I like mine (sounds cool) but I don't think it is an absolute must have unless you are pulling over 10K and will encounter mountains...

Someone said that they can be had much cheaper than DC will sell them for, but he didn't say where. Cummins part house is probably somewhat cheaper. You can also save $$$ by installing yourself, which was pretty easy.

I don't idle mine long enough in the winter to tell if it makes much of a difference at warm up, but I do have it on for the couple of minutes it takes me to scrape the windows.

 

Don't think you will need it. I wanted one , but have the 48re auto. This fall I pulled the 5th wheel into western NC. Some pretty steep and long grades. I was pleased, I thought I would have to stay on the brake. Only braked a few times on a 5 mile grade. I don't remember but I may have been in overdrive as well. Like above says mainly for 10,000 lbs and up.

 

I don't think you will need one either. If the down grade is steep, I slow down after getting to the top of the climb , drop it into third or second(depends if my wife reaches for her pillar handle!! ) and coast on down, mayber tapping my brakes a time or two.

We went through Salt River Canyon country in AZ this past summer without any problems.

 

I plan on saving up to get one. My 97 had an auto, and i could use the locked up covertor to slow down up to a point where it would go into coast. My 03 is a 6spd and has a total different sensation,where as there is no slowing down slightly with out using the brakes.

 

I have a jacobs e-brake on my 03 h.o 6spd. warming up is alot quicker. The weather where i live can be -30 to -40 ( hi of -12 today getting old) but the brake will bring the truck to operating temps in about 10 to 15 min. I have 4" exhaust on my truck and that made warming up even worse w/o the brake. The jacobs e-brake will also shut down when the truck temp reaches 170 i like that option. I only tow 7or 8000 myself but I rest alot easier on the long 5 or 10 mile grades. It helped make my mind up when i read that the 04 1/2 and 05 will be coming prepped for an e-brake. What ever that is I don't know, but there must be good reasons if they are going to have it as on option. It was on the cummins or dodge site I can't rember, But now that I have one I would not go with out. Money well spent.

 

Gary C,

The Jacobs exhaust brake is the factory approved one, sold by Cummins and by DC.

If you kick the thing on at idle, the engine computer will compensate and increase fuel to maintain the same idle speed, thus helping the engine warm up, but the engine control computer will kick the Jacob off if radiator temp exceeds 170 or 180 and vehicle speed is zero. The thing also kicks off any time the truck is given throttle.

The business end of the jacob replaces the cast elbow at the turbo outlet, and attaches to the exhaust pipe the same as the elbow does, so if the exhaust system you are looking at is designed to attach to the elbow at the turbo outlet, I would think it would work with the jacob...

You can read the operating instructions and install directions at:

http://www.jakebrake.com/content.php4?doc%20uid=73

Hope that helps...

Jeff

 

Gary C I don't have the factory option that won't be out until 041/2 or 05 but jacobs and cummins worked very close with alot of input from cummins. There is a very good warranty 3 and 30 on some parts and 100k on some and it wont void any warranty on the moter itself. On the new moter the kit comes with a vacume pump(in the form of a new pully so it is run by the moter and mounts to the block like it was ment to be there) that the pre 03's came with, that is the little extra expence in the kit if you are wondering. The other thing that i noticed was that the jacobs comes with a **** that goes on the shifter (looks like a splitter ****) to activate the break. The **** has cummins stamped on the side and so does the vacume pump and the directions are from cummins also that tells me that they had a big part in it if they will put there name on it as for the 4" you put a new turbo elbo on from the kit and it works perfect no mods needed. The truck knows when to shut off the break because it is wired in to the ecm in some blank ports from the factory(two wires). I would have to read the instructions again but i think that the ecm must read the rpms so at idle it wont shut the valve all the way but at hi r's it will work harder to slow the truck down. the instructions say it is fine to use it to help warm the truck up. I have friends that have e-breaks from other companies and the jacobs seems to slow my truck better. My brother inlaw who has a 2nd gen truck has about 230k on it and never had any probs with the jacobs. sorry so winded but I hope this helps some. And the kit is not very hard to install I don't consider myself a mechanic.

 

You most likely don't 'need' one but if you have one you sure won't be sorry. It is the best thing I have added to my truck. I have the Pac-brake, it uses compressed air to activate the brake (vs. Jacobs Vacuum pump). The high idle can turn on and the brake can also be on at the same time to help warm up. But if it is that cold I'm plugged in.

Any brand of e-brake and you will certainly be happy.

steve

 

Has anybody heard of when jacobs is coming out with the brake for the 2004 48re application.
Thanks for any input.

 

Gary, an exhaust brake works great - dont let anyone tell you any different. I have the Jacobs on my 2001 H.O.

I would say that if you are towing that light on the flat lands of Indiana, you prolly dont need one. But, it does really help the engine to warm up quickly, and also allows you to idle for extended periods without worrying about fuel dilution and the rest of the problems that go along with it.

 

You most certainly do not NEED an exhaust brake. Plenty of people get by every day without one, and truth is so can you. But since when has this forum been about what anyone can get by with? Truth is probably less then 20% even need a Cummins equipped truck. And who really needs a one ton truck to go back and forth to work in? Not many. Most would do much better in a smaller more fuel efficient car, but then again some have an ego to big for that. You ask , do I need an exhaust brake? Well NO,NO,NO you don't. But they are nice, and it would give you another thing to talk about. Who knows, you might even want to venture out one day, leaving the comforts of your flock, and see what lies beyond the boarders of the state line of Indiana. Well it might happen, maybe? I say if you got the extra cash just lying around and burning a hole in your paints, then why not? Just don't forget to pop for the controller if you have an auto, and the 60 lb springs if you got an old rattling 12V.