The Jacobs Engine Brake (also known as the “Jake Brake”) is a diesel engine retarder that uses the vehicle’s engine to help slow and regulate it. When the engine brake is engaged, the exhaust valves of the engine are altered, allowing the engine to function as a power-absorbing air compressor. This slows or retards the car’s drive wheels, allowing you to maintain better vehicle control without having to use the service brakes*. Reduced service brake maintenance, shorter trip durations, and lower overall cost of ownership are all benefits of this conservation.
To see the engine brake in action and learn how to operate a Jake Brake, watch How a Jake Brake Works.
Jacobs Operator’s Manual
*The Jacobs Engine Brake is a vehicle slowed-down device, not a vehicle stopper. It is not intended to be a replacement for the service brake system. To come to a complete stop, the vehicle’s service brakes must be applied.
How is a Jake Brake activated?
By activating an engine brake switch, truck drivers can activate the Jake Brake. To utilize the Jake Brake, the driver simply needs to let go of the accelerator pedal. When a Jake Brake is engaged, however, the air is blasted out the exhaust valves rather than being used to drive the crankshaft and down-stroke.
Why are jake brakes illegal?
Jake Brakes are prohibited due to the excessive noise they produce in the neighborhood. Jake braking is also responsible for various pollution and risks in the environment. As a result, numerous cities have passed legislation prohibiting their use.
Does a Jake Brake hurt the engine?
- When driving on dry roads, the driver can activate the engine brake at almost any time to slow down the vehicle. In normal circumstances, they are an excellent gadget to utilize.
- If you do decide to apply the jake brake on slick roads or in winter weather, make sure the tractor trailer unit is lined up and straight first. This prevents jack-knifing.
- In the highlands, proper use of the jake can extend the life of a truck’s brake shoes by many years. It will help reduce tire wear and tear.
- By departing the crest of the grade too quickly and putting too much dependence on the brake pedal, the engine brake can assist prevent brake fires.
- Before starting the engine, make sure it’s at operating temperature and not cold.
- I recommend running the jake in the shifting range, between 1100 and 1400 rpm. It will undoubtedly function at higher rpms, but the motor may suffer as a result over time.
- For the jake, the driver can use various strengths (different positions). Different engines have different strengths and weaknesses.
- Position 3 on a three-position jake is the strongest and most frequently used. In less-than-ideal road conditions, positions 1 and 2 are used.
- The Jacob’s Brake can be turned on as needed or left on all the time (old school style).
- It runs in a ‘no fuel’ mode, with the driver’s foot off the gas pedal. To activate, the driver must remove his foot from the gas pedal (when the jake is left on at all times).
- One thing that MOST truckers can agree on is that the jake does not need to be functioning in a truck stop parking lot!
- At mountain driving, I prefer to begin down a slope in a gear that allows the jake to do 90% of the braking. I only use the brake pedal on rare occasions. This is a personal preference that has shown to be effective over time.
- It can be misused… it isn’t designed to slow down a truck that isn’t moving at a controlled speed.
- Jakes are notorious for being loud. Many towns have noise ordinances prohibiting the usage of this gadget. However, there are situations when the motorist must use it for safety reasons, which should take precedence over a noise ordinance.
- The Jacob’s Brake is an additional tool that a truck driver can use in certain conditions.
Can you put a Jake Brake on an automatic?
When the Jacobs Engine Brake is turned on, it operates completely automatically. (Some systems will only operate if the brake pedal is engaged.)
Can you use a Jake Brake in the rain?
I really hope you guys would explain your responses. Simply put, getting inside a truck in the first place is not a good idea. In the rain, as well as on snow and ice, I always use the Jake. It’s not that you can’t utilize it; it’s just that you have to know how to.
Would I advise a new driver to use the jakes in the same way as I do? No, I don’t think so. I need to use the jakes carefully when pulling the huge loads that I do. For example, I start slowing down WAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY When I allow it to activate, the jake is set to the lowest level, and the RPMs are reduced.
So, is it okay to use the jakes in the rain? I’d say yes, as long as you know your vehicle and how the jake affects it.
Is this potentially hazardous? Yes, it is possible. Especially for persons who have a tendency to panic. Am I putting myself and others in danger? In no manner, shape, or form. It does, however, necessitate a certain amount of self-assurance as well as some common sense driving. They also warn about shifting on a hill, which I do all the time. I understand why people say that, but I’ve also learnt from experience, and I emphasize experience, that doing so is perfectly safe.
Why are Jake Brakes so loud?
While travelling on a standard interstate or highway, you can hear engine brakes in effect. To slow down, drivers frequently apply the engine brakes. This produces the blatting sound, which ricochets off any nearby structures or cars.
Engine brakes have a negative reputation due to the loudness associated with their operation. Because compressed air is blasted through the exhaust valve in the engine’s cylinder when a semi employs engine brakes, you’ll sometimes hear a loud blat-blat-blat, also known as a Jake Bark.
The noise created by a properly maintained rig with an OEM muffler is between the 80 to 83 decibel dB(A) range, which is 10 to 13 decibels over the high range of regular conversation, according to Jacobs Vehicle Systems, the leading manufacturer of engine brakes. According to Jacobs Vehicle System, inadequately muffled cars are the primary cause of the loud staccato noise that frequently accompanies their use. The sound level of straight stack exhaust systems is 16 to 22 dB higher than that of adequately muffled automobiles.
Some states have established legislation prohibiting the use of engine brakes, but reforms are being made to address the cause of the problem. Continue reading to learn about the laws and potentially contribute to the creation of your own.
Why do trucks have Jake Brakes?
The Jake Brake’s most significant benefit is that it prevents brake overheating, which eventually prevents the brakes from working correctly or stopping.
A component fitted on diesel engines known as a “Jake Brake” or “compression release brake” stops the vehicle without the driver needing to use the service (foot) brakes.
The Jake Brake slows the car by absorbing the engine’s power by releasing pressurized air from the cylinder.
Jake Brakes are typically employed to control truck speed while descending a steep gradient instead of utilizing the foot brakes, which saves brake wear.
Diesel “engine brake” will be used as a general word for “Jake Brake” by most truck drivers. There are various different types of engine braking, each with its own set of techniques.
The Jake Brake is defined as a “compression release engine brake” in technical terms.
Because the sheer volume of the brake may surprise or disrupt the surrounding people and peace, several communities and authorities will have local ordinances or laws prohibiting the usage of Jake Brakes within a specified region or at certain hours.
Is an exhaust brake the same as a Jake Brake?
Jake Brakes and Exhaust Brakes are fundamentally opposites in how they function, despite the fact that they are both brake retarder systems. A Jake Brake, as you may know, is used to release compressed air that has become trapped in the cylinders. Exhaust brakes, on the other hand, keep the air from the engine trapped in the exhaust system. Back pressure is created, which causes the engine to revolve more slowly.
Can you put a Jake Brake on a pickup truck?
You’ve probably heard a Jake Brake, also known as engine braking in layman’s words, if you’ve ever heard a semi truck make an extraordinarily loud sound while slowing down. Instead of using the brakes, the feature uses the truck’s engine and exhaust to slow down. It’s a really important feature that helps save brakes and safely slow down a huge truck.
However, not everyone enjoys engine braking because it can be annoying and terrifying for those unlucky enough to be standing nearby. Jake brakes are typically found on large trucks, but they can also be found on select pickup vehicles where pulling high loads necessitates more stopping strength.
