[allan5oh]

Burning brakes are from wheel seals leaking. Metal doesn't catch on fire. If you get the seals too hot, they will blow.

[coastie]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

Metal doesn't catch on fire. .

Class Delta Fire is a Metal fire. Metal do not burn? Try to tell that to some of the Crew of the USS Forestal of it's Vietnam War Tour. Or should I say the Survivors of that Tour.

1998 Pulling a flatbed up I 81 Seals went bad on the tailer. Stopped and looked, went and got the fire exstingsher and put the FIRE out.

[allan5oh]

Sure, but you would have a wheel bearing blow well before that happens. Or the seal blows, and massive flames coming out. I was talking specifically about going down a hill in a big rig.

[coastie]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

Sure, but you would have a wheel bearing blow well before that happens. Or the seal blows, and massive flames coming out. I was talking specifically about going down a hill in a big rig.

Yes, I was too. Just used the USS Forestal as an example of metal burning since it was sid Metal does not burn to prove a point.

The 2 times that happen to me, going down the same hill in the same junk truck, the Brakes crystalized. Not Seals. A Truck with no Jakes.

[allan5oh]

All I'm saying is your going to have a whole laundry list of problems before metal hits a few thousand degrees. Shit at that point your axle tubes would be like rubber. Even at a thousand degrees, iron is severely weakened.

[coastie]

Originally Posted by allan5oh

All I'm saying is your going to have a whole laundry list of problems before metal hits a few thousand degrees. $&!+ at that point your axle tubes would be like rubber. Even at a thousand degrees, iron is severely weakened.

Well you do not believe it was smoking and Red HOt Fine, WHO CARES!!!!! I can only tell you what Happen, if you do not believe SO WHAT!!!

I was taught when your Brakes over heat, DO NOT STOP, Keep the wheels rolling and allow the air blowing over them to Cool.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by PDXer

Another advice, whatever speed you climbed the hill do the same speed or lower down the hill. But that said not all hills are equal, what might have been a 5% climb could be a 6-7% desent meaniing different gearing and slower speed.

I'm guess that what you mean is that after reaching the top of the hill you would stay in the same gear to descend it.... Which is true. Now in the case of the 5% up and 6 or 7% down.... if you are in the same gear as coming up, you are running slow enough that you can slow further and drop a gear or two to keep things good.

Never try to run down a hill faster than common sense dictates. Many serious hills have posted truck speed limits geared to the trucks weight. They are there for a reason. Monteagle is like that and so is Black Mountain.
There are many others as well.

One other reason to take hills slow....Speed cops and DOT like to sit at the bottom, usually right around a curve with their radar pointed up the hill....
By the time you see them....you've already got a ticket in process.

[coastie]

Originally Posted by Skywalker

. Monteagle is like that and so is Black Mountain.
There are many others as well.

Those 2 has a Pull off you as a Trucker must pull into. Supposely read their instructions. then it will allow you to pull out of there.

[Jack_07]

I find that monteagle is not that bad 7th gear downhill in a century class frhtliner about 35-40 mph fully loaded with jakes.

[Skywalker]

Originally Posted by coastie

Those 2 has a Pull off you as a Trucker must pull into. Supposely read their instructions. then it will allow you to pull out of there.

Yep, the "instructions" show you where the "runaway truck ramps" are..., and whats interesting is how many drivers will by pass them....only to find a TN DOT Officer looking up the mountain at them....and who has a "special driver citation" for them.

Drivers, NEVER BYPASS A MANDATORY PULL-OFF!!....because if you do and are seen by the DOT or HP...its big $$ and, and, and....what if you have a brake problem that you didn't know about...but would have detected had you stopped.... I have seen whats left of trucks that have reached "terminal velocity" going down a steep mountain...its not pretty, and the driver "rarely, very rarely" lives to tell about it.