What Weight Does An Exhaust Brake Become Beneficial?

[Buffalo]

I have an '03, HO, 6-sp. , 4X4, 115 gal. Aux. fuel tank (150 gals. , on board, when full). My trailer is a Nash 25-S that, probably, weighs 7500lbs.



Considering that I have approximately 1000lbs of fuel on board, plus the extras (generator, etc. ), would I be a candidate for an exhaust brake?



By downshifting & slowing my speed down at the top of the hill, I haven't noticed that I've had to hit the brakes hard, here in the mountains of AZ.



I'm not sure that I want to go through life without owning an exhaust brake but, if I really don't need one, that's an extra grand in my pocket. However, that little red plunger knob on the shift lever sure is intriguing. Using the exhaust brake, in town, to save the service brakes is a plus, also. I drive pretty conservatively & slow down for red lights so as not to have to stomp on the brakes, though.



I would appreciate any comments or suggestions.



Thanks.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[JFaughn]

I think that a stock truck , is enough , theres less wear to brakes and trans. [ man. & auto ] , seeing that some brakes jobs can start at $100-500 , and trans. $2500 , clutch - min. $ 500 .
The more weight the sooner the payoff.
It will be interesting to hear other oppinoins.

 

[WyoJim]

It is my opinion that the need for exhaust brakes is way overrated. Not in function, but in the minds of the owners.



Your driving technique sounds like mine and I have over 150,000 miles on my truck. The brakes are still original. Most of that mileage is loaded with a 3500 pound camper. I had no problem with 10% grades going to and coming from Alaska. I live at the foot of the Big Horn Mountains with 7 to 10 per cent grades with switchbacks galore. Still no problem and no exhaust brake.



Those mole hills between Flagstaff and Phoenix I run down in overdrive without having to apply the brakes.



Using the same gear coming down as you used going up is a fallicy. I climb the 7% switchbacks behind my house in 4th at about 30 to 40 miles an hour, but coming down requires judicial application of the brakes in third with the torque converter locked out.



Before I put the 89% torque converter in I climbed the same switchbacks in 3rd locked out. The 89% torque converter runs almost 200 rpm's less going up and raised my hunting season mileage from around 20mpg to 21. 6 solid.

 

[Joe G.]

I use mine all the time, towing or not. Would not be without it. Sure you can get by without one, but why?

 

[nutter3]

Using the same gear coming down as you used going up is a fallicy. I climb the 7% switchbacks behind my house in 4th at about 30 to 40 miles an hour, but coming down requires judicial application of the brakes in third with the torque converter locked out.

What kind of RPM's are you seeing going 30-40 MPH in overdrive? It sure seems to me like you would be lugging the engine down bad. When I get below about 50 I like to lock it out of overdrive.

 

[Buffalo]

WyoJim,



Arizona MOLE HILLS!!!



That's a good one. I agree that I-17 between Flagstaff & Phoenix isn't too bad. However, they do have a couple of gravel-filled emergency pull-offs for 18 wheelers with brake failure. I've seen lots of smoking brakes & one brake fire, on that stretch.



Flagstaff is a bit over 7000' elev. & Phoenix is at 1100'. Where I camp in eastern AZ, it's over 9200'. But, most of the climbs & decents are not all that long. Just a lot of them. Now that I think of it, a lot of the roads, in mountainous areas, are pretty straight allowing you to pick up speed near the bottom of the decent to help you get over the next hill.



The only place that I wish I had some additional braking was on some of the passes throughout Colorado. Going downhill, they seem to have a lot of turns & switchbacks, which, require a lot of braking, sometimes.



With my old '91. 5 W-250, auto, I've been known to get down to a really slow speed at the top of a hill so that I can manage the downhill speeds better.



It seems like you are happy with your Fred Swanson, DTT conversion. Fred has a really good reputation for doing the job right.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've never heard anybody that owns an Ebrake say it was a waste of money.

I have the same size TT you do Joe, and the the Ebrake makes towing that much nicer. Imagine going down a mountain pass or any other hill and simply flipping a switch to slow down and no wear on your truck or trailer brakes at all.



Scotty

 

[jgillott]

I use mine all the time, towing or not. Would not be without it. Sure you can get by without one, but why?

I agree. I use it all the time.

 

[nps]

Use mine all the time towing and empty.



Towed without it and wasn't comfortable having to constantly apply brakes to maintain downhill speed. With the ebrake, never have to hit the brakes even wtih 10K behind me. Overrated? Only in the minds of those who don't have them but really want one.

 

[DWeiler]

Love mine ,use it just about everytime i drive my rig,loaded,unloaded. i had BD(vacuum) and now Pacbrake(air),BD held better than my Pac IMHO,but they both still do the job--had to change due to "turbo upgrade" :-laf NOTE****Watch out for the idiots(usually non diesel owners in there sports cars) that follows you down a hill right on your ***** riding their brakes just to tell you that you that your "BRAKE LIGHTS"dont work or are not working when you came down the last hill. I'v had this happen at leased twice now---sure there trying to be helpfull and stuff but mention "Exhaust Brake"and you get the "deer in the headlight look" and they drive away wondering what "exhaust has to do with braking". . Later DW

 

[yogibear]

I have 255K mi. on my 03 now, and only put 20K on it in 2005, cause of health problems. about 75% of those mi. were towing 8 to 23K+ loads. The EB was installed at about 20K on my trk. cause the dlr. couldn't get the EB when I took del. of my trk. The original brk. pads are still on my trk.

I have a BDDL that I only use for a high idler, I can start my trk. in -5* temps, idle it up to 1200 rpm, turn on the EB, and in about 10min. the heater will be blowing hot air.

The vacuume pump on my Jacobs EB is ca-put for the second time now, and a Pac PRXB brake is on the way from Jelag right now.

I'll be 68 in June, and when (?) I quit towing, I'll still have an EB on my trk. !!



Larry

 

[RMachida]

As several others have mentioned, I also use mine all the time. Absolutely the best add-on (and the first) on the vehicle.

 

[DavidC]

I,like others use mine all the time. 2nd best investment,right behind Fred Swanson's DTT. The final straw was the smoking brakes when pulling into a KOA at lake Tahoe. It works very well on that long mole hill on the way to Payson also. Did not even touch the brakes,in fact I actually had to give it some fuel as the speed went from 65 at the top down to 45 with just the exhaust brake.



Dave

 

[EricBu12]

Yep here too have it and use it all the time... . saves the brakes when in town stop and go and off-ramps even empty... .



I have a 15K 5th and on the steeper hill, I use 5th and the jake and hardly ever touch the brakes. Having not to use the brakes on a downhill will mean that when you do need the brakes, you have more ability on them... .



Even though you have a 7500 # trailer, it will help and like I said, for slow-dows on off-ramps and such... It is sorta expensive but worth it.

 

[NIsaacs]

Exhaust brakes, are worth their weight in gold, so to speak, from running empty to full max GCW. If you would like to have one, buy it, you will "NOT" regret it!!



Those mole hills, running from Flagstaff to Phoenix on I-17, hauling "only" an overhead camper (very wind resistant) at freeway speeds, ya probably wouldn't need one. However pulling a 7500lbs camp trailer to Phoenix via Heber and then Payson, or from Showlow to Globe, via Salt River Canyon, those mole hills seem to get kinda big. Buy one, you will like it





"NICK"

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

Best $300 bucks I've spent by far.



I've had ebrakes on three of my CTDs and use it every day I drive. To each their own, but I sure like and use mine, and thats running unloaded most of the time.

 

[WyoJim]

Those mole hills, running from Flagstaff to Phoenix on I-17, hauling "only" an overhead camper (very wind resistant) at freeway speeds, ya probably wouldn't need one. However pulling a 7500lbs camp trailer to Phoenix via Heber and then Payson, or from Showlow to Globe, via Salt River Canyon, those mole hills seem to get kinda big. Buy one, you will like it





"NICK"

Nick... You are right about the wind resistance... . but I have been from Showlow to Globe and I don't remember any hills. Was there some?

 

[WyoJim]

What kind of RPM's are you seeing going 30-40 MPH in overdrive? It sure seems to me like you would be lugging the engine down bad. When I get below about 50 I like to lock it out of overdrive. [/QUOTE]



Around 1600... probably right on the torque. I have run diesel trators and diesel drilling rigs all my life and a diesel is made to lug... . not like a gasser.

 

[WyoJim]

It seems like you are happy with your Fred Swanson, DTT conversion. Fred has a really good reputation for doing the job right.



Joe F. (Buffalo)[/QUOTE]



I put an EZ and RV injectors in and then left for Alaska. Someplace in British Columbia on the way up the transmission started slipping in the engine torque range.

I finished the trip by keeping the rpm's up and didn't even have any problems on 10% grades.

When I got home I came down to your neck of the woods and had Fred work his magic on it and I love it. Fords and D-maxes hate it.

 

[WyoJim]

Best $300 bucks I've spent by far.



I've had ebrakes on three of my CTDs and use it every day I drive. To each their own, but I sure like and use mine, and thats running unloaded most of the time.

You got to be kidding... There ain't no hills down around Moran except out of Jackson going to Idaho.