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Bus Discussion => Bus Topics ( click here for quick start! ) => Topic started by: ttomas on July 22, 2007, 03:29:49 PM

Title: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: ttomas on July 22, 2007, 03:29:49 PM
Hi yall. Are jake brakes worth the money? I have a mci9 6V92ta. my coach already stops really nice. Thanks  tomas
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Nick Badame Refrig/ACC on July 22, 2007, 03:42:44 PM
Hi TT,

I'm in the middle of a Jake Brake project as we speak. Yes very worth it!

I am now convinced that the are invaluable. I recently had all my service brakes replaced with new drums too. While on a trip

through PA over some average grades off the interstates, I really felt my heart in my mouth. Not to mention smelling my new

expensive brakes burning. The moment I got home I started looking for Jakes. A bus nut helped me out with a used set and I

sent them out to be checked over. Now, next week I'm having Keith Crawford [Crawford Custom Coach] from Mifflin PA, install

them along with a hi/low switch. I'll keep you informed of how the install went.

Nick-
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Jerry32 on July 22, 2007, 03:45:07 PM
Jake brakes are not about stopping but about being able to go down long grades as we have in the west . You can decend without them but at a much slower pace . They help reduce brake wear too. Jerry
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: edvanland on July 22, 2007, 03:55:49 PM
Yes they are WORH IT.  In the west on long down grades it is nice to go down the hill slow without your brakes, then when you need the brakes they are not hot.
Why do you think all the big trucks have them?
ED
MCI 7
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on July 22, 2007, 03:57:37 PM
There are many grades in the east where they are very helpful also. Maybe not as long as some in the west, but some are steeper.  One of the best investments you can make, in my opinion.
Richard


Jake brakes are not about stopping but about being able to go down long grades as we have in the west . You can decend without them but at a much slower pace . They help reduce brake wear too. Jerry
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: johnjem on July 22, 2007, 06:09:15 PM
I think they would be worth it?they work, they do there job ,saves alittle on your brakes,and will help a runaway bus slow down!!
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: johnjem on July 22, 2007, 06:15:45 PM
Speaking of jake brakes.   Just when are jakes activated ? <release of gas pedel,brake switch,the toggle switch?i have a toggle  on/off and at idle i turn them on and they activate meaning they make the valveS work! and then the engine soon after (5 seconds)stall is this normall??    maybe bad rings?? :o
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: plyonsMC9 on July 22, 2007, 07:27:21 PM
Yes. Yes.  A thousand times yes!  Avoid 'white knuckle syndrome'.   Some of the best money you will spend on the bus.  I have them and am very happy about it. 

Phil (MC-9)

Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on July 22, 2007, 07:51:25 PM
No, this is not normal. They should not activate when the engine is at idle. The buffer switch needs adjusting. Details are in the Jake manual.
Richard

Speaking of jake brakes.   Just when are jakes activated ? <release of gas pedel,brake switch,the toggle switch?i have a toggle  on/off and at idle i turn them on and they activate meaning they make the valveS work! and then the engine soon after (5 seconds)stall is this normall??    maybe bad rings?? :o
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: RJ on July 22, 2007, 07:57:54 PM
TThomas -

Let me answer your question with a simple one:  Is the Pope Catholic?

 ;)
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Barn Owl on July 22, 2007, 08:00:00 PM
It is possible to live without jakes; one has to adjust their driving habits to those of yesteryears. Keep in mind that they didn’t have them for many years and the busses did fine. Now, thanks to newer technology like jakes, one can drive what would have been considered back then, “more on the edge”. Bottom line, they allow for a little less brake management than before. I have them, I like them, but would I drop a grand on them? Probably not. But, I am a DIY guy, so eventually I would find some somewhere and put them on, because I like having all of the boxes checked on my punch list.


I have been around the county and have seen some intense roads on both sides. But, by far the craziest and most insane roads I have traveled have been in West Virginia. They will run an interstate posted 70mph straight down a hill into a sharp 90 degree bend at the bottom, or if that didn’t scare you, how about a steep, incorrectly banked, serpentine squiggle down the side of a cliff/mountain? It was my experience that a lot of western roads were cut and planned with speed in mind, I don’t care how long, how steep. In West Virginia, they laid pavement down on some old horse road and expect people to learn to deal with it. I’m not bashing WV, it is a beautiful state, but it’s just the way I have experienced it. I know someone will post about some 40 degree, 60 mile long road in the middle of Kansas, but I think West Virginians have the bragging rights on the scariest roads. Just an opinion, nothing more.


Johnjem……no that is not normal, your jakes should not function at idle. I would think that you need some sort of adjustment in your buffer switch. It might also be possible that your buffer switch is stuck. That should get you started.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: coolbus on July 22, 2007, 08:36:45 PM
Having cool brakes just after having come down a long grade, or in the middle of a long grade, will make an emergency stop much more possible. I LOVE having Jakes. I live in Oregon, so much more opportynity to use them on a long grade.

I just came west down Cabbage Hill in eastern Oregon, only had to 'stab' the brakes twice - and very briefly at that. It's great to know the brakes are not getting heated up and excessively warn.

If you live somewhere that is more flat, and don't plan on driving in the hills, maybe not that important. My bus had Jakes when I bought it.

PS the sound they make makes it even more worth it!!

Mark
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: TomC on July 22, 2007, 09:39:25 PM
I have been in the trucking industry for over 30 years.  When I first bought my bus from a gentleman in Kelso, Wa, even before I brought it home, I had the mechanic who was also changing my gearing and grease bearings to oil, install my Jake.  Most mechanics don't know how to adjust the Jakes properly, so many think they don't work well.  My bus weighs 31,000lbs and my car weighs 3,450 for a total of 34,450lb.  After Don Fairchild adjusted them, coming down the north bound side of the I-5 Grapevine (5 miles of 6% grade), I only had to switch my Jake from low to high, and never touched the brakes-now that's control!  That leaves the brakes cool for any sudden slow down that might occur.  I think you'd be crazy NOT to have them.  Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: chris4905 on July 22, 2007, 11:12:33 PM
Yes, they are worth it !!!!

I have had them on my bus for years and very happy with their service.

I have just taken the 8V71 out, which has the jakes on it, and I'll take them off before I get rid of the engine.  I am putting a 6V92 in, I'll have to see how the new engine acts with the V730.

I may sell the jakes cause I can't use them on the 92, but will probably get a set of jakes for the 92 in the future.

I think my wife likes the jakes better than me, she says it gives her a felling of security hearing the sound on the downside of a hill.

Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: TomC on July 23, 2007, 03:00:01 AM
92 and 71 series Jakes are the same.  Maybe trade for the 6V version?  Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: ttomas on July 23, 2007, 08:42:18 AM
thanks again. I get the message loud and clear. Any one have used ones for sale or know where I can buy new or used? 6v92ta. thanks  Tomas
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: H3Jim on July 23, 2007, 08:53:38 AM
jsut to add one more vote, I consider them to be minimum safey equipment.  When I bought my coach it was from the east coast and did not have jakes. I hd soe white knucke incidents going down even some farily gently but long hills here in so cal.  My tranny automatically upshifts when RPM reaches 2300, so unless I was really gonig slow enough, say 25 or 30 down the grapvine, I'd be using a lot of brakes on the descent, and even then it might be iffy if I could kee it slow enough.  39000 lbs on good bearings picks up speed frighteningly quickly.

So thats a hearty yes vote.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: white-eagle on July 23, 2007, 08:58:06 AM
if anyone has 8v92 jakes to get rid of, now that i read this post, let me know.

i have to go to NC and i'm not lookin forward to some of those WV hills on I77.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: jlaney on July 23, 2007, 02:02:07 PM
ok now how much will we poor boys have to lay out for jacob / around here we call them jakes.  ps an 871 dd without blower.   jt.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: TomC on July 23, 2007, 02:50:33 PM
If looking for used units, the 71 series and 92 series are the same.  You just have to make sure you get the valve bridges for the 92 also, since they have to be used with the Jakes.  As to 6 cylinders, you can also buy 8 cylinder Jakes and just take one of the slave units off and plug the hole.  Good Luck, TomC
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Slow Rider on July 23, 2007, 09:46:50 PM
Hey Chris,

I suddenly find myself in the market for a set of jakes.  If you would be interested in selling yours please send me an e-mail, my add is in my profile.

Frank
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Ncbob on July 24, 2007, 06:14:54 AM
We live in the western mountains of NC.  After bringing our MC5A back from IL without Jakes...the KY and TN mountains made a believer out of me....I bought a used set and had them installed.

If you were to ask me if I would trade them for the money they cost and the dollars invested for the installation my answer would be an emphatic "NO"!

Would I travel our mountains again without them...or even the rolling country of the foothills around here?
Again, NO. 

They might not be quite as effective on a two cycle engine as on a four cycle...that's for the experts to determine...but for me and my wife it has reduced the pucker factor greatly.

Do anything within your power to stack the safety in your favor!

NCbob
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Le Mirage on July 24, 2007, 06:48:03 AM
Hi guy!

I have Jake on my 8-71 but he don't work. I have not a manual of maintenance and, if I understood, there is a switch  (electrical) on the dash (off-low-hi) who activate the Jake. Why the Jake don't work? Electrical problem, switch, where I can see the switch on the motor? Do you have a link (internet) that I could see the system and searching the problem...(sorry for my poor english)

Gaëtan
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: white-eagle on July 24, 2007, 05:02:38 PM
http://www.jakebrake.com/products/

try this web site for information.  also maybe the coach info site and i'm sure some others have some hints.

Don't worry about poor English.  You should hear my French.  Haven't had a lesson since 5th grade and that was a long, long time ago.  actually, my English isn't that great either.

hope this helps.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Le Mirage on July 25, 2007, 08:28:01 AM
Thank you Tom for the link...I looked the document and I saw a french section...

Thank a lot....

Gaëtan
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Busted Knuckle on July 25, 2007, 11:03:15 AM
ok now how much will we poor boys have to lay out for jacob / around here we call them jakes.  ps an 871 dd without blower.   jt.

Do you you mean without turbo?
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Dallas on July 25, 2007, 02:42:26 PM
ok now how much will we poor boys have to lay out for jacob / around here we call them jakes.  ps an 871 dd without blower.   jt.


DD's won't run without the blower, so you won't need a Jake anyway.
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: justin25taylor on July 30, 2007, 01:08:57 PM
I agree with everyone else.
I just made a 10,000 mile trip in a 05 Eagle/8v71/4 speed without them. I had to cross the Grapevine twice as well as I-40 from Texas to California, Needles, Bakersfield. I really had to re-think to the old days when we did not have them. I made it ok but Jakes would have made the trip much easier.
Justin
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: AKThom on July 31, 2007, 01:38:39 PM
OKAY! thats it!!!  I'm a believer.  Where is the best place to start to gather the parts, or does is come in a kit?  I have to go through the Canadian Rockies next month.  I drove that way last summer and cooked my brakes a couple times.

Thom
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Buffalo SpaceShip on July 31, 2007, 05:10:34 PM
Thom, I'm glad you're convinced! I'm also a firm believer in them and wouldn't have a bus w/o them now. Besides what's been said here, I also use mine in "non-hilly" terrain to slow the coach, like when coming into those small towns on a two-lane highway or even coming off an on-ramp. With the automatic, it'll come down through the gears to help decelerate and sometimes I just have to touch the service brakes for the last few feet. My big GMC muffler quiets them to a dull sound that's not too obtrusive.

Here's some "bus-friendly" places to look for the kits:
http://www.hbindustries.us/jake_brakes.htm
http://www.bernhardbus.com/jake.htm (link is currently "dead", but check back soon...  it was a great site for Jakes info and sales)
and I just found this from Google: http://www.gsnet.com/inventory/PartsAccessories/TruckPartsAccessories/default.asp?Page=4&Records=25

HTH,
Brian "blllaaahhhhtttttt blllaaahhhhtttttt" Brown

p.s. that was my best Jake Brake sound
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: RJ on July 31, 2007, 05:39:01 PM

Brian "blllaaahhhhtttttt blllaaahhhhtttttt" Brown

p.s. that was my best Jake Brake sound



More like somebody attempting to play the trombone. . . ;D
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Dallas on July 31, 2007, 07:22:45 PM

Brian "blllaaahhhhtttttt blllaaahhhhtttttt" Brown

p.s. that was my best Jake Brake sound



More like somebody attempting to play the trombone. . . ;D

Or after eating at Taco Bell!
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: white-eagle on September 25, 2007, 08:13:45 PM
i was just bequethed (?) jake brake money.  where do i find a set and get them installed ?

used please.  i heard new are around $5k.  i have 8v92T mechanical.

speak to me please.  we are to head south to the carolina's soon and someone said there are hills on I77 in WV. ;D
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: Paladin on September 25, 2007, 08:25:52 PM
I'd also be very interested to hear what a good set costs. Is it something that I can install myself or is it better to have that done?
What would an install cost?

I've seen some used ones here and there but don't know what I'd be looking at, damaged, missing parts etc and also don't know what average price should be to gage a decent deal or not.

I'd really like to have some put on before I go anywhere but sadly I have plenty of time until that day really.


-Dave
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: DrivingMissLazy on September 26, 2007, 05:59:34 AM
i was just bequethed (?) jake brake money.  where do i find a set and get them installed ?

used please.  i heard new are around $5k.  i have 8v92T mechanical.

speak to me please.  we are to head south to the carolina's soon and someone said there are hills on I77 in WV. ;D

FYI, the hills, (big ones) are south of Charleston all the way thru Bluefiled and on into Virginia. Also, I-77 and the WV Turnpike are one and the same and there is a toll on the WV Turnpike which starts just south of Charleston.

Richard
Title: Re: are jake brakes worth it?
Post by: wvanative on September 26, 2007, 06:52:26 AM
We just traveled that stretch of road, Charleston to Beckley and on down 64 / 77  to VA to visit a friend I had not seen since 1967 in Rural Retreat Va. And yes there are some nice big hills. I would not want to drive a bus through there without Jake Brakes.  Don't forget to look to your left or east on your way south as there is some awesome views

WVaNative
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