What Weight Does An Exhaust Brake Become Beneficial?

[J&LRam]

Buffalo

I pull 11200 lb 5er and the exhaust brake is a good investment. I use it all the time empty or loaded. As mentioned in a earlier post cold morning warm up in half the time. Truck has 55000 miles and brake pads have very little wear pattern. I run with other RVers that have a grade braking in their autos [Allison/Torqueshift]. When in the mountains they don't like for me to lead as the Cummins with exhaust brake will slow me down better ,without using my truck brakes. They can't slow like I can and it causes them to use their brakes to much. So , they make me run behind. Wolf Creek and Monarch pass I use 3rd and 4th with exhaust brake and no truck braking.

JIM

 

[klenger]

Buffalo: Are you aware of the AFNash.com forum for Northwood owners? We're haviing a get-to-gether this weekend (starting Apr 13) at Rosevelt Lake. Come join us.



Get the exhasut brake. You'll love it. You can drive mine if you want to.

 

[Short Stack]

Buffalo, I installed a e-brake on my 02 my trailer is around10000, it was the best thing I have installed. I use it all the time empty or loaded, my brake pads look new and I just turned over 88,000

 

[Bob Cochran]

Joe I think the meeting in Eloy was one of the best things I have done in a while. Lets see my truck with full fuel(115 Ga. ) weighs in at 8300#'s. The 5ER gross is 14,100#'s but never weighs that much because I tow with minimum tanks full like fresh water, etc. (right at GROSS combined weight) Do you need an EB NO; if you drive sensiable and I know you do. I go to Phoenix almost always via the Salt River Canyon and using the EB in 3rd never hardly touch the brakes. I unfortunately had the experience going into the Canyon and unknowingly the trailer brakes was not working, a BROKEN WIRE. I was in my old Chevy dually gasser and by the time I got to the bottom brakes was smoking. I barely got stopped at the rest area though I was slow enough I could have gone on across the bridge and up the other side. Having major brake fade is scary stuff. I like my EB and would not tow without it. However, it really is all about what makes YOU feel comfortable.

 

[MMeier]

Joe, just get the brake and be done with it, you'll be glad you did !! Mark

 

[Jack in Alaska]

Did not have one on my 92 CTD but towed a lot. Had one installed on my 98. 5 ,towed a lot and loved it. Makes towing much easier and safer. Just bought a 2004. 5 and an exhaust brake is going on it next week at Piers Diesel in BC.

I use mine all the time and would never be w/o one again.

 

[HBarlow]

At any and all weights. I used one for over 320k miles in my '01. I used it at every stop whether loaded heavy descending a mountain grade or simply running over to Wal-Mart on city streets. The truck still has the original rear brake pads. The fronts were replaced unnecessarily before they were consumed. I have a MOPAR/Jacobs EB in the shipping box for my new truck waiting to be installed this week.



An exhaust brake is a great device on our trucks. The brake will increase braking power, driver control, safety, confidence, and reduce brake wear. You only have to make one descent off a steep mountain grade in fifth or fourth gear with the EB engaged and a heavy trailer behind you pushing to feel the increased control and safety the EB provided to know that your money was well spent.



Owners who say they don't need one have simply not pulled a heavy trailer in the mountains with an EB. I've never heard anyone who has owned a truck equipped with an EB say he doesn't like it or wouldn't install one on his next truck.



Harvey

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

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

Jim, you are forgeting about Togwotee Pass which starts about 1/4 mile E from here. And then there is the hills in Yellowstone if I head NNW to BZ in the summer. Or Sylvan Pass if I head N then E to Cody instead of straight north. Or the Beartooth if I head NNE. Or Dead Indian if I head NNE then E. Bottomline is there is a pass everyway but S down the Snake. Even SW via Hoback has that itty bitty hill.



None the less, I use it on curvey roads, coming up behind tourista in their Wino-bag-Os and even in town for traffic and stop lights. Oh, and I almost forgot, also for pasing signs that say "No engine brakes" :-laf



May not be for everyone, but it has been my best and most useful mod. But then I've got more than enough power, don't really need to smoke 'em, or go 65 any quicker.

 

[WardJ]

Just did 2700+ from SoCal to Georgia with afew stops. After my wife drove thru the AZ mountains, she stated that the PacBrake was terriffic! We grossed over 21k combined according to CAT scales and the EB with the Jordan controller was flawless.



Buy it, you won't regret it.

 

[HBarlow]

Oh, and I almost forgot, also for pasing signs that say "No engine brakes" :-laf

I had to laugh at that one. I thought I was the only beligerant Cummins owner who does that. I always pull the e-brake knob and grin when I pass those signs.



I once wrote the same thing Ol'TrailDog wrote on an Airstream website and got blasted by all the white wine sipping liberals who try to pull small Airstreams with their Saabs and Subarus.



Harvey

 

[DavidC]

I should also mention that if you are using the EB to slow you down that is less wear on the trailer brake system also. It all adds up to safety and money saved on brakes, the trucks and the trailer. It also saves on the medical bill as you do not have to go to the doctor's to get the steering wheel removed from your hands



Dave

 

[AdamFarnham]

For me, it's all about the safety of having options. Had my BD installed in '01 at around 30,000 mi. Have 84,500 on the original brakes now. I tow a 10,000 lb horse trailer about 50% of the time. Some of the routes in the NW are steep, like coming off of Stevens Pass on Rt 2 on the west side. Probably an 8% grade with a sharp, narrow turn at the bottom. It is nice to have cold service brakes available for those 'oh, crud' moments.



I run with the brake on all the time, controlling speed with the throttle down to 20 mph or so. I haven't been rear-ended yet, but wonder when one of these sports cars are going to hit me. I see them back there sipping lattes and yacking on the cell phone, running up as I slow down. Same folks that gun it from block to block only to have to stop at each light. I try to slow down gradually, but some times a downshift will cause rapid deceleration, so I will tap the brake to flash the light and wake them up.

 

[RustyJC]

I wouldn't consider towing our 5th wheel without the exhaust brake. :-laf



Rusty

 

[Larv]

Use mine all the time. Best money I ever spent on a truck add-on. It was a Godsend on our trip to AK in '05 pulling our 29' TT. Wouldn't be w/o it.



Larv

 

[jkalchik]

I don't have an exhaust brake on my 99 CTD, but I *WANTS* one!



I bought mine specifically to start towing a modified Jeep on a trailer around the country. I've towed a friend of mine from Chicago to Moab, and from Chicago to Arizona (about 9,000 lbs. behind the CTD) and really would have liked the exhaust brake on the 8-10% grades in Colorado and Arizona.

 

[Buffalo]

WOW!!!



35 Replys!!! Thank You,Very Much. I really appreciate all your input.



I wasn't sure if I would get "bang for my buck" since I have a smaller trailer. I was concerned that with a lesser amount of weight, the truck would be slowing down, too much. But, like DavidC said, you can give it a bit of fuel to pick up some speed, if necessary. Maybe going to a higher gear & reducing the rpm's may lessen the braking effect, also.



Now that I think of it, there are some fairly substantial "Mole Hills" (just had to get that one in) here, in AZ. The Moggollon Rim just west of Forest Lakes. Oxbow Hill just south of Payson, heading down to Rye. The Salt River Canyon with all it's switchbacks, to name a few.



Are many of you guys using the "plunger-type", red knob that mounts on the gearshift lever? How do you like it? I like stuff like that am really intrigued with it. Another toy to play with. I guess I'll never grow-up. At least, I hope not.



Once again, Thank You, all for your good replys.



Joe F. (Buffalo)

 

[nps]

Are many of you guys using the "plunger-type", red knob that mounts on the gearshift lever? How do you like it? I like stuff like that am really intrigued with it. Another toy to play with. I guess I'll never grow-up. At least, I hope not.

Joe F. (Buffalo)

The factory ECM-controlled switch on my Jake Brake annoyed the crapola out of me - always coming on when you lift your foot off the accel (even if you don't want it on like when coasting) and not shutting off at a stop light (causing the turbo to retain heat). So I wired in parallel a push on/push off red button switch from Radio Shack mounted on the shifter with a bracket made from 1/8 oak and painted gloss black. Also wired in with this switch a blue light on the dash to show when the brake is on.



Lets me push once to turn on the brake when I want it on, and push once again to turn it off. Makes coasting down a hill with the trailer nice - coast without the brake on until speed builds then punch on the brake. Also works good for around town.



If I want, I can leave the shifter switch off and turn on the factory switch and let the ECM control the brake, but I have never done so since installing the shifter switch. Knowing what I know now, I would have never even screwed around with wiring in the ECM to the brake. I would have just done the shifter switch wired into a 12V source and skipped the whole ECM pin insertion step.

 

[Ol'TrailDog]

I would have just done the shifter switch wired into a 12V source and skipped the whole ECM pin insertion step.

My first ebrake was wired at the dealer like that. pull up on the "splitter" red knob and it was on, push down and it was off. I didn't know any different until I took it off and sold it when I traded the 02 in. I installed the 04, and 97. I thought about direct wiring the 97, but I was reading somewhere that the slight time delay before activation of the ebrake is important because it prevents having excess fuel in the cylinders when the ebrake comes on. Having excess fuel in the cylinders when the brakes comes on was suppose to not be a good thing, and could potentially result in engine damage. Perhaps, the learned amongst us can fill in the finer details, or debunk a myth. Anyway I followed the instructions for the 04 and 97, well almost .



PS: Since I don't turn the ebrake on and leave it on, I am partial to the red "splitter" knob.

 

[starkmr]

I had one on an 02 CTD when I moved from Alaska to Arizona, that thing was invaluable.



I'm glad to see that some of you are aware that there are more than mole hills in AZ!!! One trip through the Salt River Canyon will cure that :-laf

 

[WyoJim]

One trip through the Salt River Canyon will cure that... ... ... .



I have been from Show Low down to Globe and to be truthfull I don't remember any steep hill so I must not have been impressed.



I can remember going down to Valdez AK and back up out... Not bad, but it was a hill I remember. There is some 10% hills scattered about on th AK highway, but they are not bad either.



There is a 10% hill going from Lovell WY to Burgess Junction that is long and will get your attention going down it, but up is a piece of cake.



There is one going out of Jackson WY into Idaho that is steep enough to be interesting too... . but I can't remember the hill from Show Low AZ to Globe.