I-26 Tennessee/Carolinas

[Tikvah]

Interested in traveling I-26 south from Johnson City, TN through Asheville, NC and down toward Augusta, GA.

My little 6V92 is slow on grades.  Anything I should worry about?

Here's my fear... when I get down to 1st on a hard grade (10mph +/-) and the transmission shifts in and out of lock.  Seems it causes the temp gauge to move up a bit. 

Advice please,
Dave

[Oonrahnjay]

Interested in traveling I-26 south from Johnson City, TN through Asheville, NC and down toward Augusta, GA.
My little 6V92 is slow on grades.  Anything I should worry about? ...

    Hi, Dave.  Will you be going home a different route?  I ask because -- in my experience -- I-26 from Johnson City to the SC border is pretty much downhill and pretty much a no-brainer but going north is a different story.  From Johnson City to about half-way to Asheville, there are some ups and downs but neither last long and I don't think they're very steep.  About half-way to Asheville, you have to go over a ridge, but it's basically from a plateau on the TN side (so no long climb to get up it), but the drop down into the valley that Asheville sits on is a long with few breaks and fairly steep.  Once you're down in that Valley, it feels like flatlands except for the mountains on either side.  Crossing Asheville over to Hendersonville is flat (often heavy traffic, I can't recommend that you take the bypass over on the east side of town/I-240 to I-40 and then cut back, it's just too far out of the way).  From Hendersonville, you soon come to the "Saluda Grade", named originally by the railroad.  It's the drop down from the eastern ridges of the Blue Ridge and Appalachians.  Again, it's downhill and long and high, so be careful of the braking but OK.  It's coming back up the hill going north on I-26 that's the killer; although, there is a heavy but kinda short climb at first, followed by a 3-or-so mile section that's flat while crossing a river valley, then a climb that up a lot and down a little (not as hard at the initial climb) up to the top.  If you're going up to Asheville, Saluda is easier than Old Fort (Old Fort is higher, steeper, and has few breaks) on I-40 heading west.
     So, if you're indeed just going down to Augusta, it should be fairly easy; is you plan to come back, it will be pretty steep and hard.

HTH (and maybe folks from western NC know more).   BH

[Dave5Cs]

Dave mine used to do that or get stuck in 1st and I would have to go to Neutral to get it to go into 2 again. I was running with RJ up to Washington Rally and ran it by him. He said to try and not go to 1st but hold it in 2nd instead and I tried that and didn't heat up and much smoother climb. HTH

[buswarrior]

Wow, down into first on the open road climbing?

Anyway, if all in your transmission world, and linkage, is the right way 'round...

Pulling the shifter into the 1st gear position is supposed to lock up the converter.

That's why it bucks like a horse if you try a manual 2-1 downshift with the shifter.

Lots of gotta be, needs to be, shoulda been in this equation.

Maybe get the lack of power sorted out?

happy coaching!
buswarrior

[Zephod]

26 seems pretty flat. Surprised you're not using 77 or 95. I live outside Columbia.


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[Oonrahnjay]

26 seems pretty flat. Surprised you're not using 77 or 95. I live outside Columbia. 

     95 is way east and 77 includes some grades and small roads in W VA and then the "Fancy Gap" grade going south at the VA/NC border.  It's all pretty much of a toss-up -- if someone is leaving from a location (or has an intermediate destination stop along the way) so that I-26 is the shortest, that's pretty much what it is.  (BTW, I-24 has a big, steep grade -- downhill going south -- north of Chattanooga; I-75 isn't bad from Knoxville to Chatt. but both these are a long way out of his way towards the west.)  Those southern Appalachian hills make things pretty difficult (as things go in the East) to make a trip like Dave is planning.

[Tikvah]

Hi, Dave.  Will you be going home a different route?  I ask because -- in my experience -- I-26 from Johnson City to the SC border is pretty much downhill and pretty much a no-brainer but going north is a different story.  From Johnson City to about half-way to Asheville, there are some ups and downs but neither last long and I don't think they're very steep.  About half-way to Asheville, you have to go over a ridge, but it's basically from a plateau on the TN side (so no long climb to get up it), but the drop down into the valley that Asheville sits on is a long with few breaks and fairly steep.  Once you're down in that Valley, it feels like flatlands except for the mountains on either side.  Crossing Asheville over to Hendersonville is flat (often heavy traffic, I can't recommend that you take the bypass over on the east side of town/I-240 to I-40 and then cut back, it's just too far out of the way).  From Hendersonville, you soon come to the "Saluda Grade", named originally by the railroad.  It's the drop down from the eastern ridges of the Blue Ridge and Appalachians.  Again, it's downhill and long and high, so be careful of the braking but OK.  It's coming back up the hill going north on I-26 that's the killer; although, there is a heavy but kinda short climb at first, followed by a 3-or-so mile section that's flat while crossing a river valley, then a climb that up a lot and down a little (not as hard at the initial climb) up to the top.  If you're going up to Asheville, Saluda is easier than Old Fort (Old Fort is higher, steeper, and has few breaks) on I-40 heading west.
     So, if you're indeed just going down to Augusta, it should be fairly easy; is you plan to come back, it will be pretty steep and hard.

HTH (and maybe folks from western NC know more).   BH

This is very helpful.  Yes, I'm only going south.  I'll probably drive at night to avoid the heat.  I might have the wife drive the car over the worst of it to relieve some weight.
I drove this way north years ago, and I remember being slowed all the way to 1st and wondering what happens if I goes any slower. 

I'll make the drive this weekend and check back.
Dave