Are Jake Brakes still fitted ? I used one many years ago (ERF with 290 Cummins), I thought they were the dogs. It’s a bit hilly round these parts but the Jake could cope. I had heard/rumour that some local authorities had banned them because of the noise.
Just curious.
I often read about complaints in the US, but whether they are banned or not I have no idea. I’ll ask the appropriate people shortly. 
But all of these things have to be used with care because all 3 that I know, Jakes, Exhaust and Retarders, all operate on the drive line through the driven axles which is the last thing you want to do with an artic in slippery conditions.
I had an exhaust brake on my 89 at Whitetrux and the previous driver had routed the switch from a button in the floor to a pull/push on the dash. Saved getting a hole drilled in the foot but had to be ready with a quick hand movement when you got to a slippery bit. It could be left on all the time if required.
Mind you so could the retarder I had here on my Magnum, various stages of power on a stick under the steering wheel.
I think engine-brakes have superceded all those retarders, exhaust-brakes & Jacobs secondary braking systems because they’re all integrated with the cruise-control and come on automatically if you want them to. They also have four or so settings according to the terrain - and they’re quiet!
Jakes can be quiet. They also have various settings, depending on how they’re wired. Technically it is possible to have them operate on single cylinders, but I reckon it would be overcomplex for no gain. Ive only ever seen them set up as on/off, 3 cylinders/6 cylinders/off 2 cylinders/4 cylinders/6 cylinders/off.
In comparison to a Jacobs Brake, exhaust brakes are hopeless, you may as well hold a hankie out the window.
Cat had an in-house retarder called Brakesaver, I think Mack also had their own version.
There was also the Telma retarder.
I agree that Jake brakes are up there with the best and that exhaust brakes aren’t. Exhausters were OK if you geared right down and were prepared to crawl down the hills. Sometimes if I was heavy, especially in Turkey with an exhaust-brake, I’d change right down to first gear and go down on tip-toe but my brakes would be fresh as daisies at the bottom!
In a way that is something similar to what I do with my car at the moment. As it is automatic I can’t lift the revs to change down (it has manual gear change paddles) so on top of a bank I brake gently to bring the revs down then change down with the paddle switch. As long as I don’t touch the throttle it will maintain that gear all the way down with the revs rising accordingly.
It’s not local authorities GOM, they were banned under the drive by noise regulations within Euro2, so a longtime ago now, the same regulation which effectively banned the Fuller from europe. However all engines currently offered in Europe, except one, are offered either as standard or as an option with some sort of engine brake. Some are quietened down Jakes but by another name, others are the manufacturers own, but they are all compression brakes, turning the engine into a compressor as with a Jake. You can of course spec a retarder as well.
The one which does not have an engine brake option is,the Scania V8.
I once knew a driver (National Travel, Leyland Leopard) who did the whole Halifax to London AND RETURN, with the Telma retarder on notch 1, and then booked the Leopard off because it was ‘a bit sluggish’.
Fair does to the fella, when he was told he held his hands up and admitted he didn’t know what a Telma was
Sounds a bit like my late younger brother who, as a fairly new driver doing a few shifts for Dixon’s of Derby where I was working at the time, did a short trip with an 86 with the diff lock engaged. He reported the steering which kept trying to go straight on at corners. Not sure if any damage was done. 