Community Forums

Grandpavan · 12-03-2013, 06:37 AM

I have a 2005 Pace Arrow, 36D, Workhorse Chassis, W24, 8.1L. I am looking at updating to a newer unit. My understanding it that GM has stopped or will soon be stopping production of the Workhorse chassis, thus leaving only Ford in the market for gassers. I have been extremely happy with the grade brake on my workhorse. We did a 11,000 mile coast-to-coast, six month trip last year and I put the grade brakes to the test while out West. I was not disappointed. I was very confident knowing that the grade brake system is designed to allow upshifting of the Allison tranny to prevent damage from engine over revving. Are we only left with the option of manually down shifting the Ford transmission and watching the engine rpm or is there anything in the works for Ford to come up with an alternative to the GM grade brake? Has anyone heard of an aftermarket product available or in development for the Ford product?

ChasA · 12-03-2013, 08:28 AM

Workhorse has been gone from the scene for several years. Ford f53 chassis has a tow/haul feature, which does essentially what the workhorse grade brake did.

dons2346 · 12-03-2013, 08:39 AM

Here you go Telma - Frictionless Braking Systems

Muncie_6spd · 12-04-2013, 05:36 PM

Actually GM sold Workhorse years ago; long before they went bankrupt. Workhorse was eventually sold to Navistar and I believe Navistar shut it down completely.

Mike

edgray · 12-04-2013, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Muncie_6spd

Actually GM sold Workhorse years ago; long before they went bankrupt. Workhorse was eventually sold to Navistar and I believe Navistar shut it down completely.

Mike

Sorry Mike, but since GM never owned WCC, that isn't possible. Workhorse (WCC) bought the Chevy chassis business from GM in 1999.

It is true that, after Navistar bought WCC from its original owner (2005), Navistar closed it down in 2012.
Ed

calvinr · 12-04-2013, 06:38 PM

Here is a post that I posted earlier this summer about the Tow/Haul feature on the Ford F53 with the V10 Triton

We just travelled from Kamloops BC over the Rocky Mountains to Whistler BC via highway 99 south. For 3 hrs we travelled over narrow windy roads with over 1000 ft drops on either side with very few guard rails to stop us if we had an incident. I was surprised to see 10% grades but seeing lots of 13% and and at least one 15% grade I was wishing for the 10% again. I have to say that the tow/haul feature on our 2012 daybreak with the F53 / v10 triton engine worked like a charm. We also had our toad in tow. I only used the brakes very sparingly.

Lobstah · 12-05-2013, 04:14 AM

Grandpa,
I have a 2005 36D as well, only mine is on a Workhorse W22 chassis. I didn't realize they were available on both W22 and W24 platforms.
I agree with you on the grade brake. Fantastic feature on the Allison tranny. Works like a charm...and if I were to buy another gasser, that would be a "must-have".

Jim

Muncie_6spd · 12-05-2013, 04:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by edgray

Sorry Mike, but since GM never owned WCC, that isn't possible. Workhorse (WCC) bought the Chevy chassis business from GM in 1999.

It is true that, after Navistar bought WCC from its original owner (2005), Navistar closed it down in 2012.
Ed

Ed, thanks for the correction; I knew that but it had completely slipped my mind. I seem to remember now that Workhorse was created by the owners of Union City Body which used the GM chassis to build their delivery vans; of course the way my memory is I could be completely wrong.

Mike