Guess I'll have to put my 2 shekels worth in. I see everyone that has responded to the exhaust brake thing drives either a Rice Burner or a Power-less stroke. It seems to me when I got this Dodge I read in one of Dodge's manuals that the Ram3500, with a 5 or 6 speed tranny, an exhaust brake was required and factory installed. I have pulled our 2955RL over 31000 miles the last 2 years and never smoked my brakes and I've been from sea level to Wolf Creek Pass.