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Post by tufftin on Feb 17, 2012 10:40:17 GMT -8
We have talked before about running water on the brakes to cool them when running down long down hill runs. Here is a picture of the valve mounted on the dash of an early KW. It's under the dash next to the door. Has a small "air pressure" guage and two controls for truck and trailer. Mike  Hosted on Fotki |
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Post by Ryan Rønning on Feb 18, 2012 4:54:53 GMT -8
How would you know that you needed to cool the brakes. Would they start fading or what was a sign.
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Post by tufftin on Feb 18, 2012 8:29:48 GMT -8
Well.................. they faded but most obvious............ they started smoking and if your ran long enough they caught on fire and the hotter they got the less brake you had.
We use to line our shoes with half velvet touch and half rag lining. The Velvet touch lining got better the hotter it got to a certain point and then began to fade or smoke as well.
Haven't you ever been on a hill and smelled hot brakes from a truck?
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Post by Ryan Rønning on Feb 18, 2012 17:21:27 GMT -8
Yes of course I have. I know I am sounding dumb but remember, all this technology was before my time.
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Post by tufftin on Feb 19, 2012 6:42:07 GMT -8
Ha Ha! Most of this stuff was before technology. The old timers arm stronged thru everything and tried to improve it. Great system and it works but some of us did the old fashioned way. My son asked me once if I would have liked to have a truck like his new one when I was trucking. I told him No! There is nothing to do in the new ones. He pulls hills at 88,000 pounds faster that I used to go up them empty. A wet cigarette butt on the road meant two gears in the brownie in my day.
Mike
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Post by Muleskinner on Feb 19, 2012 11:56:45 GMT -8
Amen to that Mike. I remember those days also , spraying Water and riding the running boards. If some of the drivers now knew what it was like back then as compared to now, and had to work that way, they would be searching for a white collar job. All manual and noting to help but a prayer and a lot of hope!!!!!! My step dad and cousin can tell you about riding a run away rig over a hillside after the brakes failed, from over heating. Does wonders on a K-whooper and Mack!! I'm glad I drove only as fill in, and stayed in the woods on a Cat.
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Post by gator on Feb 21, 2012 6:44:29 GMT -8
Bill, Mike,
It doesn't matter whether driving a rig or skinning a cat . or pulling levers in an excavator . Anyone that was doing this stuff for a living back 30-40-50 yrs ago. Really earned their money.
Bill ,I know you most likely ran some older iron than I have. And I kinda miss the old stuff in a way. Oh I like the new comfortable seats and stuff. But I miss the fine touch control and feel of the machines back then.
And I agree, if the kids today had to do what we did, they would quit in a hurry!
The other thing is we didn't have OSHA telling us how to do things.And when I think of some of the things we used to do .....!well I guess we were just lucky that we didn't get someone hurt or dead>
be well
Gator
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