A Valuable Lesson Learned Regarding Ice On Roadways


Just out of curiosity do any of you guys who leave your Jake's always on have smart wheels or whatever they call them?

I think that PACCAR uses that terminology for the steering wheels in their trucks that have all the gimcracks and geegaws on them.

My Dodge pickup has cruise control and stereo controls on the steering wheel. To me it is not so much a matter of intelligence (smartwheel) as it is convenience. You keep your hands on the wheel and (most of) your focus on driving.
 
I think that PACCAR uses that terminology for the steering wheels in their trucks that have all the gimcracks and geegaws on them.

My Dodge pickup has cruise control and stereo controls on the steering wheel. To me it is not so much a matter of intelligence (smartwheel) as it is convenience. You keep your hands on the wheel and (most of) your focus on driving.
I have to wonder about that. My Dodge as well as some trucks I have driven have the buttons on the steering wheel.

Dash mounted buttons are always in the same place, they don't move, Easy to locate! Buttons on the wheel change positions based on the orientation of the wheel.

Sure going down a straight road and hitting buttons on the wheel is safer but, Many time we as drivers are (dammit I really hate using this word!) Multi-tasking. we may have the wheel turned and need to hit one of those buttons at the same time, where are they now?

Automotive engineers pull this **** all the time. Back in the day, Luxury cars had controls on the wheel. The tucker ( I think it was had a headlight that would turn with a turn of the wheel.

When I saw I think it was Nissan come out with this and say it was new made me laugh. Sure it is two headlights turning but, What is new? The tucker had three head lights two of them were stationary and one that could turn.That didn't become standard and as far as I know not much demand for two headlights that turn.
 
Huh? :dunno:

The jake stops working at 1,000 rpm. Engine better not stall at 1,000 rpm.

Nope, the engine locks up and stalls. Happened to me on black ice while bringing my truck home from shop and bob tailing. It all happened so fast but I was at maybe 1450 RPM. Didn't know there was ice, came over a small hill and saw cars spinning. Took my foot off and the sucker locked up right away, stalled and into the side of the snow bank. Then, here comes the salt truck driving backwards on the highway. Only way he could sand/salt and stay on the road.
 
The one I have now, a Western Star. We have black ice in New England once in a great while. It happens on bare pavement and is the slickest thing I have ever ever ever experienced. If you hit it, there is nothing you can do. Happens above freezing!!!
 
The one I have now, a Western Star. We have black ice in New England once in a great while. It happens on bare pavement and is the slickest thing I have ever ever ever experienced. If you hit it, there is nothing you can do. Happens above freezing!!!


I would KILL for a Western Star!

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I'm lookin at a less than ....

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and letting them keep the 387.

If'n they had a Western Star???

I'd be their biatch for long long time!
View attachment 19552View attachment 19553
 
When I was on the fire department, there was a period of about three weeks when we had an epidemic of crashes on a particular section of corners on Hwy 101. The temperature never dropped below 40°F during that time, yet car after car slid off the road. It was only in that specific ½ mile stretch of road. The highway department treated it numerous times, but cars kept sliding off. Finally, they gravelled the heck out of it and posted 25mph temporary speed limits until they could figure out what happened. The crashes stopped as long as they kept it gravelled.

Turns out the deicing chemical they were using was an excellent fertilizer for algae. That section of road rarely dries out completely because of the heavy rainfall, slope of the road and trees around it. I don't know what they used to kill the algae, but I do remember some local environmentalist nut having kittens over it.

I have never, ever had my drives lock up because the jake kicked in. Not even when the incident I started this thread with happened. The too-sudden slowing of the heavier lead power unit is what caused the trailer to continue left and forward in relation to the tractor. That stuff I was driving on was like a pane of glass with peanut oil all over it. You couldn't even walk on it.
 
My truck.

View attachment 19554


Me before I put on a few pounds.

fat-1.jpg

View attachment 19554
 
When I was on the fire department, there was a period of about three weeks when we had an epidemic of crashes on a particular section of corners on Hwy 101.the temperature never dropped below 40°F during that time, yet car after car slid off the road. It was only in that specific ½ mile stretch of road. The highway department treated it numerous times, but cars kept sliding off. Finally, they gravelled the heck out of it and posted 25mph temporary speed limits until they could figure out what happened. The crashes stopped as long as they kept it gravelled.

Turns out the deicing chemical they were using was an excellent fertilizer for algae. That section of road rarely dries out completely because of the heavy rainfall, slope of the road and trees around it. I don't know what they used to kill the algae, but I do remember some local environmentalist nut having kittens over it.

I have never, ever had my drives lock up because the jake kicked in. Not even when the incident I started this thread with happened. The too-sudden slowing of the heavier lead power unit is what caused the trailer to continue left and forward in relation to the tractor. That stuff I was driving on was like a pane of glass with peanut oil all over it. You couldn't even walk on it.

That's interesting. There was a section of road right after a rotary in Mass that had black ice all the time. It was a section maybe 100 yards long. They had to always sand and salt. Then one summer they dug it up and repaved it and never had black ice again. Never hear the reason why and how that solved it
 
When I was on the fire department, there was a period of about three weeks when we had an epidemic of crashes on a particular section of corners on Hwy 101. The temperature never dropped below 40°F during that time, yet car after car slid off the road. It was only in that specific ½ mile stretch of road. The highway department treated it numerous times, but cars kept sliding off. Finally, they gravelled the heck out of it and posted 25mph temporary speed limits until they could figure out what happened. The crashes stopped as long as they kept it gravelled.

Turns out the deicing chemical they were using was an excellent fertilizer for algae. That section of road rarely dries out completely because of the heavy rainfall, slope of the road and trees around it. I don't know what they used to kill the algae, but I do remember some local environmentalist nut having kittens over it.

I have never, ever had my drives lock up because the jake kicked in. Not even when the incident I started this thread with happened. The too-sudden slowing of the heavier lead power unit is what caused the trailer to continue left and forward in relation to the tractor. That stuff I was driving on was like a pane of glass with peanut oil all over it. You couldn't even walk on it.

That's interesting. There was a section of road right after a rotary in Mass that had black ice all the time. It was a section maybe 100 yards long. They had to always sand and salt. Then one summer they dug it up and repaved it and never had black ice again. Never hear the reason why and how that solved it


Now we's gettin somewhere with this forum...

lil bit here, lil bit there...

Lo and behold..... !

View attachment 19555
View attachment 19555
 
When I was on the fire department, there was a period of about three weeks when we had an epidemic of crashes on a particular section of corners on Hwy 101. The temperature never dropped below 40°F during that time, yet car after car slid off the road. It was only in that specific ½ mile stretch of road. The highway department treated it numerous times, but cars kept sliding off. Finally, they gravelled the heck out of it and posted 25mph temporary speed limits until they could figure out what happened. The crashes stopped as long as they kept it gravelled.

Turns out the deicing chemical they were using was an excellent fertilizer for algae. That section of road rarely dries out completely because of the heavy rainfall, slope of the road and trees around it. I don't know what they used to kill the algae, but I do remember some local environmentalist nut having kittens over it.

I have never, ever had my drives lock up because the jake kicked in. Not even when the incident I started this thread with happened. The too-sudden slowing of the heavier lead power unit is what caused the trailer to continue left and forward in relation to the tractor. That stuff I was driving on was like a pane of glass with peanut oil all over it. You couldn't even walk on it.

That's interesting. There was a section of road right after a rotary in Mass that had black ice all the time. It was a section maybe 100 yards long. They had to always sand and salt. Then one summer they dug it up and repaved it and never had black ice again. Never hear the reason why and how that solved it

That's an understatement.
:headscratch:
Maybe one of you nice people will clue me in. :dunno:


Yeah.. good luck on "nice".. I'm in the dark too.
 
well ..... some of them here worry about you.

Worry? 'bout lil ol me? Aww shucks.

Don't worry....be happy!

I'm ok. Everything is hunky-dory!

Sometimes I just get busy doin this truckin thing. Lol.
Other times, my piece of **** phone doesn't get a signal.

Ya think I'm runnin too hard or sumptin?
 

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