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Old 05-31-2017, 08:49 PM   #1
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Steep grades

Any suggestion on how to keep brakes cool on long downhill grades. I have a 33' Brave class A. Several of the trips I make I end up on mountains where I encounter long steep downhill grades. I stop at all most all the pull offs to allow brakes to cool but would like to know if there is anything out for gas engines that work like a jake brake?
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Old 05-31-2017, 09:24 PM   #2
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Have you tried coming down grades in lower gears? That will take a lot of the load off of your service brakes.
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Old 05-31-2017, 09:27 PM   #3
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Use lower gear. Let the engine rev, the ford V10 is a high reving engine. As speed increases apply brakes firmly to slow to under your target speed. Then get off the brakes. As speed increases again, apply brakes firmly to slow to under your target speed. Repeat, repeat... Do not ride the brakes, you will overheat them.
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Old 05-31-2017, 09:35 PM   #4
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does it have tow mode?

if so that helps
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Old 06-01-2017, 05:48 AM   #5
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I do use the lower gears but on long grades pumping the brake it still get hotter than I like. Some of the grades are 7-8 miles at 7%.
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Old 06-01-2017, 05:55 AM   #6
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Get it down to 45 MPH and use a lower gear. Probably a 4 speed in a 2001, so get it into second gear.

That's probably the gear and speed you would use to climb that same hill.
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Old 06-01-2017, 07:27 AM   #7
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Another thing that will help is to disengage overdrive using the button on the end of the shift lever. When overdrive is engaged there is little or no engine braking. Also the rule of thumb is to descend the hill in the same gear you used to climb it.
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Old 06-01-2017, 08:04 AM   #8
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Regarding NOT riding the brakes, many driving schools (e.g. Camp Freightliner) recommend hard on the brakes for 3 seconds, off the brakes for 5 seconds.
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Old 06-01-2017, 09:32 AM   #9
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If you aren't sure what gear to use you can always change up or down while going down the hill. Dropping down a gear will probably require slowing so you don't over speed the engine, but perhaps that is covered by the electronics? At any rate if the brakes are getting hot just drop down to the next lower gear, at least that's what I do. After a while you will learn what gear will be safe to start down a hill in.

Best of luck.

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Old 06-01-2017, 11:02 AM   #10
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Once your over a certain speed, for a particular gear, the electronics will not let the trans downshift, even if you put the shifter in first gear. That's done to protect the engine from overspeeding.
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Old 06-01-2017, 02:36 PM   #11
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As several guys already mentioned, use the same gear you would typically climb the hill in. And to affirm what others have already posted, hard on the brakes for 3-4 seconds then off to let them cool down.

I pick a target speed that I'm comfortable with. Lets say it's 50MPH going down a 7% grade. I pick a gear that has the RPM's at about 3500+/-. When my speed reaches 55 I apply the brakes hard and drop my speed to 45. Once speed picks back up to 55 I repeat the process. Typically this will be 3-4 seconds of moderate to hard braking followed by 15-20 seconds of no braking while the coach picks up speed. I always drop into the down hill grade about 5MPH below my target speed.

Last week I drove the Adventurer on I70 and I68 from DC to Columbus. Lots of 6 and 7 and one or two 8% grades along that route. Brakes never once felt overworked, they got warm but nothing real serious.

For me I found the grade brake switch to be a little too agressive and rev'd the motor a little higher than I was comfortable with. I'm sure it was fine but I never like hearing the 8.1 singing in the 4000 octave.
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Old 06-01-2017, 02:40 PM   #12
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It is simple you are going too fast. If you start at 50 mph next time do 40. When you brake slow done at least 10 mph. If it's still too much get down to 20 or 30. Don't worry who's behind you they will wait. Don't use a higher gear than what you climbed in.
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Old 06-01-2017, 02:46 PM   #13
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^^ Exactly

I slow down and manually shift to a lower gear. If I start building up speed to fast, I slow down even more. If I get to slow, I turn on the 4 ways and enjoy the view.

I can think of several long descents where I'm doing 35 mph in second gear with the 4 ways blinking.
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Old 06-01-2017, 03:03 PM   #14
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What they said ^^^

We did Wolf's pass going from Durango to Colorado Springs last August.
and even in our beast and with the 4500 lb Jeep pushing us, never had a worry!
besides, we wanted to go slow to enjoy the beauty !

I don't think I changed gears because in ours I was able to stab the brakes to slow down and the engine brake and downshifts would do it for me...
I just made sure to start off slow...

so turn the engine brake on, and stab (brake hard) and release.

Also, depending on what you a driving, sometimes setting the cruise @ a slower speed will slow you down too... I know our Ford pickups towing our 5'ers would... test it out, because obviously, what you are doing is not working for you.

Is it possible you are overloaded ?
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Old 06-01-2017, 03:10 PM   #15
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I have spent 53 years driving the Rocky Mountains and have some experience with long steep downgrades. Yes I know other places have steep grades as well.

First thing is to never allow speed to increase above your comfort zone. Your job is to get you, your rig and passengers down that slope safely. As others said do not be concerned about the traffic behind you. Let them pass only when it's safe for everyone.

I always start down a slope slower than I think is required. Picking up speed is simple, dumping it can be difficult. I will frequently use one gear lower on descents than used to climb that same grade. As I say picking up speed is simple.

In my Ram 3500 diesel I engage my exhaust brake and drop the tranny down a couple of gears at the top of the pass. Frequently I can make it down major mountain passes, like Monarch in Colorado, and never even touch my service brakes. This way it's a very enjoyable drive down.
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Old 06-01-2017, 05:36 PM   #16
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When approaching the grade get your speed down before you begin the descent and manually get into the lowest gear you can. If you feel the gear is to low you can always shift up one but it's pretty hard to shift down a gear once you have a good head of speed on.

Let the V10 scream. It's happy up to 5250 RPM plus the high RPM has the fan and water pump pushing a high volume of air and coolant that will bleed off the heat you generated getting to the top of the hill.

If the engine/transmission can't hold the speed down even in the lowest gear and you have to brake be aggressive and brake firmly to get your speed down quickly. You want short firm braking followed long coasting time to cool the brakes before next time you need to slow down.

My method is to start out in third gear at 45 MPH on an interstate grade and brake by RPM. Once the engine hits 4500 I'll brake hard to get the engine down to 2500 or so then repeat as necessary.
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Old 06-01-2017, 06:22 PM   #17
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Lots of good responses in this thread. Following the given advice should make for a fairly uneventful trip down a steep grade.
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Old 06-01-2017, 06:42 PM   #18
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OP - And others reading this thread in the future!

It's important to specifically target engine RPM based upon specific chassis chassis. (OP, I see the 2001 Brave. I see a Super Duty mentioned, but that must be a truck, not the Chassis for your coach.).

RPM's are a factor of the combo of specific engine, and transmission. Even V10 engine's, can have different target RPM's from different engine years. Say it is the F53, and yes agree it would be a 4spd in that year, would have different speeds then the newer F53 with 5spd Transmissions - to yield the same RPM's.

A Workhorse chassis, with the higher displacement 8.1 engine, would have different RPM's (Way different...) then the F53 V10.

Finally, yes, start in a lower gear and slower speeds.

Best to you, and all,
Smitty
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Old 06-01-2017, 10:43 PM   #19
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twinboat View Post
Once your over a certain speed, for a particular gear, the electronics will not let the trans downshift, even if you put the shifter in first gear. That's done to protect the engine from overspeeding.
Do these things then up-shift if the rpms get too high?

Steve
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Old 06-02-2017, 09:29 AM   #20
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Thanks to everyone. I guess I may have been starting the downhill to fast. Will slow down "before" I start down. Again thanks for the advice.
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