Exhaust Brake for Dodge advice

John B.

John B.

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 8, 2009
Location
Claremont
I'm debating putting an exhaust brake on my truck with my tax money and would like to get some opinions. What are you guys running if you have one. Are you running remote or at the turbo, toggle on the dash or shifter mounted switch?

From reading thru other forums, it looks like the only real choices are: BD, Pacbrake (the new style) and the factory Dodge vacum style brake. No one seems to like the Banks becasue it is a fixed orfice and looses brake power dramatically as the RPM's decrease.

BTW...my truck is a 2005 Dodge,3500 DRW, 2wd, Cummins, NV5600, 4 inch straight piped and K&N drop in air filter. Other than that, it is completely stock.
 
I have the BD pac on mine with a switch on the shifter and I love it!! Especially if you tow your rig or whatnot they are awesome to have! I use mine all the time just driving around town(easy on the brakes).
 
cltdba said:
Why do you feel you need it?
Click to expand...

Um huh have you towed with your new Dodge yet? Unless it has the factory exhaust brake they have no back pressure so coming down any kind of mountain they pick up speed rather quickly.

I've got a slide-in camper that is approx 3200# loaded and Toy and trailer is approx 7000# loaded so I'm grossing around 19000#.

Safety is the main reason and it will pay for itself in a few years saving truck and trailer brakes.

I had the same set up on my '97 Dodge coming back from Tellico down the Cherahala Skyway one year and got the absolute shit scared out me when my brakes got way too hot and were like jello! After that, I'm really nervous coming down hills.
 
BD, mounted on the exhaust just below the downpipe, 2speed axle switch mounted on the shifter, love it. Can't remember now where I got it from but I could figure it out. I got mine for just under $1K.

BTW, I'm totally convinced this could be built with an exhaust cutout for 4" exhaust. It would take a little work, something I don't have time to do, but it would be alot cheaper than buying a new unit.
 
John B. said:
Um huh have you towed with your new Dodge yet? Unless it has the factory exhaust brake they have no back pressure so coming down any kind of mountain they pick up speed rather quickly.

I've got a slide-in camper that is approx 3200# loaded and Toy and trailer is approx 7000# loaded so I'm grossing around 19000#.

Safety is the main reason and it will pay for itself in a few years saving truck and trailer brakes.

I had the same set up on my '97 Dodge coming back from Tellico down the Cherahala Skyway one year and got the absolute shit scared out me when my brakes got way too hot and were like jello! After that, I'm really nervous coming down hills.
Click to expand...

I had looked at the exhaust brakes myself a little bit. I gathered I wasn't towing enough combined weight to need one. I commented, because I was curious just how much weight would really warrant one. You tow a lot more weight than I do. I can definitely see the need for it. I've towed with the new Dodge, but it's leaps and bounds better at stopping than the 1/2 ton was. :) Also, my trailer is 2,000 empty and my Jeep is probably less than 5k. That little amount of weight and dual brakes on the trailer I haven't had an issue thus far.

I'm still an amateur! :) :beer:
 
haha didnt mean to put pac in their not even sure how that happened! My trailer doesnt have brakes on it so it comes in handy for sure!
 
GONOVRIT said:
BTW, I'm totally convinced this could be built with an exhaust cutout for 4" exhaust. It would take a little work, something I don't have time to do, but it would be alot cheaper than buying a new unit.
Click to expand...

I also think this but don't have the time nor the skill to do.


Bigben75ford said:
haha didnt mean to put pac in their not even sure how that happened!
Click to expand...

No problem...thanks for clearing up.



From what I've read, it seems like it's really a matter of preference between the BD and new style Pac. I believe the Pac runs thru the ECM therefore has an approx 2 second delay and the BD reads from the TPPS so it is instant. Either way it looks the way to go is with the switch on the shifter and inline mounted butterfly so turbo upgrades aren't an issue.

Thanks for the help guys!
 
I have the Pac setup. Got mine from the dealer for 700. It goes to the PCM so when your are on the throttle the brake is off when you have the switch on. Also instead of leaning down to hit the switch that came with the kit I installed an interupter toggle with the shifter mount. Works great. I even use it while empty as it definitely helps save on the wear and tear of the brakes. Also a straight pipe exhaust and a heavy load makes it loud. You wont be disappointed.
 
Think I'm changing my mind on one of these. Saving wear and tear on the brakes plus cool sound effects makes it a plus in my book. :D
 
I was looking heavily into this and my first pull w/ my camper to Pigeon Forge was going to be the deciding factor. I have the exact same truck except no mods and mine is 4wd. The truck, family, golf cart, firewood, and camper I was weighing around 19k lbs and I came down I-40 and Black Mtn. in 5th gear at around 55mph and touched the brakes three times for around 4 seconds each time and never ran over 2500 rpm's. I was impressed! So I couldnt justify 12-1500 bucks for one.

Seems like I'd settled on the pac in my research cause it held better back pressure than the others at lower rpms. It's been a while since I studied them.
 
Back
Top