Long haul Deuce 2..Brakes?

[WarCloud]

My other question, and getting out of Colorado this one is important...how do your BRAKES hold up in the mountains? The stretch of Highway I-25 starting at just south of Walsenburg Co.all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico has a couple of very hairy 6% grade downhills..this is a big truck with old school shoe brakes..who's got some good brake stories for me?

 

[Harold43512]

I'd like to hear about it too. Don't have any idea of what to expect.

 

[shootiniron]

When I bought mine I had about a 400 mile drive to get it home from Barstow to my place in N. Arizona.There were a few 6% or better grades on the ride,especialy the long one going into Needles and the truck held its own going down hill just fine,even had to give it some throttle so as not to slow down so much,that was with 11.00-20 rubber and an M105 behind too.

 

[stumps]

My other question, and getting out of Colorado this one is important...how do your BRAKES hold up in the mountains? The stretch of Highway I-25 starting at just south of Walsenburg Co.all the way to Santa Fe, New Mexico has a couple of very hairy 6% grade downhills..this is a big truck with old school shoe brakes..who's got some good brake stories for me?

First rule of truck driving: Always come down a steep grade in the same gear you went up the steep grade.

Obviously, there are situations where this rule can't be applied literally, but the idea is if you needed to be in 4th gear to get up the mountain, and you could only make 35MPH, you need to be in 4th gear going down the mountain, and do it at 35MPH.

If you follow that guideline, you will have no problem with the brakes on any properly serviced vehicle.

Back in the days of drum brakes, the guideline for brake application going down a steep grade was to apply your brakes hard enough to slow your vehicle down below your desired speed, and then release your brakes to allow them to cool. When the truck creeps up over your desired speed apply the brakes again.

Now in the days of trucks with disk brakes that cool well, and don't fade, the rule is to apply your brakes with just enough force to keep your desired speed.

There is a lot of well reasoned debate among truckers as to which method to apply.

Judging by the trucks I saw traveling the mountains of Pennsylvania and Maryland, the new rule is: Brakes what the heck 'er them things fer? But I digress...

I found that my deuce had more engine braking ability than it had power to go up the hills, so when I went up a 5% at 35 MPH in 4th, I actually needed to use the throttle to drive down the 5% in 4th at 35 MPH. No brakes were necessary.

-Chuck

 

[yellobronc]

California commercial drivers handbook says choose your speed, use brakes when you exceed your speed. Brake until 5MPH below your set speed then repeat the process. Another case for the above "No constant brake" rule above. I use this same philosophy when driving my F250 with 15k behind it and it works well.

Driving my duece with a 7000 lb load down 6% following that rule, brakes were plenty. Just watch your overrev. I went down the grade at 25 MPH just to be sure I would have no issues which is the same basic speed I climbed the grade.

 

[WarCloud]

Do you guys all have chain sets in case they call a mandatory ice warning? I've only found one outlet with surplus chain sets for 11.00-20 tires and they're a fortune..

 

[area52]

I have 6 sets of chains for the 11.00 x 20 tires if you are interested.

 

[WarCloud]

Yeah? What's the price?

 

[area52]

Make me an offer, I need em gone. They cost like $13.00 each to ship unless you want to come down this way and pick em up.

 

[WarCloud]

I'm all the way up here at the Wyoming border. By the time I drive to Aztec and back, I may as well have paid UPS to ship them. Right now I've got so many irons in the fire I can't take the time, it's about 6 hours each way. So if you like, figure what you need for them and UPS to me up at 1108 E. Cty. Rd. 82 in Wellington, Co. 80549, I may just take off for Arizona with the Beast but that series of mountain passes between Trinidad Co. and Santa Fe NM in late November? Some hairy driving if the weather turns. And C-DOT has no hesitation about putting your truck on a hook if they catch you up in the mountains in a declared chain restriction with no chains. They have no sense of humor at all. So if you can, please, figure what it'll cost to get those 6 chain sets here.

 

[thehaas]

hills that took first with 13000 pounds behind truck duece really had trouble stopping applied brakes till rpms down to say 2000 let go up to 2500 push brakes again.over summer had at least 10000 in bed gravel going down hill thing felt like train with 12 cars pushing me ,found 7000 in back should be limit

 

[Westech]

When I drove my Deuce in the 2007 East cost convoy while towing my M1008 from Wisconsin, there were many many 6+% grades. There was one that really got my attention was one in West V that was 6% for 9 miles. The trick is NOT to use the brakes. Shift to 4th or even 3rd and let the engine do the work. Going down a steep grade at 35 MPH is fine for me. The deuce brakes will just burn right up in a big poof of smoke. The deuce brakes are really no larger then the rear or a M1008. There way under sized for long hauls over the road in the hills. That is why I got a 5 ton, much larger brakes.

 

[Capt.Marion]

http://www.steelsoldiers.com/deuce/3255-deuce-exhaust-brake-details.html

 

[rlwm211]

The brake system on the deuce was designed to stop the truck, or slow the truck with the designed load. That is 5 tons highway, and 2.5 off road. As designed they were built with overcapacity. The words I saw mentioned that the ability of the brakes to dispiate heat are way beyond what a vehicle of this weight class would need. Heat is the result of brake application and the ability to disipate heat is a measure on how effective brakes are after heavy usage.

My deuce brakes are great. I replaced everything in the system. Proper shoes adjustment is critical to get full braking ability.

I have found that my engine holds me back on 10% grades provided I am in 4th. It will run up the rpms in 5th.

I do not need any additional braking effort, but then again, I do not hurry when I drive my deuce.

Driving in a hurry costs lots of fuel, and works the crap out of your brakes and just wears stuff out.

Even the military recognized the value of a measured approach to driving. Convoy speeds in non-combat zones are always far less than the max a vehilce can sustain. I strongly suggest making sure your brakes are up to specs, and be patient. The lives you may save will include your own.

Just my two cents worth

RL

 

[Alex400]

First rule of truck driving: Always come down a steep grade in the same gear you went up the steep grade.

I always though it was go down the grade a gear lower than you can climb it. either would makes sense though.