Power Wagon Registry

Hi everyone

I'm in Moab with a group of friends. Today we ran top of the world and the truck generally did really great

On 2 occasions I felt like the brakes could barely hold the truck. One time was after lunch: I was In reverse and low rang and I was backing down an incline. Stopping happened only after I mashed the brake pedal to the floor

Another occasion was going down from top of the world. Similar situation: in low range, pointed down. The truck only barely stopped and I was very close to pushing the brake pedal to the floor

My trucks is MY 16 and has 12500 miles on it


Is this normal?




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Low range has a lot of torque. At an idle though I'd think the vacuum assist isn't as powerful as it would be higher rpm. Plus you're brakes must have been mighty hot all that crawling round

Low range plus an incline will suck. If a scenario gets steep, just as a test, try putting it in neutral. Just do NOT put it in reverse if you are going forward or put in drive if going backwards, those are no-no's (vehicle nannys kick in and shut the engine off, that makes for some pucker factor).

There's nothing you can do while you're out there but switching to braided brake lines might help.


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What also makes it worse is when 4low is used the idle rpm rises and throttle mapping is changed.

I have not had any issues with stopping yet in my '16, but i havnt done any slow technical wheeling like moab with it before either. The truck definitely wants to move along when in 4low, but haven't had an issue stopping.

Thanks guys. I wonder if altitude had any effect, we were at 6-7000feet at the time

Also a good point about the slightly higher idle. I actually did use that to crawl along and maneuver


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Weird issues, I never experienced that on Top of the World and was in 4Low most of the time on the trail. How much were you on the brakes? Vacuum booster most likely was the issue with low RPM.

Did you try the hill descent control?

waldo wrote:Did you try the hill descent control?

I have that. It's called 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear, Lo Range.



In all seriousness, it would seem that Lo range should INCREASE braking power somehow.

TwinStick wrote: I have that. It's called 1st, 2nd or 3rd gear, Lo Range.

I don't know about the OP, but I just discovered that after using the ProCal our 1st holds a lot better than it did with larger tires and no ProCal. So curious if he has larger tires? When I was in Moab last, I still had the 33's.

I experience the same phenomenon with my 2014, 4 low/peddle goes almost to the floor and it is hard to hold the truck on a steep incline or decline. It was like the truck lost all brake pressure. Truck done this when I bought it new but has since "corrected" itself. There were a couple of others who experienced this also all of us with factory size tires. It was only an issue in 4-low though.

Maybe snowsled can chime in...

We bought late model used with more miles on our 2015. So maybe that's why I never experienced the problem, if it just takes break in???

Hey Buddy, glad to hear your having fun in the truck! Can't wait to see the pictures ( sorry I had to leave Moab and miss a few trail days with you guys). Question for you, but did you happen to notice what your truck was idling at when this was happening? I noticed this same thing in my truck once while backing down a trail in 4-lo. But at the same time, my engine rpms were oddly low... im not sure what it caused either, or if they were related.

Keep us posted if it happens again on you out there, and have a great time!


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My 2015 has always done this in 4 lo. I have 75,000 miles on it, so I guess it wasn't a break in thing for me. Always chalked it up to the remapped throttle etc while in 4 lo. I hate it. Least favorite thing about my truck.

My 2015 requires a fair amount of brake pedal stomp to stop going down steep inclines in 4LO. Gravity + low range + higher idle RPM. I just use my big boy leg muscles, no problems.


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yeah--noticed a bit of excessive force too. I think better pads and higher capacity SS braided lines (better conductive surface to convect and radiate heat to surroundings) will help that some.

Hi guys,

I'm running stock tires on the truck. When in low, it idles slightly higher (600 rpm) than usual


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