| Author |
Message |
kristine starr (Kbunnystarr)
Registered Member
Username: Kbunnystarr
Post Number: 92
Registered: 6-2006
Posted From: 74.32.222.183
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 7:23 pm: | |
i bought the owners instruction manuel for $1 on ebay..........but words FROM the wise are worth their weight in gold.any advice for jake safe using? |
Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member
Username: Bob_greenwood
Post Number: 681
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 64.136.49.228
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 8:26 pm: | |
do not use it in rain....ice....or snow |
Steveggt (Steveggt)
Registered Member
Username: Steveggt
Post Number: 13
Registered: 12-2006
Posted From: 71.116.87.220
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 10:10 pm: | |
Hi Kristine,
Bob gives three great tips!
I'd like to add that, in my experience, jakes often won't start working until the engine oil has warmed up.
Also, I was taught that jakes, or any other auxiliary braking devices (like a retarder or exhaust brake) are exactly that...AUXILIARY. You ALWAYS want to be in a position to stop your bus with its regular brakes as if the jakes had failed to come on. I've heard stories from several coworkers about coming over the top of a hill rather "hot" (i.e. too fast) and having the jakes/retarder not work as expected...and the bus takes off downhill. Jakes won't help too much if your main brakes are overheated and fading!
Good luck! - Steve |
Bill Gerrie (Bill_gerrie)
Registered Member
Username: Bill_gerrie
Post Number: 71
Registered: 3-2006
Posted From: 209.50.74.55
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, February 13, 2007 - 10:27 pm: | |
Kristine
You might also note that Jakes are not as effective on a 2 stroke diesel as you may expect so have them on well in advance and once you get used to them you wouldn't be without. I've had them for about 15 years on a 2 stroke and love them. I only need to adjust the brakes about every 5 years as the Jake does all the work till the bus is slowed right down. Bill |
John MC9 (John_mc9)
Registered Member
Username: John_mc9
Post Number: 190
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 66.217.105.222
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 10:44 am: | |
The most important thing, is to remember -not- to rely on the
Jake. Regardless of what anyone tries to tell you, the Jake
can fail to work.... If you're driving faster than you can safely
stop using only the vehicles's brakes, you're going too fast for
conditions. Don't let the Jacobs system lull you into false security.
It's a great system, but was meant to be used in addition to a
vehicle's brakes; to help decrease the brake shoe/disc wear.
not as a substitute for brakes.
http://www.jakebrake.com/support/faqs.php
http://www.jakebrake.com/products/docs/Operators-manual.pdf
(Message edited by john_mc9 on February 14, 2007)
(Message edited by john_mc9 on February 14, 2007) |
Harmer (Dave_4104_in_victoria)
Registered Member
Username: Dave_4104_in_victoria
Post Number: 5
Registered: 2-2007
Posted From: 24.64.223.203
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 3:30 pm: | |
Hi all, good information and I would like to add something that is taught in the commercial drivers training in British Columbia, which if you forget other things, this will likely help. The rule is you always go down the hill one gear down from what you went up. So if i am going up in 2nd, then i should go down in 1st. This may seem slow and it does, but really with all of the weight and other factors in place. It will likely save you from testing out runaway lanes or worse. Further to this and worth mentioning is if i am going down in 1st gear and my speed starts to creep up due to grade, A firm brake application to get me 5 miles an hour apprx below my desired speed. So i am in second going downhill. I want my speed at 20 mph for example to match rpm, etc, and speed creeps upto 25mph, I do a firm stab or application until speed decreases below 20 to say 15 mph. This does a number of things. Keeps me under control and keeps me from riding my brakes, giving them a bit of time to cool off. It was explained that if i ride my brakes, one will usually heat up and then more energy is transferred to the remaining 3 sets, and then the 2nd one heats up, causing more energy to be transferred to the remaining brakes, Not good, because soon you are down to minimal or no braking. I think it is important to remember and respect that we are operating vehicles with much more weight than the family vehicle. When i run my 4104 up the hills, i let it find its own speed without pushing, and then i drop a gear as needed to keep in the power band, around 1500 to 1700 rpm. The rule that I use to avoid overheating on uphills is if I cannot accelerate in the gear i am in, i need to drop one. Once i find a gear which I can give fuel and accelerate up the grade, i then back off to my 1500 to 1700 rpm. I have not yet experienced any overheating of either engine or brakes. Good information on not being all dependant on the jakes. My brother in law who trucks for a living puts way to much faith in those things when descending hills. Not good, kinda like throwing dice, one day you win...
That's my story.
Dave out |
Bob greenwood (Bob_greenwood)
Registered Member
Username: Bob_greenwood
Post Number: 693
Registered: 7-2006
Posted From: 64.136.49.228
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 3:35 pm: | |
silly....have been down into valleys that had no hill to climb before... |
Harmer (Dave_4104_in_victoria)
Registered Member
Username: Dave_4104_in_victoria
Post Number: 6
Registered: 2-2007
Posted From: 24.64.223.203
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 3:54 pm: | |
Okay, sure what goes up must come down eh!!! |
Ron Walker (Prevost82)
Registered Member
Username: Prevost82
Post Number: 266
Registered: 11-2003
Posted From: 69.10.145.151
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 4:23 pm: | |
And I bet your brother-in-law uses his Jakes in snow. |
J.C.B. (Eagle)
Registered Member
Username: Eagle
Post Number: 100
Registered: 12-2000
Posted From: 74.130.42.250
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 4:41 pm: | |
Fellows you need to reread Harmer's post as it has a lot of merit to it. |
kristine starr (Kbunnystarr)
Registered Member
Username: Kbunnystarr
Post Number: 96
Registered: 6-2006
Posted From: 74.32.222.183
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 4:53 pm: | |
THANK YOU!!!! for this info, each of you!!!!! |
Harmer (Dave_4104_in_victoria)
Registered Member
Username: Dave_4104_in_victoria
Post Number: 8
Registered: 2-2007
Posted From: 24.64.223.203
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 6:50 pm: | |
Heh, i like sarcasm too, but watch out cause as my spouse can vouch, i can dish it out too, lol
Anyway, the brother in law rides his clutch, so he might use jakes on the snow. He also gets a tad lazy when it comes to chaining up. I just tell that it is easier to chain up where convenient rather than twisted half in to a ditch up a hill or on the way down, or do what a large number of bus folks do, pull over, start happy hour and relax and wait for weather to clear, lol.
Anyway, when were at the Bussin USA in Rickreall, the braking issue came up along with overheating issues. I think it was one of the fellows form Detroit was trying to answer questions about why brake fade and engine overheating was happening to some people. It was a little surprising to me that there were a large number of people who were not aware of the physics involved with heavy vehicles and braking. Here is another tid bit for you, because brake adjustment came up and the same type of response was, what adjustment. If my air comes upto operating range, say 110 or 120 in that area. I can tell by doing a brake application with the (AIR) park brake off if my brakes are adjusted within reason. This is not the ultimate best way aside from getting under when safe and checking adjustment. That said, Watch your pressure guage. do a full brake application. For a single rear axle, your air pressure should ideally only go down 2 to 3 lbs. if you notice a 5 or more drop after doing this a few times repeatedly, your brakes could be too far out of adjustment and or you could have other air losses through other sources. It is just important to notice it and check to see which it is. Hope this helps. Jakes are great, people keep bugging me to put em in and now that i have all of the stuff i will likely do it, I also remember that the bus did not come with them originally, so I consider it a pleasurable upgrade. |
Don Evans (Doninwa)
Registered Member
Username: Doninwa
Post Number: 11
Registered: 1-2007
Posted From: 65.61.96.82
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, February 14, 2007 - 6:55 pm: | |
A jake failing should never be an emergency. If it fails to engage you just slow and use a lower gear. If if fails when gowning down a grade you slow and use a lower gear. If your jake fails and you don't have enough brake to slow down one of two conditions exist. You have either already overheated your brakes or you have very substandard brakes. Either way you need to fix something, your driving habits or your brakes.
If you drive so that you use/need every bit of jake and service brake you have, may I never see you in my mirrors. Jakes are a convenience that properly used saves brakes and time. |