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Thread: Brakes Are for Stopping, Not Maintaining Speed

  1. #1
    Join Date
    May 2012
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    Beverly Hills
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    4,652

    Default Brakes Are for Stopping, Not Maintaining Speed

    It's important to remember your brakes will serve you well if you don't use them for maintaining speed in the mountains.

    Your Jake or Transmission Retarder and proper selection of your transmission gear should be used for maintaining your speed.

    https://youtu.be/39di5gfXUU8


    Gil and Durlene
    2003 H-3 Hoffman Conversion

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Apr 2019
    Location
    Arlington
    Posts
    752

    Default

    Wow, that would leave a mark .... in my seat!


    Mark and Debbie Fratto
    1998 Parliament

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Chicago
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    3,988

    Default

    If u know how to drive, and it's really not that complicated or difficult, u can haul 80,000 lb coast to coast safely on a regular basis without a Jake or retarder at all, relying solely on the brakes alone.

    Not all big rigs have Jake brakes. There is no law that says u have to have them to go over a mountain. When u r in this category brakes r absolutely for maintaining speed and they have all the capability in the world of doing it safely.

    The idiot behind the wheel in that video IMHO falls into that 10% category. Bet the rig HAD a jake. All the wrong boxes got checked as he crested the top. Dont blame the equipment it's the loose nut behind the wheel.

    I think your brakes alone can serve u well in the mountains u have to refrain from being just plain ignorant or stupid or both.

    On a slight side note, if I had a chassis that lit up the brake lights every time I engaged the Jake it wouldn't be hooked up for long. It really makes u look like a schnook as u r descending to veteran and well seasoned professional drivers. Just sayin
    Last edited by Joe Camper; 12-29-2019 at 07:51 AM.
    1990 Peterbuilt 377
    3406 B Caterpillar
    13 Speed Roadranger
    No Norgrens


    1 day on paper no machines

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Nov 2019
    Location
    Las Vegas
    Posts
    67

    Default

    Joe, my H3-45 does exactly that - brake lights come on every time Jake brake engages. It also lights the brake light in the dash. I will eventually look into disabling that (after I figure out how). I can imagine that I looked like I was constantly braking (using service brakes) going down any grade.

    Regards, Shahzad
    2003 H3-45 Marathon

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    Chicago
    Posts
    3,988

    Default

    There will be a relay marked as such in the fuse box in the engine bay above the engine.
    1990 Peterbuilt 377
    3406 B Caterpillar
    13 Speed Roadranger
    No Norgrens


    1 day on paper no machines

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2019
    Location
    Guilford
    Posts
    44

    Default

    here's a comment to an old thread. I stopped driving a truck in 93 after 20 years. I never drove a truck that had a jake brake. As a rule of thumb you started down the hill in the gear you went up the hill in and then maybe droppped another gear if you couldn't contain your spped without using your brakes more than 20% of the time.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Jan 2006
    Location
    Jasper
    Posts
    3,775

    Default

    Shahzad,

    Your Jake relay is not in the engine compartment, it’s in the driver side rear electrical compartment. Photo needs rotated.

    0FFAA37E-12DE-474C-A78A-220E81207A61.jpeg
    Last edited by truk4u; 04-08-2020 at 08:32 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    May 2012
    Location
    Beverly Hills
    Posts
    4,652

    Default

    Shahzad,

    Tom is correct on location. It's R61 for your model year.
    H3 Brake Light Relay.jpg
    Last edited by Gil_J; 04-08-2020 at 09:25 AM.


    Gil and Durlene
    2003 H-3 Hoffman Conversion

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