Smoking Brakes

[spritz]

When I went over passes (Mountain) in the Semi, 80,000lbs, I always started the decline in 1st gear w/Jack Break and flashers on. You know what those lanes that vear off the HWY are for? they are full of P-Rock on the way down? A run away vehicle, I Thank God Never needed to use one of them.
Usually someone going down @ 60-65 and think there breaks are going to work, nope, lots of friction equal's break fire. Slow down I don't want to see anyone that has to use one of those lanes.




tim

[TDI-Minnie]

Originally Posted by Arch Hoagland

I use an IR gun every time I stop. I shoot all the tires to check their temperature.

I'd suggest you get an IR gun and do some testing to see what your brake temps are doing.

So if the brakes are already smoking, what does the IR tell you?

I second the importance of engine braking. Always shift down with any TV and use the exhaust/turbo/compression (jake) brake on your diesel. I'm still amazed at how well this works on my Ram.

[Arch Hoagland]

Originally Posted by TDI-Minnie

So if the brakes are already smoking, what does the IR tell you?

I second the importance of engine braking. Always shift down with any TV and use the exhaust/turbo/compression (jake) brake on your diesel. I'm still amazed at how well this works on my Ram.

Obviously if the brakes are smoking it doesn't tell you anything although on one overheat I had last year the temperature of the rotor was at about 540 degrees. Not smoking though.

The idea is to detect over heating PRIOR to the smoking problem.

For example, a dragging brake that has not released properly will show up pretty quick with an IR gun.

[Arch Hoagland]

Mike98465...in regards to your question of where to shoot the brake...I put the beam on the rotors and compare the two front brakes. The temps will vary a lot depending on wind, previous braking, etc.

I don't know what the safe limit is, I do know at 500 degrees I was pushing my luck. Typically I will see 150 to 250 degrees. Brake fluid boils somewhere up at those 500 degree temps.

Perhaps someone on here can give more info on brake fluid temps.

I also shoot my rear end differential and it runs about 140 to 165 even on very hot days.