driveway -- no hoist available. Hardest part was tightening the 5/16" screw at the bottom of the compressor. PacBrake has done an outstanding job with this exhaust brake. Everything fit perfectly! It helps to loosen the first exhaust clamp to the rear of the engine when removing the factory exhaust elbow. I used a large needle to remove the plugs from the 50 pin connector and it worked great. If you mount the switch on the dashboard as shown in the Pacbrake instructions, be sure to place it where it does not allow the switch to interfere with the plastic reinforcement molded into the back of the dash.

 

[Bill Stockard]

Which transmission do you have? 6 speed or 48RE? The Hitchhiker is a pretty heavy tow.



BTW, where is Ding Dong, TX? Could it be close to Bug Tussle, Frognot, or Dime Box?



Bill

 

[the2ofus]

Bill,



I have the 6-peed manual transmission. I haven't driven anything but a stick shift since '89 so I feel right at home in the truck.



Yes, the HitchHiker is a heavy trailer but the wife and I drove over to the local CAT scales and had it weighed with full propane tanks, all of our supplies for living aboard, and a full tank of diesel in the truck. We weighed out at 20,800 pounds so we could still put about a ton of "stuff" into the combo before reaching the magic 23,000 pound GCWR. The trailer itself weighs in (loaded) at 12,800 lbs.



Nearest "big city" to Ding Dong is Killeen, TX.

 

[kprice]

pacbrake

Thinking about this one myself. don't know much about em. What are ups and downs of exhaust brakes. cost etc. Pull a heavy boat and hate surge brakes with a passion.

 

[Gonzo 1066]

Pacbrake

Next you will want to get Pacs shifter switch. It is a very nice addition to the brake Makes it easy to shut it off when you are at a stoplight. I have used Pacs for 8 years now and they have been excellent additions to my trucks.

 

[the2ofus]

kprice

The biggest advantage of the exhaust brake is that it saves wear and tear on your truck and trailer service brakes but it is not a substitute for them.



Dodge strongly suggests the installation of an exhaust brake if you are going to be pulling any trailer over 10,000 pounds.



After doing some shopping around on the internet, I found the best price for the pacbrake at TST.