This article was co-authored by Jason Shackelford and by How.com.vn staff writer, Eric McClure. Jason Shackelford is the Owner of Stingray Auto Repair, a family owned and operated auto repair shop with locations in Seattle and Redmond, Washington. He has over 24 years of experience in auto repair and services, and every single technician on Jason’s team has more than 10 years of experience.
There are 7 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page.
This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources.
This article has been viewed 6,986 times.
Formally known as a compression release brake, the Jake brake is a lifesaver if you’re a commercial truck driver. It increases your stopping power, helps minimize wear and tear on your brakes, and gives you more control when driving downhill or in heavy traffic. But how does the Jake brake work? In this article, we’ll cover everything you need to know about the Jake Brake, from how it functions to when, why, and how you’d use one.
Things You Should Know
- A Jake brake increases braking speed by turning your truck’s engine into an air compressor, which pushes on the pistons to slow them down.
- Use your Jake brake to control your vehicle on declines, take pressure off of your service brakes, and improve your fuel mileage.
- Jake brakes are incredibly loud when you turn them on, so they’re typically illegal to use in residential areas and cities.
Steps
Expert Q&A
Tips
- Curious about the name “Jake brake?” It’s a reference to the company that invented and manufactures them, Jacobs Vehicle Systems. They really only make this one product (albeit for different kinds of engines), so their company name became synonymous with these compression brakes.[14]Thanks
Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about car maintenance, check out our in-depth interview with Jason Shackelford.
References
- ↑ https://www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com/sites/default/files/2018-08/Jacobs%20Engine%20Brake%20Operators%20Manual.pdf
- ↑ https://www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com/sites/default/files/2018-08/Jacobs%20Engine%20Brake%20Operators%20Manual.pdf
- ↑ https://youtu.be/IQtBKCIQDrE?t=200
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HkfjCJClWVA?t=92
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HkfjCJClWVA?t=92
- ↑ https://youtu.be/HkfjCJClWVA?t=92
- ↑ https://www.smart-trucking.com/jake-brake/
- ↑ https://www.smart-trucking.com/jake-brake/
- ↑ https://www.smart-trucking.com/jake-brake/
- ↑ https://www.smart-trucking.com/jake-brake/
- ↑ https://www.smart-trucking.com/jake-brake/
- ↑ https://www.codot.gov/programs/environmental/noise/noise-faqs.html
- ↑ https://www.wytv.com/news/daybreak/good-question-what-does-the-sign-no-engine-brake-mean/
- ↑ https://www.jacobsvehiclesystems.com/technologies/compression-release-engine-brake
About This Article
Did this article help you?
⚠️ Disclaimer:
Content from Wiki How English language website. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike License; additional terms may apply.
Wiki How does not encourage the violation of any laws, and cannot be responsible for any violations of such laws, should you link to this domain, or use, reproduce, or republish the information contained herein.
- - A few of these subjects are frequently censored by educational, governmental, corporate, parental and other filtering schemes.
- - Some articles may contain names, images, artworks or descriptions of events that some cultures restrict access to
- - Please note: Wiki How does not give you opinion about the law, or advice about medical. If you need specific advice (for example, medical, legal, financial or risk management), please seek a professional who is licensed or knowledgeable in that area.
- - Readers should not judge the importance of topics based on their coverage on Wiki How, nor think a topic is important just because it is the subject of a Wiki article.