Getting slow - bringing her back to reality on the big end

I saw someone say these brakes were never meant to stop a truck from 100mph speeds....I guess I don't stand how speed affects brakes?

These trucks were designed to stop loads much heavier than 7200lbs...and they have massive brakes on then, even for a heavy truck.

Fix your front end...there have been TONS of threads over the years on curing death wobble. More caster if I remember correctly.

Chris
 
I saw someone say these brakes were never meant to stop a truck from 100mph speeds....I guess I don't stand how speed affects brakes?

These trucks were designed to stop loads much heavier than 7200lbs...and they have massive brakes on then, even for a heavy truck.

Fix your front end...there have been TONS of threads over the years on curing death wobble. More caster if I remember correctly.

Chris
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I said that. The surface speed of a brake rotor is far higher at 130 mph on the stip than it is with a trailer at 65. I'm no engineer, but my understanding is that heat will be generated much quicker therefore the brakes will be much more likely to fade faster and brake failure is much more likely. Maybe someone can do some rough calculations, or just tell us if the heat generated is linear or exponential vs speed.

I've been towing loads up to 18,000 lbs through mountain passes since the day I got my drivers license 20 years ago. I have never had trouble getting stopped, felt like I was putting undue stress on my brakes, or been out of control with a trailer in tow. 40 passes down the track and I've had the crap scared out of me once. We have a small population of racers in this state, so on a slow day, I can make passes less than 2 minutes apart. Brake fade sucks. So does brake maintenance. None of this really means much to anyone but me, but it might help explain my sudden interest in getting the "Race Truck" in tip top shape as far as slowing down on the track is concerned.

Like I said before, I'm not asking how to cure death wobble. That topic has been beat to death on probably every automobile forum on the net and I am confident I will have it fixed within a few days of receiving the newest 08.5 52122362AL steering linkage kit. (just throwing that in there for reference) I'm not a half arse kind of guy, I take very good care of my equipment, and put extra effort into the little details that a lot of people ignore.

All I intended to do with this thread was discuss exactly what the title says. I like to learn from people that are willing to share their knowledge and expertise, and I like to help people that might have questions I might have answers for. I apologize if this is old news and not worth discussing again. I searched for hours and thought it was a valid topic of discussion. I chose to post it on this forum because I believe it is the best place to find people with relevant experience. I've never had a rig that could easily reach speeds well above 100 mph, I'd rather ask here than learn the hard way. :rockwoot:

And because threads without pictures suck...

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I've long wanted an exhaust brake on my tow pig to save brake maintenance, and reduce the risk of losing it on a steep and long downgrade. Maybe this is an acceptable way to slow down the race truck without throwing out the laundry. Hadn't thought of that before. LOL. That should really get the crowds attention. :p
 
I pulled the laundry about a dozen times on my old pro street pickup. I could barely feel it working at over 140mph. Parachutes are designed to be used at a high speed, I dont think a parachute is your answer in my opinion.
 
Thats interesting, thank you.

Can you describe your setup? Chute size, launcher or drag chute, mounting position and angle, etc.
 
cbtoyz said:
I pulled the laundry about a dozen times on my old pro street pickup. I could barely feel it working at over 140mph. Parachutes are designed to be used at a high speed, I dont think a parachute is your answer in my opinion.
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Chute's are supposed to be gentle. On mine it takes about half the normal braking effort to get 4000# slowed to < 90. Under 90, it brakes about the same.
 
The problem here though isn't the brakes, its the steering.

Unless I'm missing the part about where the brakes faded out and you lost braking? I read that you applied the brakes, and death wobble started.

Fix the steering, then see if you need more brake. Putting on other braking methods isn't fixing the problem that can kill you. It's like putting on a bandaid if you get a concussion.

Chris
 
I'm sorry, but are you unable to read my responses? I understand the death wobble, I can fix the death wobble, I spoke about the death wobble to illustrate why I found new interest in a certain portion of racing that I hadn't fully considered until a scary run through the shutdown area brought it to mind. Slowing down on the big end, I'd have thrown out a grappling hook if I had one. The wobble is what brought chutes and brakes to mind, a valid topic for any new racer as he begins to go faster and faster. Having contingencies in the case of a brake failure can't be a bad thing can it? Preparing your rig for the future can't hurt right? Who knows, I might pull a high 9 next summer, would it be out of line at that point? Up till that one pass I had no reason to suspect I would get death wobble. It just happened. Just like a blown t-case might happen. Oil on the tires, throw the chute!
 
The braking available during death wobble certainly felt reduced. I nearly missed the return road.
 
If I had a truck do the death wobble at high speed on the track and survived I'd pull it out of the way and proceed to burn it to the ground. Why Dodge can't figure out steering is beyond me.
 
Joesixpack said:
If I had a truck do the death wobble at high speed on the track and survived I'd pull it out of the way and proceed to burn it to the ground. Why Dodge can't figure out steering is beyond me.
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I thought about it. :hehe:
 
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Signature600 said:
The problem here though isn't the brakes, its the steering.

Unless I'm missing the part about where the brakes faded out and you lost braking? I read that you applied the brakes, and death wobble started.

Fix the steering, then see if you need more brake. Putting on other braking methods isn't fixing the problem that can kill you. It's like putting on a bandaid if you get a concussion.

Chris
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Forgive me if I've sounded harsh. I mean no offense. I absolutely will fix the steering first. I spent all day Saturday running around trying to find parts so I could race again on Sunday. No luck. :doh:
 
If you think you're going to offend me, think again. I really don't care that much;)


Thuren Steering....you have to drill the tie rods ends, but it's worth it.

http://thurenfabrication.com/crossover.html

His trackbar is seriously stout too.

Best money I spent on my 98...the 03's weak link is the steering arms too.

Chris
 
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