Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

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

Postby bdosborn » Sun Jul 26, 2015 9:39 pm

Oops, I just looked and it's 3000#. I could have sworn that it was 1500#.

Never mind. :roll:

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

Postby JenniferandPups » Sun Jul 26, 2015 9:45 pm

bdosborn wrote:Oops, I just looked and it's 3000#. I could have sworn that it was 1500#.

Never mind. :roll:

Bruce

:D No worries! It's not like there aren't 50 different versions of what is required or anything... 8)
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby MtnDon » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:08 pm

[scratches head]

Three trailer brake law sites...
one two three
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby JenniferandPups » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:23 pm

:thumbsup:
MtnDon wrote:[scratches head]

Three trailer brake law sites...
one two three
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby capnTelescope » Sun Jul 26, 2015 10:26 pm

MtnDon wrote:[scratches head]

Three trailer brake law sites...
one two three

They all seem to agree. At least for Colorado. I wasn't about to check all the states. :?

"Hill. Trucks use low gears." Trailer tows too.
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

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

Postby gudmund » Wed Jul 29, 2015 8:21 pm

after having ceramic brake pads on the newer PU I got a year ago, it's semi-metallic from here on out!! The ceramic worked fine for everyday use with no trailer along with no brake dust but when towing, they were terrible. No feel and just no stopping response. Found reading up on towing that semi-metallic pads are recommended for towing and what a different!!! They respond!! Yes there is black brake dust on my wheels but at least now I can stop along with having braking feel for just slowing down!! They work great!!
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby DrewsBrews » Thu Jul 30, 2015 11:57 am

capnTelescope wrote:...Almost any automatic transmission will NOT provide engine braking in the "D" position. If you have a switch/button to turn off the overdrive, use that first. Foot off the gas, if you're still picking up speed down hill then gear down some more. Don't worry that you'll hurt the transmission. It's smarter than that. If you're mostly using the throttle to control your speed, you won't be overheating your brakes and they will be ready when you need them.


A friend of mine has an xb with automatic trans (typical 3+OD). He noticed it actually does downshift if accelerating under no throttle (such as steep downgrades). If it goes into that "mode" it will even continue downshifting as you slow down. I thought it was a neat feature... if not a little strange for a rather light vehicle with good brakes that the manufacturer does not recommend towing with :thinking:.

gudmund wrote:after having ceramic brake pads on the newer PU I got a year ago, it's semi-metallic from here on out!! The ceramic worked fine for everyday use with no trailer along with no brake dust but when towing, they were terrible. No feel and just no stopping response. Found reading up on towing that semi-metallic pads are recommended for towing and what a different!!! They respond!! Yes there is black brake dust on my wheels but at least now I can stop along with having braking feel for just slowing down!! They work great!!


I tried ceramic pads on a Supercharged cobalt I had a few years ago. I did notice an increase in required pedal pressure for the same stopping power, and were even a bit noisier (sounded like rubbing 2 pieces of paper together). Though I thought they resisted fade more since they don't outgas under high temps like organics do?
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby gudmund » Thu Jul 30, 2015 7:35 pm

when it comes to ceramic brake pads, I did read "not recommended for towing" and the semi-metallic I am using now are a big-big improvement over the stopping power and the feel of the ceramic pads I had. take care
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby JenniferandPups » Wed Aug 05, 2015 11:24 pm

Ill look at getting semi metallics next time, thanks!
Towing went great, didn't need to even gear down on the west side, and only to 2 on the east side with no brakes needed either side. Definitely a fine pass to do as our first towing pass. :)

However, the poor van dropped its o2 sensor just north of pueblo! We have the worst luck towing long distances...not fun to drive 3 hours with the windows down for exhaust!
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby capnTelescope » Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:44 am

WTG Jennifer! :applause:
I'll burn that bridge when I come to it.

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

Postby G-Mac » Sun Feb 05, 2017 8:02 pm

capnTelescope wrote:Like MtnDon said.

I recently crossed Colorado with unbraked TD in tow on I-70 going east. Vail summit was 10600 feet as I recall. Anyway, it was on the job training.

Uphill: Surprise! I didn't need brakes much. Gear down and don't whip your horse so hard. Don't try to keep up with all the non-towing traffic. No problem.

Downhill: Your goal is to use the throttle, not the brakes, to control your top downhill speed. If it's steep, gear down and slow down. If you're braking often, or you're picking up speed with no throttle, you're going too fast, so slow down and gear down some more. Leave plenty of emergency stopping distance.

Almost any automatic transmission will NOT provide engine braking in the "D" position. If you have a switch/button to turn off the overdrive, use that first. Foot off the gas, if you're still picking up speed down hill then gear down some more. Don't worry that you'll hurt the transmission. It's smarter than that. If you're mostly using the throttle to control your speed, you won't be overheating your brakes and they will be ready when you need them.

It's all about control. Get into an unhurried frame of mind.

My $0.02. "Happy motoring!" Enjoy that trip!
:beer:


Nailed it! Slow down, gear down and get in the CORRECT FRAME OF MIND. You need to be patient and get there safely. Shouldn't be an issue at all.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby capnTelescope » Fri Feb 10, 2017 11:18 am

G-Mac wrote:Nailed it! Slow down, gear down and get in the CORRECT FRAME OF MIND. You need to be patient and get there safely. Shouldn't be an issue at all.

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

Postby Shadow Catcher » Fri Feb 10, 2017 9:25 pm

Our first tear did not have brakes, the redo similar did. When we did our California trip four years ago it was with the one that did. The grade down Tioga pass hits 8% in some places and at the bottom the brakes on our Subaru were smoking.
At 11,000 feet before the decent.
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Re: Question on Brakes, Mountain Passes, and TTT.

Postby dancam » Fri Feb 10, 2017 10:22 pm

Shadow Catcher wrote:Our first tear did not have brakes, the redo similar did. When we did our California trip four years ago it was with the one that did. The grade down Tioga pass hits 8% in some places and at the bottom the brakes on our Subaru were smoking.
At 11,000 feet before the decent.
96128

Just to be sure i understand correctly- you had trailer brakes with the one in the photo and the brakes on the subaru were still smoking at the bottom??
How heavy was the trailer loaded? How long of a decent? Is the subaru an automatic?

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

Postby Shadow Catcher » Sun Feb 12, 2017 7:43 pm

About 1900# and in retrospect should have down shifted.
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