Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby MtnDon » Sun Feb 12, 2017 10:25 pm

If I'm driving in the mountains, which I do everyday since that is where I live, I always use the transmission gears before I use the brakes.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby lrrowe » Mon Feb 13, 2017 2:59 pm

MtnDon wrote:If I'm driving in the mountains, which I do everyday since that is where I live, I always use the transmission gears before I use the brakes.


This reminds of an old phrase I used to hear...."brakes are cheaper to repair then are transmissions." But I suspect (with no facts to back it up) that with today's electronic shifting transmission, that this is not case the case today, even if was true way back when.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby MtnDon » Mon Feb 13, 2017 6:54 pm

My Tacoma user manual specifically states to use lower gears when descending hills. The idea is to use engine braking so if you need the brakes they are not so hot they are less effective. I've never seen the ATF fluid go over 195 F and that was on uphill with trailer, not downhill. (270-280 is typically thought of as maximum) High temp. is what kills an automatic. As for a manual it is easier to kill a clutch than a manual box. IMO
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby dancam » Mon Feb 13, 2017 8:13 pm

Shadow Catcher wrote:About 1900# and in retrospect should have down shifted.

Ah, ok, thanks. I was a little worried. I plan to tow something similar through much steeper grades, i still believe ill be fine then :)
lrrowe wrote:
MtnDon wrote:If I'm driving in the mountains, which I do everyday since that is where I live, I always use the transmission gears before I use the brakes.


This reminds of an old phrase I used to hear...."brakes are cheaper to repair then are transmissions." But I suspect (with no facts to back it up) that with today's electronic shifting transmission, that this is not case the case today, even if was true way back when.

That saying was for manual transmissions, not autos. Guys used to downshift through every gear when slowing down every time which wears the clutch out a little. Heat or lack of maintinance kills autos and they dont make heat when you use them to slow you down.
Also if your really heat up your brakes and need new drums, rotors, pads, shoes, calipers, brake fluid its about the same.
If you overheat your brakes and crash its more expensive.

MtnDon wrote:My Tacoma user manual specifically states to use lower gears when descending hills. The idea is to use engine braking so if you need the brakes they are not so hot they are less effective. I've never seen the ATF fluid go over 195 F and that was on uphill with trailer, not downhill. (270-280 is typically thought of as maximum) High temp. is what kills an automatic. As for a manual it is easier to kill a clutch than a manual box. IMO


Depends on the transmission, a few smaller vehicles have weak manual transmissions. Also guys who get their diesel trucks to insane hp levels have issues with the manual transmissions not taking it, but for oe your clutch should die many times before the transmission :)

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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby KennethW » Tue Feb 14, 2017 9:25 pm

I like my ford freestyle with a cvt. Up hill it keeps the engine in the right power range. Down hill I shift into low at the speed i want to go and the transmission engine brake to maintain that speed. Shift at 60, You go 60. Shift at 40, you go 40. Anyone that has been in the mountains have seen big RV with smoke rolling off the brakes of a RV that rode the brake all the way down a long grade. Sometimes One can even see the glowing red hot brake.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby KCStudly » Wed Feb 15, 2017 3:50 pm

So IMO the answers being given are too direct to the question. Yes it is better to use downshifting and compression braking when descending steep and or long grades, but the question is really missing the real reason for having trailer brakes installed.

In a panic stop at cruising speeds, when it really matters, I want brakes on my trailer. It is easy to say, "leave extra space", it is easy to say, "slow down", but it is impossible to control that idiot who doesn't care, notice or understand what it means that you are towing. He doesn't realize that the reason you left that extra space was because you can't stop and he so conveniently decides to use that space to snipe in front of you so that he can slam on his brakes and make that last dive bombing effort to the exit ramp. He doesn't realize that the reason you are going slow has nothing to do with you annoying him and making him do stupid things to get in front of you.

... or a forest creature might (will) dart in front of your car... or you suddenly realize that the dark shape in the road that you can't quite make out isn't a stain on the pavement but is an immovable/unavoidable object that you can't maneuver safely to avoid.

Just saying, it is not all about our habits and what is in our control, so I want as much control as I can get. Sure, you might be able to beat the odds most of the time, but I want to tip the odds in my favor all of the time.

Yes, trailer brakes cost money to buy and take a little more upkeep over time. How much insurance do you want? How big is the investment you have at risk? Back of the napkin estimate, brakes cost about 4% of my all in trailer build cost (so far). Every penny I spend finishing my build, that cost percentage goes down and the return on investment (potentially) goes up.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby Shadow Catcher » Thu Feb 16, 2017 8:28 pm

Our first tear did not have brakes, it was scary, Compass Rose does have brakes. It is better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them. Depending on the weigh and the state you may be required to have them.
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