Is There an Exhaust Brake?

That wouldn't be a bad idea. Brakes aren't cheap and depending on your driving style you can go though sets quickly.

L.O.A. said:

That wouldn't be a bad idea. Brakes aren't cheap and depending on your driving style you can go though sets quickly.

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I only ask because I know for a fact its available on the HD diesels (2500, 3500 etc..) Now I'm not sure if its standard equipment or an option, but regardless it is available.

Diesel Power Showed that the 1500 is more than capable of lugging over 100% of its GWVR, but I dont think the brakes are particularly happy about the abuse. DP never mentioned anything about the brakes in their 1500 vs 2500 showdown but that makes me all the more suspicious of its omission...

There is no exhaust brake on the Ram 1500 unfortunately.

mrmopar64 said:

There is no exhaust brake on the Ram 1500 unfortunately.

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I suppose we'll have to wait and see if the aftermarket takes us up on Exhaust Brakes. Doing some digging around and it seems It wouldn't be too much bother to have one retrofitted...

What aftermarket companies do you think might take up the opportunity to make an exhaust brake?

is an exhaust brake really necessary for a car of this weight?

tugboat said:

is an exhaust brake really necessary for a car of this weight?

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well it depends on each individual use case. For someone towing up and down grades an exhaust brake would likely be beneficial to saving your brakes. Also of note is that Diesel Power showed that the 1500 is capable of lugging past its GVWR, so i figure an exhaust brake will be more than necessary for towing at those levels...

Accused said:

well it depends on each individual use case. For someone towing up and down grades an exhaust brake would likely be beneficial to saving your brakes. Also of note is that Diesel Power showed that the 1500 is capable of lugging past its GVWR, so i figure an exhaust brake will be more than necessary for towing at those levels...

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Yeah it helps for towing, good for overall use.

i just use engine braking

works well enough for me

now i'd imagine if you were towing up and down hills and braking often even with an exhaust brake your brakes would overheat.

There is no point in an exhaust brake in a truck that doesn't haul much of anything. Service brakes are just fine.

When you have a truck that's rated to tow upwards of 30,000lbs, clearly an exhaust brake is an attractive feature. On a truck that's rated to tow....9,xxxlbs if I remember right, it's merely an un-needed gimmick.

agreed

Exhaust Brakes are NOT a gimmick. It would be nice to have one even if you don't haul heavy loads like a 2500 or 3500. Saving your service brakes when towing and even when not towing would be nice.