I installed the Jacobs on mine right after I bought it and have not the first regret. I am sitting close to 160000 miles and still have the original brakes all the way around. I come down off Afton Mountain (6% grade about 7 miles long) pulling just over 21000 pounds in fourth gear and never touch the brakes. I've even had truckers cuss me cause they said my brake lights on the trailer were not working. Then when I tap the brakes and show them that they are working, they say "COOL". In my personal opinion, the trucks 3500 and above should have this as standard equipment.

(now pulling out the fire proof blanket and pulling over my head)

 

The Jacobs brake that is recommended by Dodge is STILL on HOLD!!! Don't sell, Don't install!!! I bought the Pacbrake and so far am happy with it.. First, with the automatic, an exhaust brake IS NOT needed!!! Period! Unless someone just wants one to be cool... On the manual tranny an exhaust brake is REQUIRED!!! There is no torque convertor to hold the truck back and the truck with the stick will just keep picking up speed NO MATTER WHAT ONE DOES!!! I KNOW!!!! FiRST HAND... Had both an auto and a stick truck.. The brakes got so hot with the stick they were smoking....

 

WHAT????

ReallyReallyPuzzledBob

 

Falcon: If the brakes were smoking....you don't know how to drive a loaded truck. Properly driven the 6 shooter will hold it back better than an automagic.

 

I've driven trucks with Jakes, but I don't like them. A tad too noisy for my taste. I'm just the opposite of you guys. I don't have one presently and don't want one. I tow my six horse trailer all over the Rockies and take my flatbed coast to coast. I gear down and up as required by the road.

 

That is a BEAUTIFUL sound - - the sound of power in reverse.

I guess it doesn't work on a straight stick though - - hmmmm, sure glad I didn't know that in Newfoundland on 11% grade with a 16,000 trailer behind me. Wow, I would have really been sceeeerrred.

 

Mine's an automatic, not stick. I replaced the front brakes (1st time) at 74,889mi and the rears are factory. It's got 154,000 on it and the brakes don't look bad at all. Pulling a six horse trailer. Gross at 25,999#.

 

I'm wondering if you are relating your days of the JAKE engine brake to the Jacobs exhaust brake? They don't work the same and sure don't sound the same. You would almost need to know what the ebrake sounds like to know that it is even on. It is very quiet - - not the loud blaaaatt associated with the Jake engine brake. I use mine quite a bit, even in town and running solo. The only hint there is something different from the outside of the cab is a slight hiss from the tail pipe.

 

When I was at a injector shop in Bellingham WA, and asking about e brakes for my 2002 with auto tranny. I was told. 1 with the lock up optin on the tranny it the pac brake would work. 2. pacbrake bouth jacobs. Any truth to that?

Davey

 

Most all of us thar run diesels ,tow in the mountains with them . Exhaust brake is the ideal thing , but not absolutly nessesary. Dodge wont warrant the auto with the e brake. They OK'd it once then backed away. 6 speed manual with e brake will work well. But the 48re has torque connverter lockup in 4th 3rd and 2nd. put the trans in 2nd for downhill and use brakes to help and it'll work without a e brake. With 12000 lb on a 10% grade,start at about 20 mph as speed builds to 30 get on brakes HARD bring speed down to 10-15 and get OFF brakes, let brakes cool till speed is up again then repeat to botton. If this procedure is followed your brakes will not overheat. In the same senario the 6speed and e-brake you could probably go down in 2nd all the way with no foot brake use. It all depends on where you live and how much are you going to tow in these steep grades. I tow a 11000 lb trailer (35ft) My truck is a 1998.5 with the 47RE trans ,which isnt near as good as the new 48re. I'v pulled up and over 10% grades, useing 2nd up and down useing said brakeing procedure with no difficulty. My truck has 103,000 mi total 90,000 towing ,never had a trans problem., and still have original brakes. Live in MI. but travel in mountians every year. The auto will work fine ,but if I lived in those mountains I think I'd have a 6 speed with e brake.

 

Thanks bluepp. It's really helpful to hear everyone's opinion about how to drive in the mountains without an exhaust brake, and to receive specific information like that. I've printed out your answer to add to my "driving in the mountains" file so that when the time actually comes, I've got some info to rely on!

Eileen

 

I had an 03 3500 with the 48re and towed in the Rockies, Sierras, and Smokies. Last year I pulled over 30,000 miles. I traded that auto for a 04.5 3500 6 speed and installed a Pacbrake. I tow 5th Wheels and Travel Trailer out of Elkhart, IN partime, and would not go back to an auto in my case. Maybe infrequent towing your personal trailer might be exceptable. But if you want to do it right, I'd go with a 6 speed and exhaust brake. The dealer wouldn't install the Jacobs brake because of problems, so I purchase and installed the PacBrake. It took a couple of hours and worked flawlessly. Way better than sitting on the side of the road waitting for your brakes to cool.

 

eileeneh:

I own several trucks..... 01, 04, 05 all 3500's all pulling hard... the 04 and 05 pull a trailer that can gross 24K but we try and keep it under 20K..... we pull 80% of the time......

I also am a pacbrake dist...... I suggest for those customer who want to pull over 50% of the time that they go the route of a manual transmission.... we've been here 35 years and we always buy manuals.... the couple of auto's we've tried haven't done the job for us.... however if and when the 4500 and 5500 come out with a 6 speed auto I'm going to consider it...... I hear its going to be the MB transmission used in mid range trucks and that should hold up.....

A pacbrake exhaust brake will hold about 15K without having to use the brakes on the truck when the transmission is in the right gear... and will handle 6% with no problem.... when I'm hauling a heavy load I just take it easy and use the brakes when I have to.... the 04 mentioned above has over 100K on the clock with the factory brake pads so you'll get some idea of how this works for us...

The brake is designed to flow an additional amount of exhaust over the stock elbow for those who wish to turn the HP up some....

Our heavy trailers have hyd disc brakes on them.....

The function of the brake is a physics formula so some say their's works better but if you take the same engine with the same back pressure and the same rpm your going to get the same retarding HP.... and both jacobs and pacbrake will give you 60psi of back pressure all that is suggested by cummins.....

If you have any other questions please post them or email me at jelag@ispwest.com and I'll do my best....

Jim

 

According to my dealer, Jacobs are no longer being installed. They've switched to PacBrake.

 

I had a BD on my 96 with a torque lock and it worked fine for 90k miles Now I have a 04.5 with auto and am going for a Pacbrake with the ATS Triplelok Commander which is made to work with the Pacbrake. The Commander has a push bullon adjustment on the controller that allows the driver to select the road speed at which the torgue converter clutch will engage and disengage. The minimum safe road speed for the torqur converter to unlock is 18 MPH. The part number from Pacbrake is C18046. Vendors are comming out with the good stuff now that they have a handle on the tranny.