# who here would like a jake brake?



## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

So i was coasting down a very very long and steep bridge, im shifting to a lower gear to have the engine help a little with slowing down while im off the gas. A thought hit me of when dad and i drove big rigs, then a memories of a machine gun sounding diesel came to me.( if you drive big rigs you know what im talking about, check the video link under). how cool would it be if the cruze came with a Jake brake to help in really hilly areas. yes i get that on a light duty car its not needed, in compound with higher expense for the system.

This is a hypothetical question.Would you have paid a little extra to have a Jake brake? it would help in a emegancy when brakes go out, keep wear and tear of the brakes down too

here is a video so you can hear it. notice that how that heavy rig with a trailer down hill is not building momentum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qocMoTOVn6Q


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

I live in a very hilly area, I wish my 1.4T had some sort of exhaust brake. On 9% grades or more can easily gain 15mph+ if you don't ride the brakes and downshift. If traffic allows I need to slow to less than 45mph at the top of hills to better maintain a safe speed. One city here has a 9% grade in a 25mph zone, even in 2nd, 3rd or 4th gear I gain 15mph with no brakes applied, I always try to be going 15-20mph on that hill so I don't need to ride the brakes so much. 

The 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel comes standard with an exhaust brake, though it has a 7000lb+ tow rating.


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Jake brake usage is banned in most of the towns around here. Just another opportunity for Officer Bob Speed to generate revenue for his town. Guess it would be OK on the open road though.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

the jake brake has good ground to stand on for being installed but i cant believe a town would outlaw them... so all those trucks that bring gas and food are gonna get a bogus ticket? 


> The 2016 Chevy Colorado diesel comes standard with an exhaust brake, though it has a 7000lb+ tow rating.


im happy to see that, this is a step forward and i think the consumer will like using it to save wear and tear,ontop of another method of slowing down in a emergency


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## LiveTrash (May 24, 2015)

I find the Cruze Diesel already applies quite a bit of resistance when you let off the accelerator to assist in braking. It likes to downshift automatically a lot as well (at least in my experience) when braking down a hill to assist. Of course, an increased amount could never hurt. They're usually banned/frowned upon due to how loud they are. I can't imagine one in a car such as the Cruze would be very loud.


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Personally, I find an exhaust brake to sound great...but I'm not everyone. You know how those people are that move right next to the freeway and then complain that it's too loud. The semi's exhaust brakes can get _really_ loud. 

Stoked to use one in the Colorado, when I go pick mine up. The Cruze, as mentioned above, really does well with the downshifting during coasting - it uses a lot of engine braking, compared to most automatics.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Jim Frye said:


> Jake brake usage is banned in most of the towns around here. Just another opportunity for Officer Bob Speed to generate revenue for his town. Guess it would be OK on the open road though.


They have those signs everywhere here, and if an officer tickets a driver they can get it thrown out of court due to the need to maintain a safe speed and the posted speed limit. No way to slow down 50,000lb+ on a hill without the use of a exhaust brake.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

compared to a normal automatic it does do a good job with engine deceleration, would be way better with a manual and best with a Jake brake.


> Personally, I find an exhaust brake to sound great...but I'm not everyone. You know how those people are that move right next to the freeway and then complain that it's too loud


sooo many sorts of special right there. why is my house always shaking and loud? well you live next to a airport and a marina that handles cargo boats.... why else would the rent of that 3 bedroom 4 bath be 500 a month


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

This is in Northwestern Ohio. Think table top topography. Our most common hills are expressway ramps. The gotcha is towns have 55 mph speeds outside the city limits and 25 - 35 mph inside. Yes, think speed trap. You just have to know where you are.


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

Jim Frye said:


> This is in Northwestern Ohio. Think table top topography. Our most common hills are expressway ramps. The gotcha is towns have 55 mph speeds outside the city limits and 25 - 35 mph inside. Yes, think speed trap. You just have to know where you are.


In a flat area those signs make more sense to reduce noise, but here we have them even on city's with a highway/hill that reduces to 25mph at the bottom. Its like nobody has any commonsense anyone. 

On one of these hills I slowed to 25mph for the speed trap, semi behind me got so close(no Jake brake use) all I could see was grill out my back window. Lucky I didn't get drove over!


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> sooo many sorts of special right there. why is my house always shaking and loud? well you live next to a airport and a marina that handles cargo boats.... why else would the rent of that 3 bedroom 4 bath be 500 a month


Yep - same reason that a lot of drag strips and race tracks got shut down. Tracks were there long before, people moved in nearby, knowing full well what was there, then determined that they didn't like it, and had them shut down. It's pathetic. Same reason why most outdoor amphitheatres have a "curfew" for when a concert has to end by. The Foo Fighters were thinking of just ignoring that curfew and playing past it however long they wanted when we saw them this summer - I'm sure that is until someone told them that it's a fine of $1,000 per minute.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

spacedout said:


> They have those signs everywhere here, and if an officer tickets a driver they can get it thrown out of court due to the need to maintain a safe speed and the posted speed limit. No way to slow down 50,000lb+ on a hill without the use of a exhaust brake.


rofl, sure there is

50,000 lb, lol...at the coal mine we were 190,000 lbs...no jake 12% hills, no trouble

besides you cant use your jake on ice/mud


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

boraz said:


> rofl, sure there is
> 
> 50,000 lb, lol...at the coal mine we were 190,000 lbs...no jake 12% hills, no trouble
> 
> besides you cant use your jake on ice/mud


Are you going 60mph down the hill into a 25mph zone? I think not!!!


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

spacedout said:


> Are you going 60mph down the hill into a 25mph zone? I think not!!!


speed limit at the mine loaded was 30 mph

3 miles downhill into 2 miles of 6 switchbacks at 13 mph


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## spacedout (Dec 7, 2010)

boraz said:


> speed limit at the mine loaded was 30 mph
> 
> 3 miles downhill into 2 miles of 6 switchbacks at 13 mph


exactly my point, your already going slow so its much easier to maintain that speed. I'm talking about having to make an abrupt change from 60mph on a 9% or greater grade to 25mph in about 500ft distance. Physics..... this is not possible without the jake brake.


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## Danny5 (Dec 22, 2011)

Can you even Jake Brake with an automatic? I thought you needed a locked connection to the wheels (manual) ???


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

No many of modern semi trucks are now automatic and still have a jake brake


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> No many of modern semi trucks are now automatic and still have a jake brake


Yep - and the Colorado diesel only comes with an auto, and it has one as well.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

the more i think abut it the more of a good idea it would be to have a factory Jake brake. since vw is now out of the diesel passenger world its perfect opportunity for gm to come in and offer a diesel passenger car in a new and exciting way. offering a Jake brake on a passenger car i think to real diesel owners would be a big hit. that's an extra 250 ft-lbs putting braking force to the ground and allowing you to keep brakes in reserve. Win win


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

I don't think I would like one. I downshift to slow down and i think that's part of the reason I was able to get 145K miles out of my rear brakes and the fronts are still good. Downshifting is good enough in my opinion.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Well why down shift when the jake brake is proven way more effective at braking and is better at saving wear and tear on brakes.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

pandrad61 said:


> Well why down shift when the jake brake is proven way more effective at braking and is better at saving wear and tear on brakes.


coming down a hill, a real hill not an interstate hill in the gear that the jake will hold is asking for trouble

the jake isnt foolproof, all it takes is a wire to lose contact and now youre goin too fast

its a tool, not the magic bullet

the cruze diesel holds fantastic down double digit % hills w/o a jake


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Nothing is fool proof , our emissions system is proof of it. If the jake brake fails we still have the manual foot brake so im not advocating replacing brakes with only a jake brake. Im advocating adding a jake brake to help with braking duty. Yes it can slow with a down shift but if it can be better why not?


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## TX CTD (Oct 24, 2014)

The jake brakes on modern pick ups are a different animal from what's on the big trucks. I've got one on my 15 F350, it makes no noise that I can hear and it's computer controled so the computer decides when to use it when it's on. I love it, a simple tap on the brakes at the top of a hill and it will hold the speed all the way down loaded or unloaded with no other input from me. It also works with the cruse control in hilly areas to keep the speed even instead of letting it run down hills. If I have it on and apply the breaks normally to stop it never does anything, but if I hit the breaks really hard it will kick in and help out. It's so much better than just having it all on or off. 

I'm usually out in the sticks where I don't use it unloaded, I turn it on when I'm in Austin so I have some help when some idiot cuts me off or does something stupid in front of me. 

Might be something one of the tuners could offer since it's the computer that makes it work.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

Wow now that's cool. I prefer the original 2 switch 3 position jake brake. Its on or off and 1 2 or 3 so you have various levels of brake assistance. But ive never been a automatic guy


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## KpaxFAQ (Sep 1, 2013)

The jake brake my cummins ISX has is unbelievable. I use it everywhere. Unloaded and it about throws you out of the seat on the highest setting


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

I used both Jake and Johnson to slow me down a few times. Learn lots of bad habits from the older 2T folks. 

We had M915A1's with the Allison Autos and still had the 3 switch setup. 










Skip to Cruze the 2nd gear in my Eco 6MT. I will let you hit 40 MPH where the bottom of the hill is 25 and a cop. Winter and rain the eco tires suck on this downhill grade. I literally have to reroute my way home entirely or risk an off road adventure.


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## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

For the people saying the Diesel Cruze holds its speed well on hills...must be talking under 30 mph...when it does...but over that..woe be the person that has their cruise control on and expects it to stay at that speed...between 30 and 60 mph on a hill I've caught my speed creep up way over what it was set for more than a few times.

There are times it does it well...their are others its like its freewheeling down the hill with little engine braking at all.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

boneheaddoctor said:


> For the people saying the Diesel Cruze holds its speed well on hills...must be talking under 30 mph...when it does...but over that..woe be the person that has their cruise control on and expects it to stay at that speed...between 30 and 60 mph on a hill I've caught my speed creep up way over what it was set for more than a few times.
> 
> There are times it does it well...their are others its like its freewheeling down the hill with little engine braking at all.


9% for 7 miles holds 60 mph no brakes


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## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

boraz said:


> 9% for 7 miles holds 60 mph no brakes


I have a 1/4 mile hill entering a frequent speed trap when it goes from 35 mph to 30 mph, ...its not a fraction of that. Put your diesel cruze on 35 mph cruise control and you find yourself hitting 40 or 45 at the bottom.....with regularity if you don't hit the brakes to slow down at least halfway down.

Does it do that in every situation? No..but this is one of the times it does.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

boneheaddoctor said:


> I have a 1/4 mile hill entering a frequent speed trap when it goes from 35 mph to 30 mph, ...its not a fraction of that. Put your diesel cruze on 35 mph cruise control and you find yourself hitting 40 or 45 at the bottom.....with regularity if you don't hit the brakes to slow down at least halfway down.
> 
> Does it do that in every situation? No..but this is one of the times it does.


lol, im not using cruise, im in 3rd or 4th, but it holds no brakes


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## boneheaddoctor (Dec 10, 2014)

boraz said:


> lol, im not using cruise, im in 3rd or 4th, but it holds no brakes


I'm talking with it in Drive as well. It wil creep up on the mountains as well. On Rt 68 coming into La Vale MD is another spot. It will pick up 15 mph coming east if you have cruise on and not watching the speedo. But that is a pretty long and steep hill to be fair. Seen LOTS of big rigs with smoking brakes on that stretch over the 34 years I've been driving it.

Edit: I do agree it usually does a good job most times when you don't have cruise control enabled. With it on..you need to be vigilant or you might find those flashing lights pulling up behind you forcing you to fund some part of their local budget.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

i dont see why any one would be opposed to a extra 500$ Jake brake pack from OEM. its another method of slowing you down so another safety net in case brakes fail, yes its not needed but would love to have it. Saves wear and tear on brakes and will help you in very hilly areas


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## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

pandrad61 said:


> i dont see why any one would be opposed to a extra 500$ Jake brake pack from OEM. its another method of slowing you down so another safety net in case brakes fail, yes its not needed but would love to have it. Saves wear and tear on brakes and will help you in very hilly areas


Because you're talking about a $500 option for something that the average buyer of this vehicle has no idea what the purpose of it is. You won't ever overcome the multiple millions of dollars in design, development, tooling and validation it takes to create such a part, unfortunately.


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## pandrad61 (Jul 8, 2015)

its all in the marketing. show the people that buy diesel trucks, "hey i have a diesel cruze and it has the features your hd 2500 has". GM has the chance to do diesel in a new approach since they are the only ones in the game right now of diesel passenger cars (besides high end bmw and MB diesels). if you teach the consumer the benefits of it im sure the consumer will want it


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## Cruzator (Dec 31, 2014)

boneheaddoctor said:


> For the people saying the Diesel Cruze holds its speed well on hills...must be talking under 30 mph...when it does...but over that..woe be the person that has their cruise control on and expects it to stay at that speed...between 30 and 60 mph on a hill I've caught my speed creep up way over what it was set for more than a few times.
> 
> There are times it does it well...their are others its like its freewheeling down the hill with little engine braking at all.


I agree with boneheaddoctor. My travel everyday involves several 7% grades at 65 MPH. Dropping it to 4th won't hold it at 65. While I wouldn't want the sound of a Jake Brake, I would love having an exhaust brake on the Cruze!


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Cruzator said:


> I agree with boneheaddoctor. My travel everyday involves several 7% grades at 65 MPH. Dropping it to 4th won't hold it at 65. While I wouldn't want the sound of a Jake Brake, I would love having an exhaust brake on the Cruze!


are you allergic to 3rd?


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## Cruzator (Dec 31, 2014)

LOL. Yes i am. I don't like spinning it that fast for 8 miles. You are correct, that would hold it back.


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## boraz (Aug 29, 2013)

Cruzator said:


> LOL. Yes i am. I don't like spinning it that fast for 8 miles. You are correct, that would hold it back.


ccasion14:

cmon live a little, still under redline by a bunch

jakes dont do f%(& all til high rpm anyways


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## diesel (Jun 8, 2013)

Mine holds speed on downhills with cruise on, but I have to downshift manually.


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