Exhaust brake on an F-Superduty.

[RustyBolts]

We've got a late '91 F-Superduty with a NA 7.3L ZF-5 speed, and 5.13 Rear end. It weighs 10,240 with the 16' box empty. It gets loaded 4 days a week with up to 3 tons of garbage. With the hills in our area, (and the driver we have) the brake pads and rotors (front and rear) don't last very long. I'm wondering if an exhaust brake would be a worthwile investment for us?

 

[timothyr1014]

Exhaust brakes do make a big difference if you are gonna spend alot of time running downnhill heavy...that being said, read the other thread on exhaust brakes and the idi's...you will want to swap the valve springs to prevent float...I will admit grossing 16k is some decent weight, are you sure your driver knows how to actually handle a truck loaded to that level?

 

[FordGuy100]

Tell him to compression brake (engine brake) using the tranny. My truck grossing around 12.5k with a trailer (I know a lot less) would maintain 55mph going down couple
mile 7% grades in third gear.

 

[towcat]

you need a new driver who can drive.
there is no reason why he should be going through pads and rotors like he is.
when my F450 carrier was working full-time, I did the brakes three times in 10 years and rotor replacement twice. the truck entered my service with 150k on the odo and was mothballed with 890k logbook miles. I ran at gross and often over gross to 21k between two axles. you never know what you're picking up, if it is a little too heavy, just go slower
your driver would have been fired by my standards a very long time ago.

 

[RustyBolts]

In his defense, the hills on some of those backroads are in excess of 14% (verified by county plat maps). I've driven the route myself in both a pickup, and the Superduty, and all I can say is there's only so much the engine can hold back (regardless of gear) on it's own.

 

[towcat]

In his defense, the hills on some of those backroads are in excess of 14% (verified by county plat maps). I've driven the route myself in both a pickup, and the Superduty, and all I can say is there's only so much the engine can hold back (regardless of gear) on it's own.

engine brake isn't going to help with hills that steep.
check this out....
http://www.telmausa.com/telma_htm/default.htm

 

[sheepman]

Telma works very well and are very effective.