Exhaust brakes

rhagfo wrote:

ah64id wrote:

john&bet wrote:

seattlefirervr wrote:
This shouldn't be a debate, if your diesel truck does not have an OEM exhaust brake, then seriously consider installing one. You will save on your personal stress and brakes all the way around.

My truck is not new enough to have one so I will save my money. Changing pads on my brakes is no big deal every 90-100K. JMHO.

There are aftermarket transmission controllers to put one on your 04.5 auto.

John&Bet are from a flat state, may not really need one. I typicality travel over the Oregon coast range to the coast. Didn't have one for two years. We then installed a Pacbrake turbo mounted, air activated, love it almost NEVER use service brakes on a down hill. This is with 19,000# GCVW, just a sweet rumbling of the EB holding us back.
Brake has worked great for over a year, the plus it comes with a 12V 150 psi, on board compressor, makes airing tires easy.

Be careful there. We spent 50 days on the road this past May thru July to Montana,Idaho,Washinton,Oregon(Portland,Bend,Burns,Ontario), back to Mossoula via US-95 etc. I am now at 171K+ miles and have only put on one set of brake pads. I have more miles out west than around here in so called flat land. Yes an EB might be good, but I can drive careful and buy a few sets of pads for the price of an EB. I drive a '13 Navastar school bus with a Packbrak EB and can not tell if it works or not. JMHO. Have a nice day.