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About This Product
The World's First All-Electronic Braking System. Cuts downhill speed up to 78%. All automatic, user selectable speed. Simple plug-and-play installation, no cutting or welding required. Extends the service life of your brakes, and does so while maintaining your sanity.
Fitment Note
Key Features
- All automatic user-selectable downhill cruise control.
- Cuts downhill speed up to 78 Percent.
- Includes Banks iDash DataMonster or SuperGauge.
Specifications
The World's First All-Electronic Braking System. A revolutionary approach to exhaust braking, Banks patented new SpeedBrake does what no brake has done before. The world's first all-electronic braking system, SpeedBrake achieves maximum braking power by intelligently modulating systems already found on the truck. SpeedBrake manipulates the variable geometry turbine vanes in concert with deliberate gear selection and torque converter clutch application to deliver not just total hill-taming stopping power but also peace of mind. Hands (and feet) free, and totally automatic, SpeedBrake lets you set your desired downhill speed and it does all the rest.
The Banks SpeedBrake must be used with a Banks iDash (included). If you do not want to use the Banks iDash then check out our Banks Brake P/N 55447. More effective braking than is possible with a simple valve assembly. Operating modes On (Maximum braking: High, Med and Low strength settings). Speed Control (Maintains pre-selected target speed. Easy gauge based control). Displays vehicle speed, current braking effort (relating to vane position), trans temp, engine coolant temp and much more. OBDII scan tool capability (reads/interprets/clears codes). System Status Indicator with on-screen alerts (excessive coolant or trans temps, for example). Easy, clean install (all-electronic design requires only a few simple underhood connections), no modifications to the exhaust system are needed. In testing, dramatically outperformed all competitive products in basic braking function (and nobody but Banks has anything like a Speed Control Mode!)
Why It's Better
A NEW ERA IN EXHAUST BRAKING.
DOWNHILL CRUISE CONTROL.
Imagine setting your "comfort zone" and cutting downhill speed by nearly 80% without even touching the brake pedal, keeping your brakes cool and ready for emergencies should they arise. The SpeedBrake increases the stopping power of your truck and extends the service life of your brakes, and does so while maintaining your sanity.
AREN'T EXHAUST BRAKES SUPPOSE TO SLOW YOU DOWN?
That's what we thought too, but the other products on the market provide inadequate braking power and actually allow your speed to increase as you plummet faster and faster downhill. With the competition's poor performing product, you are forced to use your truck's brakes and manually shift your transmission in an effort to gain lost confidence.
NOT YOUR FATHER'S BRAKE.
The SpeedBrake is an all-electronic mastermind of braking technology. Plug-in connection makes for a clean, simple installation without cutting or tapping into vital wire harnesses. There's no crawling under the truck to cut up your exhaust system and no mechanical "adjustments" necessary to ensure its function. SpeedBrake uses the truck's own components to give you the safety you need when towing, so there are no added mechanical parts to second guess.
LIKE NO OTHER!
With the SpeedBrake there's no competition and no compromise. This smart device becomes an active component of your vehicle, constantly monitoring and adjusting systems to achieve the speed setting you command. With its patented technology, the SpeedBrake controls your transmission's shifting, locks and unlocks the torque converter, and infinitely varies the VG turbo's vanes to hold your set speed and maximize stopping performance to ensure that you have safety and confidence for the long haul. Watch it all happen as the Banks iDash keeps you informed by displaying important parameters and on-screen alerts you set. And... it's also an OBD-II scan tool. - Now That's Smart!
An active component of your vehicle:
| SpeedBrake >>> Banks iDash DataMonster |
|
Plus, DataMonster adds data logging and expanded monitoring. |
Only Banks’ iDash vehicle command center gives you easy-to-use and highly flexible control of the SpeedBrake and tells you everything you need to know at a glance.| SpeedBrake >>> Engine Control Unit |
 Only SpeedBrake intercepts variable geometry turbocharger, torque converter, and transmission communications from the ECM and changes them to optimize the braking performance that you command. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Torque Converter |
 SpeedBrake controls and automatically locks up the vehicle’s torque converter to ensure that all engine braking force is sent directly through the transmission to the vehicle’s drive wheels where it is fully utilized. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Transmission |
 Only SpeedBrake controls the gear selection in order to select the best gear for any given braking situation without building excessive engine RPM. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) |
 Only SpeedBrake captures control of the VGT, varying vane position to provide optimal engine backpressure. Braking is instantaneously variable to allow for downhill target speed control. See the vanes » |
UNPRECEDENTED FLEXIBILITY.
SpeedBrake has operating modes and settings to suit your style and driving conditions. ON mode lets you select three levels of braking aggressiveness: HIGH, MED, LOW. Use AUTO MODE to select and automatically maintain a specified downhill speed (25 - 75 mph). In addition, the user can enable or disable FOOT BRAKE ACTIVATION, depending on individual preferences and vehicle load.
Banks iDash provides 2-way communication has a system status indicator with on-screen alerts and OBDII scan tool capability. In addition, it displays numerous vehicle parameters, from the current braking effort and operating gear to braking mode and target speed. Amazing!
So why settle for primitive exhaust brakes that barely brake? If your diesel hauls and navigates hills, step up to the world's strongest, most advanced exhaust brake: the all-electronic Banks SpeedBrake!
OK, Test Time!
Two of Banks’ most experienced — and daring — Test Group engineers conducted the braking tests in a Chevrolet Silverado with a heavy trailer on a steep 6.16% grade.
The idea was to test the truck in Stock form, then repeat the procedure with a PacBrake, a BD brake, the Banks SpeedBrake in AUTO mode, and then in the MANUAL mode. With the Silverado in Drive (Tow/Haul mode active), they approached the crest of the hill at 55 mph, lifted the foot off the pedal, and held on!
| STOCK ? TOW/HAUL MODE ACTIVE |
| With more than nine tons roaring down the grade, the truck quickly shifted from 5th to 6th gear and reached a white-knuckle 70 mph. Instead of tempting fate — and the California Highway Patrol — our guys applied the foot brake to reduce terminal velocity. The Allison Transmission includes Auto-Grade Braking. This is basically a glorified way of saying that when the driver applies the foot brake, the transmission downshifts. Even in Tow/Haul mode with Auto-Grade Braking active, and use of foot brakes, vehicle speed ONLY decreased to 65 mph! |
| LOSER: PACBRAKE |
 “Plug-and-play” and “PacBrake” have nothing in common. Installation requires exhaust system slicing, dicing, welding, and wiring. There’s no electronic management, either; it uses Tow/Haul mode to enhance its functionality. So how did it do in our test? Pathetically. Its braking activity was very weak. The Silverado gathered speed quickly and shifted into 6th gear halfway down the hill.By the end of the run, vehicle speed was a way-too-fast 68 mph — an increase of 13 mph! |
| LOSER: BD |
| Another tough install. Like PacBrake, BD is a mechanical valve that installs about 3 feet behind the turbo in the exhaust system. Cutting, welding, and wiring work was needed. No electronic management; BD also uses Tow/Haul mode to enhance its functionality. Like PacBrake, BD barely braked as the vehicle started down the grade. It quickly gathered speed and shifted into a higher gear. Our guys were ready to mash the foot brake by the end of the run! The terminal velocity at the end was a gut-wrenching 69 mph — a gain of 14 mph! |
| WINNER: SPEEDBRAKE |
 “AUTO” mode test: The driver set the target speed to 50 mph, began descending in 5th gear and lifted his foot off the accelerator. That’s all he had to do. SpeedBrake varied the turbine vanes and downshifted the transmission to 3rd gear. The vehicle slowed down to 50 mph and SpeedBrake kept it there. No problem. SpeedBrake slowed the vehicle to the 50 mph target speed and automatically kept it there! “MANUAL” mode test: (“High” strength setting) SpeedBrake made BD and PacBrake look like wimps! The transmission automatically downshifted to 3rd and the vehicle immediately slowed. Since the ON mode has no target speed, the Silverado slowed to a crawl, shifting all the way down to 1st gear without any effort from the driver and never operating outside the normal rpm range. In less than a mile, the vehicle slowed to 15 mph! — without using the foot brake! This is an astonishing speed reduction of 40 mph from the start. 53 mph slower than PacBrake & 54 mph slower than BD! |
BANKS STOMPS THE COMPETITION
| FEATURE | BANKS SPEEDBRAKE | BD | PACBRAKE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Installation |  Simple plug-in installation, no cutting or welding required |
|
|
| Free from Wire Tapping & Splicing | Simple plug-in installation using factory style connectors |
 Requires Posi-taps, cutting & splicing of factory wiring |
Included wiring requires no cutting. |
| Maintenance-free | All-electronic device requires no maintenance ever! |
Brake requires adjustment after installation & again after some operating time |
Has a mechanical butterfly, electric pump & air plumbing |
| Silent Operation | Uses factory turbo’s variable vanes; quiet operation |
Noisy electric compressor under the hood |
Noisy electric compressor under the hood |
| Automatically Shifts Transmission |
Controls torque converter lock-up & gear selection for maximum braking |
No transmission interface. Relies on factory Tow/Haul mode for trans. control |
No transmission interface. Relies on factory Tow/Haul mode for trans. control |
| Maximum Braking | Vane control + trans. shifting+ torque converter clutch control slowed vehicle to 15 MPH! |
Only slowed vehicle to 69 MPH on 6% grade |
Only slowed vehicle to 68 MPH on 6% grade |
| Adjustable Strength Settings |
Exclusive Strength settings let user select braking aggressiveness |
Only On or Off |
Only On or Off |
| Adjustable Speed Presets |
Patented downhill speed control; user selects target speed |
Only On or Off |
Only On or Off |
| Foot Pedal Integration |
Customizable feature lets user select exhaust brake/foot brake relationship |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
| User Interface | Banks iDash is packed with user interface features, lets user communicate with vehicle |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
| System Status Indicator | Communicates system condition & has engine coolant/oil temp warnings |
No means of communicating |
No means of communicating |
| OBDII Scan Tool | Includes full communication with vehicle OBDII, allows for reading & clearing vehicle codes |
No means of communicating |
No means of communicating |
| Prone to Exhaust Leaks |
Simple plug-and-play installation means no cutting of the exhaust |
Required cutting and welding compromises exhaust system |
Required cutting and welding compromises exhaust system |
As tested on a 2006 vehicle.
THE REVIEWS ARE POURING IN!
See what the top magazines have to say about the SpeedBrake:
Diesel Power Nov 2009 
Trailer Life June 2009 
Diesel World Sept 2009 
Diesel Builder Aug 2009 
8-Lug Sept 2009 
Diesel World July 2012 Note: The Palm Tungsten and Banks iDash shown in some of the magazine articles have been upgraded to the new Banks iDash DataMonster ? call for details!
Here's the TEST REPORT for your vehicle!
View it right now online »
Banks SpeedBrake
Includes iDash DataMonster or SuperGauge
2007-2010 Chevy/GMC 2500/3500 6.6L Duramax, LMM
All-electronic brake cuts downhill speed up to 78%
Choose Your Banks SpeedBrake
About This Product
The World's First All-Electronic Braking System. Cuts downhill speed up to 78%. All automatic, user selectable speed. Simple plug-and-play installation, no cutting or welding required. Extends the service life of your brakes, and does so while maintaining your sanity.
Fitment Note
Key Features
- All automatic user-selectable downhill cruise control.
- Cuts downhill speed up to 78 Percent.
- Includes Banks iDash DataMonster or SuperGauge.
Specifications
The World's First All-Electronic Braking System. A revolutionary approach to exhaust braking, Banks patented new SpeedBrake does what no brake has done before. The world's first all-electronic braking system, SpeedBrake achieves maximum braking power by intelligently modulating systems already found on the truck. SpeedBrake manipulates the variable geometry turbine vanes in concert with deliberate gear selection and torque converter clutch application to deliver not just total hill-taming stopping power but also peace of mind. Hands (and feet) free, and totally automatic, SpeedBrake lets you set your desired downhill speed and it does all the rest.
The Banks SpeedBrake must be used with a Banks iDash (included). If you do not want to use the Banks iDash then check out our Banks Brake P/N 55447. More effective braking than is possible with a simple valve assembly. Operating modes On (Maximum braking: High, Med and Low strength settings). Speed Control (Maintains pre-selected target speed. Easy gauge based control). Displays vehicle speed, current braking effort (relating to vane position), trans temp, engine coolant temp and much more. OBDII scan tool capability (reads/interprets/clears codes). System Status Indicator with on-screen alerts (excessive coolant or trans temps, for example). Easy, clean install (all-electronic design requires only a few simple underhood connections), no modifications to the exhaust system are needed. In testing, dramatically outperformed all competitive products in basic braking function (and nobody but Banks has anything like a Speed Control Mode!)
Why It's Better
A NEW ERA IN EXHAUST BRAKING.
DOWNHILL CRUISE CONTROL.
Imagine setting your "comfort zone" and cutting downhill speed by nearly 80% without even touching the brake pedal, keeping your brakes cool and ready for emergencies should they arise. The SpeedBrake increases the stopping power of your truck and extends the service life of your brakes, and does so while maintaining your sanity.
AREN'T EXHAUST BRAKES SUPPOSE TO SLOW YOU DOWN?
That's what we thought too, but the other products on the market provide inadequate braking power and actually allow your speed to increase as you plummet faster and faster downhill. With the competition's poor performing product, you are forced to use your truck's brakes and manually shift your transmission in an effort to gain lost confidence.
NOT YOUR FATHER'S BRAKE.
The SpeedBrake is an all-electronic mastermind of braking technology. Plug-in connection makes for a clean, simple installation without cutting or tapping into vital wire harnesses. There's no crawling under the truck to cut up your exhaust system and no mechanical "adjustments" necessary to ensure its function. SpeedBrake uses the truck's own components to give you the safety you need when towing, so there are no added mechanical parts to second guess.
LIKE NO OTHER!
With the SpeedBrake there's no competition and no compromise. This smart device becomes an active component of your vehicle, constantly monitoring and adjusting systems to achieve the speed setting you command. With its patented technology, the SpeedBrake controls your transmission's shifting, locks and unlocks the torque converter, and infinitely varies the VG turbo's vanes to hold your set speed and maximize stopping performance to ensure that you have safety and confidence for the long haul. Watch it all happen as the Banks iDash keeps you informed by displaying important parameters and on-screen alerts you set. And... it's also an OBD-II scan tool. - Now That's Smart!
An active component of your vehicle:
| SpeedBrake >>> Banks iDash DataMonster |
|
Plus, DataMonster adds data logging and expanded monitoring. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Engine Control Unit |
| Only SpeedBrake intercepts variable geometry turbocharger, torque converter, and transmission communications from the ECM and changes them to optimize the braking performance that you command. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Torque Converter |
| SpeedBrake controls and automatically locks up the vehicle’s torque converter to ensure that all engine braking force is sent directly through the transmission to the vehicle’s drive wheels where it is fully utilized. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Transmission |
| Only SpeedBrake controls the gear selection in order to select the best gear for any given braking situation without building excessive engine RPM. |
| SpeedBrake >>> Variable Geometry Turbo (VGT) |
| Only SpeedBrake captures control of the VGT, varying vane position to provide optimal engine backpressure. Braking is instantaneously variable to allow for downhill target speed control. See the vanes » |
UNPRECEDENTED FLEXIBILITY.
SpeedBrake has operating modes and settings to suit your style and driving conditions. ON mode lets you select three levels of braking aggressiveness: HIGH, MED, LOW. Use AUTO MODE to select and automatically maintain a specified downhill speed (25 - 75 mph). In addition, the user can enable or disable FOOT BRAKE ACTIVATION, depending on individual preferences and vehicle load.
Banks iDash provides 2-way communication has a system status indicator with on-screen alerts and OBDII scan tool capability. In addition, it displays numerous vehicle parameters, from the current braking effort and operating gear to braking mode and target speed. Amazing!
So why settle for primitive exhaust brakes that barely brake? If your diesel hauls and navigates hills, step up to the world's strongest, most advanced exhaust brake: the all-electronic Banks SpeedBrake!
OK, Test Time!
Two of Banks’ most experienced — and daring — Test Group engineers conducted the braking tests in a Chevrolet Silverado with a heavy trailer on a steep 6.16% grade.
The idea was to test the truck in Stock form, then repeat the procedure with a PacBrake, a BD brake, the Banks SpeedBrake in AUTO mode, and then in the MANUAL mode. With the Silverado in Drive (Tow/Haul mode active), they approached the crest of the hill at 55 mph, lifted the foot off the pedal, and held on!
| STOCK ? TOW/HAUL MODE ACTIVE |
| With more than nine tons roaring down the grade, the truck quickly shifted from 5th to 6th gear and reached a white-knuckle 70 mph. Instead of tempting fate — and the California Highway Patrol — our guys applied the foot brake to reduce terminal velocity. The Allison Transmission includes Auto-Grade Braking. This is basically a glorified way of saying that when the driver applies the foot brake, the transmission downshifts. Even in Tow/Haul mode with Auto-Grade Braking active, and use of foot brakes, vehicle speed ONLY decreased to 65 mph! |
| LOSER: PACBRAKE |
| “Plug-and-play” and “PacBrake” have nothing in common. Installation requires exhaust system slicing, dicing, welding, and wiring. There’s no electronic management, either; it uses Tow/Haul mode to enhance its functionality. So how did it do in our test? Pathetically. Its braking activity was very weak. The Silverado gathered speed quickly and shifted into 6th gear halfway down the hill. By the end of the run, vehicle speed was a way-too-fast 68 mph — an increase of 13 mph! |
| LOSER: BD |
| Another tough install. Like PacBrake, BD is a mechanical valve that installs about 3 feet behind the turbo in the exhaust system. Cutting, welding, and wiring work was needed. No electronic management; BD also uses Tow/Haul mode to enhance its functionality. Like PacBrake, BD barely braked as the vehicle started down the grade. It quickly gathered speed and shifted into a higher gear. Our guys were ready to mash the foot brake by the end of the run! The terminal velocity at the end was a gut-wrenching 69 mph — a gain of 14 mph! |
| WINNER: SPEEDBRAKE |
| “AUTO” mode test: The driver set the target speed to 50 mph, began descending in 5th gear and lifted his foot off the accelerator. That’s all he had to do. SpeedBrake varied the turbine vanes and downshifted the transmission to 3rd gear. The vehicle slowed down to 50 mph and SpeedBrake kept it there. No problem. SpeedBrake slowed the vehicle to the 50 mph target speed and automatically kept it there! “MANUAL” mode test: (“High” strength setting) SpeedBrake made BD and PacBrake look like wimps! The transmission automatically downshifted to 3rd and the vehicle immediately slowed. Since the ON mode has no target speed, the Silverado slowed to a crawl, shifting all the way down to 1st gear without any effort from the driver and never operating outside the normal rpm range. In less than a mile, the vehicle slowed to 15 mph! — without using the foot brake! This is an astonishing speed reduction of 40 mph from the start. 53 mph slower than PacBrake & 54 mph slower than BD! |
BANKS STOMPS THE COMPETITION
| FEATURE | BANKS SPEEDBRAKE | BD | PACBRAKE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Easy Installation | Simple plug-in installation, no cutting or welding required |
|
|
| Free from Wire Tapping & Splicing | Simple plug-in installation using factory style connectors |
Requires Posi-taps, cutting & splicing of factory wiring |
Included wiring requires no cutting. |
| Maintenance-free | All-electronic device requires no maintenance ever! |
Brake requires adjustment after installation & again after some operating time |
Has a mechanical butterfly, electric pump & air plumbing |
| Silent Operation | Uses factory turbo’s variable vanes; quiet operation |
Noisy electric compressor under the hood |
Noisy electric compressor under the hood |
| Automatically Shifts Transmission |
Controls torque converter lock-up & gear selection for maximum braking |
No transmission interface. Relies on factory Tow/Haul mode for trans. control |
No transmission interface. Relies on factory Tow/Haul mode for trans. control |
| Maximum Braking | Vane control + trans. shifting+ torque converter clutch control slowed vehicle to 15 MPH! |
Only slowed vehicle to 69 MPH on 6% grade |
Only slowed vehicle to 68 MPH on 6% grade |
| Adjustable Strength Settings |
Exclusive Strength settings let user select braking aggressiveness |
Only On or Off |
Only On or Off |
| Adjustable Speed Presets |
Patented downhill speed control; user selects target speed |
Only On or Off |
Only On or Off |
| Foot Pedal Integration |
Customizable feature lets user select exhaust brake/foot brake relationship |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
| User Interface | Banks iDash is packed with user interface features, lets user communicate with vehicle |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
Only control is a dash-mounted switch |
| System Status Indicator | Communicates system condition & has engine coolant/oil temp warnings |
No means of communicating |
No means of communicating |
| OBDII Scan Tool | Includes full communication with vehicle OBDII, allows for reading & clearing vehicle codes |
No means of communicating |
No means of communicating |
| Prone to Exhaust Leaks |
Simple plug-and-play installation means no cutting of the exhaust |
Required cutting and welding compromises exhaust system |
Required cutting and welding compromises exhaust system |
As tested on a 2006 vehicle.
THE REVIEWS ARE POURING IN!
See what the top magazines have to say about the SpeedBrake:
Note: The Palm Tungsten and Banks iDash shown in some of the magazine articles have been upgraded to the new Banks iDash DataMonster ? call for details!
Here's the TEST REPORT for your vehicle!
View it right now online »
