Need Dodge exhaust brake 101, please. - Page 2 - Montana Owners Club

Montana Sky · 05-29-2007, 11:57 AM

Congrats on your new truck Steve and Vicki!

rrheik · 05-29-2007, 12:17 PM

Congrats on the new truck Steve. Sure would be fun to test drive it on my way to Montana over the mountains of Utah, Idaho, and Montana. I will give my faithful Duramax/Allison one more round trip up and down the mountains before we start dealing on a new F450. Anxious to hear how you like mountain driving with your new setup. Say hi to Vicki and enjoy that new Dodge.
bob

sreigle · 05-29-2007, 02:15 PM

Thanks Bob and Barb. It will have to do very well to beat what I'm used to from my Ford but obviously I think it will do just as well. Or I wouldn't have bought it! We want to be able to go where we want to go and not worry about the hills. That's how we ended up doing up and down grades of 14%, 12%, a couple of 10% and several in the 8% to 6% range in Utah. I abhor having to take a longer route because of some big hill in the way. I have to have a truck that can go right over the top of those big hills in Colorado with our Montana following along. My Fords did it well and I figure the Dodge will too. If not, I'm going to be mighty disappointed.

skypilot · 05-29-2007, 03:24 PM

Steve - put this away for that day 10K miles down the road; the repair manual says synthetic but no antilock additive (assuming you have the same AA differential that I do). However, without the additive a lot of users were getting some really bad bucking and clacking from the rear-end so they (the dealers around here at least) are now adding a small bottle of additive and it really quiets the rear differential down. If you have a different rear differential, the anti-lock additive is required anyway. (Why American Axle doesn't ?????????? ).

sreigle · 05-29-2007, 03:52 PM

Thanks, Skypilot. While I do not yet have the truck I do have the manual. It says as you said, that the limited slip axle does not require limited slip additives. Interestingly, it does not say to not use them, only that it's not required. Thanks for the tip. I will save this information.

I see you are in Manhattan. I just spent quite a bit of time in Wamego, where I lived with my parents as a kid.

Bob Pasternak · 05-29-2007, 06:33 PM

Steve: Back in March the rear end on mine was serviced. I had read in the manual that friction modifier was not, and it emphathized "was not" required on my the rear end. I questioned the service man about his adding it anyhow. He said it wouldn't hurt it. When I tried to get under the trailer in the storage yard I had a problem. One wheel was on ice and spun. I finally did get hooked up, but we were going on the Mexico trip and I couldn't address the problem with the dealer 'til we got back. When we got back, I took it up with him and he gave me a copy of a Dodge Service Bulletin that says "Do not use friction modifiers in American Axles." A copy of the order is in my truck and we're leaving for Montana (the state) with the Lexus in the AM. We will be gone 2 weeks. If you'd like, I'll send you the bulletin number when we get home.

sreigle · 05-30-2007, 01:52 AM

Bob, I'd like to have that bulletin number on hand in case the topic ever comes up. Thanks for the info. Have a good and safe trip.

skypilot · 05-30-2007, 04:25 AM

Bob - if you would be so kind; either email or post the TSB number. As I mentioned to Steve in my post above, local Dodge dealer just serviced my rear differential under warranty and (I just checked the work receipt again), they say they put friction modifier in. Would like to have the # in case of future problems. Now, that said, I do know that on my 04.5 model, they did not put it in, just replaced the gear lube with synthetic 75-90W as I recall; after about 500 miles I had noises from the rear end going around corners and when pulling. I traded to my 06 before I had to have the rear serviced again. So far over 800 miles since this one serviced and running quiet. I think it is a mute point for Steve though -- as I see his signature line - he has the Single Rear Wheel model and as I recall only the dually's have the AA axles. But like our trailers, you never really know what your are going to get until you get it

. Safe travels to all.

sreigle · 05-30-2007, 04:53 AM

I'm not sure what an AA axle is. Mine has the 3.73 Limited Slip. I did have the invoice but left it at the dealer's. When I pick up the truck, hopefully later today, I'll try to remember to check the axle code on the placard on the door.

skypilot · 05-30-2007, 10:53 AM

AA is the maker of the axle -- American Axle. I was just trying to find the other makers and am coming up empty right now. In any case, there are two or three other makers of the axles for DC.

Ishler · 05-30-2007, 01:05 PM

Thats correct no modifier in a AA no-spin axle. It doesn't use clutches like others and the modifier will cause problems. If you encounter problems with one wheel spinning do as the manual says and apply some parking brake. The anti-spin needs a little load on the spinning wheel to transfer torque to the non-spinning wheel.

hodag · 06-01-2007, 06:34 PM

Steve, we took delivery on the '07 dodge today 6.7 cummins. regarding the exhaust brake that is built into this system, i will not turn it on and leave it on. i will turn it on when i need it. traded in '99 ford 7.3. great truck, but i wanted to get into the new technology. i found a guy that sold a wire harness to put on the ford. used the butterfly [preheat valve] to close off exhaust. it would open with too much pressure, but not something i would leave on all the time. when i test drove this dodge and was told to put exhaust brake on it was just like flipping the switch on the ford. higher rpm's works better, but don't over rev. by the way, that wire harness cost $250.00 and easy to install. don't know if this was available for any other truck except the ford. so i am going to use this one on the dodge same as i did on the ford. hodag

sreigle · 06-02-2007, 03:01 AM

Thanks, Norm. I saw in the manual that on a cold morning the engine will reach normal temp more quickly if you turn the exhaust brake on. Since we do some time in winter country I will give that a try. Or maybe to warm the engine more quickly when getting ready to hitch up and pull out.

sheiba1 · 06-03-2007, 05:57 AM

Picked up our 2007 6.7 with 6speed auto 3 weeks ago put 500 miles on it and took off for the White mountains from Tucson. Made this trip many times with my 2003 Dodge 5.9 with the 47RE auto Transmission and never felt comfortable going through the salt river canyon pulling our 2006 3600RE had to stab the brakes a lot for the 25 mph hairpin turns. Put the new truck in t/h and turned on the exhaust brake (T/H holds 4th and 5th gear longer when pulling, and really enhances the stopping power of the combined truck and trailer) after the first few 6 & 7% grades I felt very comfortable pulling the Monty and my DW even commented how much smoother the trip went. We are looking forward to our next trip rather than looking for ways around steep grades I know that this vehicle can handle any that come up. Will be visiting our DD in Colorado Springs and am planing to go through Durango instead of I25. So anyway just turn on T/H and the exhaust brake and have a fun and relaxing trip.

alboy · 06-03-2007, 06:30 AM

sheibal1, curious as to how the 6.7 pulled compared to the 5.9,likely too tight to tell at this point,my 06 5.9 took some good pulls before it started to loosen up,quite a difference after 20000 kil.
AL

sreigle · 06-03-2007, 06:35 AM

Norm, I presume on the old rig when you turned on the exhaust brake it was on and creating backpressure. Right? With this new one all the switch on the dash does is to enable the exhaust brake. The computer will identify when it is needed and will apply the exhaust brake. Otherwise it sits there disengaged but ready to act when called. It is not creating backpressure until told to act. So I don't think having the switch on would hurt anything.

sheiba1 · 06-03-2007, 07:33 AM

Quote:

quote:Originally posted by alboy

sheibal1, curious as to how the 6.7 pulled compared to the 5.9,likely too tight to tell at this point,my 06 5.9 took some good pulls before it started to loosen up,quite a difference after 20000 kil.
AL

It was a very noticeable difference but I would believe more to the transmission than the engine. My 5.9 had over 80,000 and I would hold it in 2nd gear pulling some of the same hills the 6.7 took in 4th and in some cases had to let off the throttle to maintain speed because of upcoming turns. I told my DW unless they build bigger mountains I will not need a different truck!

hodag · 06-03-2007, 06:05 PM

Steve, what you say about that valve is food for thought. we went up to timberline lodge [mt. hood] yesterday. just putting on miles to get to the magic #. no towing yet,appt. tomorrow am to have hitch put in. coming down i put her in tow haul and found that tapping brake seemed to shift her down. would this be similar to your ford. then i put truck in tow haul gear 4 and flipped on brake switch as needed did the job very well. held truck back better than the brake on the ford. still sounds like you put a potatoe in the exhaust pipe and that is why i will have it on only when i need it. norm

c5racer · 06-03-2007, 06:30 PM

You do want to be careful when you use the exhaust brake. On rain soaked, snow or ice covered roads it will lock up the rear wheels if you're in a low enough gear, might do the same on gravel roads.

sreigle · 06-04-2007, 02:19 AM

Good point, Pete. I hadn't thought about wet or icy weather.

Norm, yes, that's how my Ford operated. It also would downshift without my touching the brakes if it gained a few mph and I was off throttle. I read that the Dodge does the same but haven't had a chance to try it yet. Hopefully we'll get the truck today and I can have the 500 miles on it quickly so we can pull out of here Wednesday morning.

You may also like: