• Welcome to ClassicBroncos! - You are currently viewing the forums as a GUEST. To take advantage of all the site features, please take a moment to register. It's fast, simple and absolutely free. So please join our community today!
    If you have problems registering or can't log into your account, please contact Admin.

ABS on an EB?

IPwizard

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Messages
694
Loc.
NE Ohio
Has any one entertained installing ABS 2 or 4 wheel on an EB? Just a thought that popped into my brain. I don’t know if it would be worth the trouble or if an ABS system on a late model vehicle could be adapted to work on an EB.

Just curious.
 

76Broncofromhell

Bronco Totalitarian
Joined
Jul 30, 2001
Messages
4,228
Loc.
Reno, NV
If you need ABS, you can't drive. There's a reason why no racecars use it. Ever try wheeling with ABS? My guess is no.

ABS sucks. To think anyone would want to add it is just baffling. I'm sure it could be done, but the cost and added benefit aren't worth it IMO.
 

saxman

Sr. Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
434
Loc.
Austin, TX
76Broncofromhell said:
If you need ABS, you can't drive. There's a reason why no racecars use it. Ever try wheeling with ABS? My guess is no.

ABS sucks. To think anyone would want to add it is just baffling. I'm sure it could be done, but the cost and added benefit aren't worth it IMO.

Looks like there are mixed reviews on the efficacy of abs brakes on the net. I would agree with offroad situations. However, if driving and staying within normal limits on normal raods, abs brakes might help stopping quicker in certain instances.

I would think that it would be a nice feature to add if used in a dailey driver bronco. Just depends how you use your rig.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
Statistics indicate that ABS brakes do nothing to decrease the chances of an accident and some studies indicate that ABS equipped vehicles actually are more likely to be involved in an accident. Installing them on an EB really isn't very practical anyway because they have to be carefully calibrated to the vehicle including weight, brakes, and even tire size. (Just changing tire size can screw up the ABS system)
 
OP
OP
IPwizard

IPwizard

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Messages
694
Loc.
NE Ohio
Was just a question that I thought I would ask. I definitly think ABS is worth it on my Exploder It has saved my ars several times I drive over 50 miles each way to work on the freeway comes in handy in those panic stops when im caught sleeping while driving in the mornings ;D.

I bet the front disc up front I installed will make the most difference, I havent gotten to drive it yet but cant wait to give em a try.
 

saxman

Sr. Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2004
Messages
434
Loc.
Austin, TX
SaddleUp said:
Statistics indicate that ABS brakes do nothing to decrease the chances of an accident and some studies indicate that ABS equipped vehicles actually are more likely to be involved in an accident. Installing them on an EB really isn't very practical anyway because they have to be carefully calibrated to the vehicle including weight, brakes, and even tire size. (Just changing tire size can screw up the ABS system)

yea, that is what I started to gather as I read up on some articles.
 

SaddleUp

Bronco Guru
Joined
May 23, 2004
Messages
9,655
Loc.
Vancouver, WA
kanter said:
I hate the ABS brakes in both my vehicles. I would never want it in my bronco.
I have it in 3 of them. In one of them it acted up for about a year and would come close to locking up the brakes with no warning when you used them. I kept telling my wife I was going to find a way to turn it off but finally the ABS warning light popped on and the brakes have been great ever since. In the other two vehicles they are rigs I use to tow with which makes for some interesting stops. Nothing like a panic stop in an Explorer with a load behind it when the brakes are cycling on and off. (It feels like all 4 rotors are badly warped) I get the same thing in my F250 but it doesn't shake quite as bad. Still annoying though.
 
OP
OP
IPwizard

IPwizard

Sr. Member
Joined
Apr 5, 2002
Messages
694
Loc.
NE Ohio
I dont really see why ABS would cause more accidents. I do know that people seem to drive newer ABS vehicles and still brake like there driving an older non-ABS vehicle. If you need to stop quickly and you stomp the pedal and keep it down ABS does its job, but if you pump the brakes like they told us to do in our old cars then ABS is useless.

I would rather have a rapidly pumping brake (as funny sounding, and feeling as it is) then stomping the brakes and having them lockup and skidding to who knows where. You are right if you cannot lock up your brakes now then ABS is of no use since it only works when you lock them up.
 

TonyPDX

Contributor
Full Member
Joined
Feb 3, 2004
Messages
338
ABS does not cause accidents! The theory behind why ABS did not reduce accidents much as anticipated is threefold.
1. People driving behaviors have changed because their confidence level has increased so they are driving faster and following closer. 2. Once they are in an ABS situation, they are not steering to avoid the impact or they steer off the road and thus still crash. (The real benefit of ABS is the ability to maintain directional control of the vehicle not reduced stopping distance.) 3. A few people are still "pumping the brakes" which really increases stopping distances.

Racecars do not run ABS for lots of reasons that are not applicable to passenger cars so that is not a good comparison.

New ABS systems are much better that the early systems. Back in the late eighties early 90's, the systems were a little rough.

Quote from a NHTSA study, "...ABS seems to have a beneficial effect in preventing each crash type except for side impacts, where it is appears to be associated with a higher response rate especially for passenger cars. However, it appears to be beneficial in preventing pedestrian crashes, rollovers, run-off-road crashes and frontal crashes with another moving vehicle."

I would love to have ABS at least on the rear axle of my Bronco with an on-off switch on the dash.


For more info:
http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/vrtc/ca/lvabs.htm#absstats

Tony
 

thegreatjustino

Contributor
Red Head Grease Monkey
Joined
Jan 23, 2002
Messages
15,624
Loc.
Stockton, CA
A couple of years ago, there was a thread on this. One of the posters claimed that he was certain he could make the ABS module from a Bronco II work on his EB. I never saw any kind of update on it. If you're really interested, you might try searching for it. Most of that thread was responses similar to the ones posted here. I'm just curious to know if the guy ever tried the Bronco 2 setup and if he successfully got it to work.

Edit: just ran the search myself http://classicbroncos.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61120&highlight=abs+bronco
 

AZMike

Full Member
Joined
Feb 4, 2005
Messages
292
Loc.
Flagstaff
Well, ONE of my wheels apparently has ABS :0 - the rear driver's will never lock up no matter how hard I slam on them. But seriously, if you do a lot of offroading, ABS is not for you.

It can help in some conditions on the road though - the wife's Toyota is nice when it's icy out - you don't have to worry about how much breaking you have - just let the car do the thinking.
 

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
After driving the Bronco around the Seattle area after this most recent snow I'd like to start looking into ABS for the Bronco with an on/off switch on the dash.

I'm a big fan of ABS. The best cars I've ever driven with ABS are Subarus and AWD Astro vans. Weird things happen when you lock your tires up on ice especially with drum brakes. My truck tends to start rotating when you lock up on ice. I believe ABS would prevent that by keeping the brakes balanced and allow me to keep straight.

I'm wishing I would have taken the whole braking system from the Astro when I grabbed the hydroboost. It would be fun to tinker with although I agree it would be difficult to get it working properly because of the computer.
 

Apogee

Contributor
Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 26, 2005
Messages
6,033
DanWheeler said:
After driving the Bronco around the Seattle area after this most recent snow I'd like to start looking into ABS for the Bronco with an on/off switch on the dash.

I'm a big fan of ABS. The best cars I've ever driven with ABS are Subarus and AWD Astro vans. Weird things happen when you lock your tires up on ice especially with drum brakes. My truck tends to start rotating when you lock up on ice. I believe ABS would prevent that by keeping the brakes balanced and allow me to keep straight.

I'm wishing I would have taken the whole braking system from the Astro when I grabbed the hydroboost. It would be fun to tinker with although I agree it would be difficult to get it working properly because of the computer.

I'm not an expert by any means, but most of the hydraulic controller units in GM applications are more or less stand alone devices since ABS is optional in many makes/models. The primary feedback is from tone rings either at the wheels or the diff depending on the design...typically the more channels the better. I will say that most modern ABS systems seem to be very tolerant of modifications made to the vehicles, including big-brake kits, tires, wheels, etc since they're basically just monitoring wheel speed relative to vehicle speed.

Just as a funny side note, this (or maybe last) year's 0-100-0 mph competition held by one of the Cheby Hi-Po mags was won by a fourth generation Camaro/Firebird with virtually stock brakes and ABS...it beat out several other vehicles equipped with high-end, multi-piston, big-brake kits worth many thousands of dollars. :cool:
 

DanWheeler

Bronco Guru
Joined
Nov 8, 2005
Messages
2,549
Loc.
Kirkland, WA
if i remember correctly the astro/safari vans have 4 channels which is why they are so awesome in the snow. I think i need to make a trip to the junkyard. That would be awesome if the ABS brains were not part of the main computer.
 
Top