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Old May 8th, 2019, 07:08   #34
richardbell556
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Last Online: Jan 23rd, 2020 18:39
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: BLYTH
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In the uk most cars are manual gearboxes and can use the compression from the engine to slow the car and van down (unlike a auto) .I mentioned engine braking not jake brake .. But holding the caravan back in eg - second gear will allow the engine compression to slow the descent of the car/van with little use of the car brakes if needed by the caravan pushing on the hitch activates van brakes holding its own weight back. This works if the caravan brakes are working correct ....Point been is the car brakes are not taxed and if the van brakes fail you should still have all 4 brakes on the car to slow/ stop the decent. This was used a lot solo when cars were fitted with drums all round and would soon over heat if taxed too much ... I'm not a hgv driver and I don't think are hgv or many here have jake brakes fitted they rely on engine braking and gear choice to hold there decent .. There was many a runaway car/trailer - caravan runaway down Sutton bank in the Uk back in the day .. till they were banned from trying to climb or descend.. Up to the 80s or so ... Remember there was a bloke with a land rover or a big jag would spend all day charging folks to drag there caravan up the bank and hitch another to come down..People now all rely on there brakes to much with disk brakes as good as they are can still over heat ....Even driving test don't ask you to use your gears as you slow down to help braking ... Rely too much on them. My younger brother suffered from brake fade soon after passing his test down a steep bank ..He's ok but when asked were you not thought about brake fade and over heating your brakes and using the gears to help hold your decent/speed ... NO!! So later took him to the same bank and had to show him ..Same as he had no clue if the ign/charge light came on at 70mph and had lost his aux belt that he'd loose his power steering too.. This is what they should teach you to drive not take directions from a sat nav. May be a good idea to teach the wife to read a map lol..
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