ABS just saved my ass, and my car's ass...

Don't know if anybody else is using ABS in their builds, but for the third time, the ABS from the donor '94 Caddy Fleetwood Bro. just saved my *** and my '48 Pontiac 'vert from being a big shiney maroon ball.

Coming home from the paint store just now with the paint for the '62 Impala, from Kalamazoo, just outside of Richland, the car ahead of me puts his right blinker on and pulls over to the widened shoulder to turn onto the cross street. As I get beside him, doing probably 45-50, some ***HOLE appears to my right, ahead of the turning car, pulling out from that street across the highway. Of course, I'm right there, and got on the hooks.

The ABS is ONLY thing that kept me from slamming into him broadside. I couldn't see him at the intersection, due to the car turning, and there was so little room to spare, that had the wheels locked up, I'd have slid into him at probably 30 mph, T-Bone style. I could feel all four wheels alternatly hooking and rolling, only chirping a little. The car stops better than anything I've EVER owned, hot rod or new car.

It's amazing, how quickly and controllably the car stops in a "panic" situation, system works so well. Anybody using a late model ch***is or componants in a fat fender or 50's-60's car, if you've got the ABS module and hubs with the sensors, USE THEM!!!!! It just saved my car, and possibly my life. I'm still shakey.

I've had an idiot with a farm truck and two haywagons turn left in front of me, and a rat with antlers who tried to go see God by jumping out in front of me, with this car. In all instances, I'd have tagged 'em if weren't for the ABS. The car and I wouldn't be here now if it weren't for the ABS system, I'm sold, and I'll use the stuff again in my '48 Diamond T, as the van donor is also ABS equipped.

Brian

 

Though it ain't gonna be for everyone....

If You have a working knowledge of how to do the swap, I highly reccomend a tech article on this install. I can't imagine it being that tough...but I could be wrong.

never done one myself. how big of a pain in the *** is it?

 

Saved my *** more than once.

 

yes, I agree, please do a tech so others may learn. If you need help with posting photos just ask me, I'd love to help for such a worthwhile post.

 

From reading what he wrote I believe that he did a complete ch***is swap.

 

As far as the tech aspect goes, all I did was use EVERYTHING from the donor Caddy, including the cars complete wiring harness, ABS module, and ECM. All that was needed to swap was plug the sensors back in. As I dismantled the donor mobile, it was easy to label everything as I did so, and then simply find a place to mount the hardware, and hook it all back up. Not much tech hellp, I'm afraid. I have no idea if anyone makes a stand alone ABS braking system.

This particular application is disk front, drum rear. the front hubs and rotors have the ABS hardware, the drum rear sensors are in the hubs. Earlier p***. car and newer pickups have the rear sensor either in the 3rd member or the trans tailshaft. It's "plug and play" if you have matched componants. Let GM (or Ford, or Chrysler) do the engineering.

So many people here post questions about using later ch***is and/or clips, that if you're using a complete donor vehicle, all you have to do is NOT THROW THE FACTORY STUFF AWAY. It's all there, just use it.

As far as posting photos of my completed set up, all you'll see is the sensor wire harness. My ABS module is mounted under the left front fender, behind a plastic inner fender I scored from my buddies salvage yard to keep water and crud out. It bled itself via gravity (!). I pinched a sensor lead at the rear, and spliced it to repair, a supposed NO NO, but it works as designed.

In my '51 Pontiac wagon, I used the ABS module and complete wiring harness from the donor '02 Silverado, but used front brakes with ABS from a '94 Impala. It was a ****** mounting the truck ABS module, and bleeding requires a shop manual and pressure bleeder. After all the work, the front sensors don't talk to the module, although the rear works with the stock Pontiac drums. The rear sensor being in the truck 4L60E tailshaft...So, it's not all as easy it might at first seem to be.

The '48 uses a Caddy front frame clip, and Caddy rear on the stock Pontiac frame and springs.

 

I would imagine if someone came up with an aftermarket ABS unit, it would end with the first lawsuit.

ABS evolved from the early truck sensors that limited lockup at the rear wheels when braking. Now they use speed sensors, either 1,2,3, or 4 sensors. The ABS module talks to the ECM, and sometimes can involve the transmission, gauges, and air bags.

It would be interesting to mess with, but gets real deep real quick. I second the idea of a complete donor car.

 

I would way rather be in control and have that extra little bit of breaking you lose with ABS...

 

Seems to me ABS is pretty far removed from Traditional Hot Rodding.

I'm much more interested in refining a conventional system...

 

You think that's cool.....have you ever gotten squirly in a GM vehicle with Stabilitrac? It'll blow your mind. My new truck has it. As soon as the ***-end kicks out to the left, the ECM applies the front left brake and it pulls the truck straight. My buddies won't believe me, so I'll take them out on the gravel road, (or snow-packed road last winter) and prove it. Crazy stuff.

 

While I agree....I'm also drawn to cool technology. Brings up a lot of conflicts sometimes...haha.

 

Unless ABS has improved a lot since it was first introduced, I dont think its that cool...

I remember seeing the ultra Slow-mo Films of wheels locking up and releasing in a quick pattern, that they showed to sell the concept to us when it first came out.

Its still better to keep the Wheel just on the edge of locking up, but that takes a well balanced system ( to get the wheels of both axles near that treshhold at the same time ),
and a skilled Driver to operate them that efficiently ( practice, damned...)


Once in a while we'll have people starting Threads telling us how great Radials, Discs, R&P steering, 3rd Brakelights, etc, are.


And they are fine....On Street Rod.

 

I personally dislike anti lock brakes. it seems the harder you slam on the brakes the less they wanna work. Judging by the 01 S-10 Blazer i have, almost wrecked a few times with them where i wouldnt with normal brakes and it has all new brakes as well. Maybe its just a Blazer thing

 

ABS: So you survive to cuss out and flip off the ***hole that pulls out in front of you.

 

Have heard u.s.a invented anti lock brakes on airplanes ,1930s and patent was sold to Bosh !

 

Hell, if ANYBODY would post ANY tech on it, that would be AWESOME!

~Jason

 

True dat.... when you're panic stopping in a straight line ......ABS gives you the ability to STEER and brake and you don't need to be a skilled driver
I felt like Alex until I did a few " driving instructor" gigs with the old 'Corvette--Dream and Drive' tour in 93 I think. First day,**** Guldstrand told me to hit the skidpad HARD and FAST(soapy water on an asphalt parking lot) and saw the steering wheel while standing on the brakes Whaddya know---the car went wherever I pointed it as it slowed down FAST. Every time.

Agreed, ABS is really more like "street rodder" stuff.....not traditional at all...but DAMN cool if you can pull it off.

 

Doesn't sound very traditional?

 

Yeah, well, as sad as it is to say, thats the direction this forumn has been headed lately..

 

Sounds about as traditional as putting a "new" engine in a model A back in the 50's. That is what hot rodding is. Making something go faster and handle better than it was originally supposed to do.

And, how traditional would his car have been parked inside the other car in the intersection?

 

Until you put a wheel off into the gr***. Then you're ****ed.

I recently parked a BMW X5 with the left 2 wheels on the gravel shoulder and the right 2 on the sealed blacktop. Pointing a little up hill and leaning to the left a bit. When I went to take off, it sat on the spot churning the front tyres. . Had to roll back a bit before it would just drive. Even the best car control systems have problems. Getting ABS to work on a rod sounds a bit hit and miss for my liking.

 

a rear abs system from a 90's style ford wouldn't be all that difficult or noticable

 

TRADITIONAL:

 

Nope.

Thats a Gl*** Body.

 

Dude, your out of your ****in mind. That makes no sense what so ever. Your comparing putting a 50s engine in a model A that was 30 years old at the time. This is about putting brakes from the new millenium on a Old car...New brakes= NON traditional... putting a Olds Rocket in a Model A in the 50s= TRADITIONAL

 

uuhhhh....I think that's a traction control issue(ASR)...not ABS
I ain't even gonna make a remark about you driving an X5
I'm with ya though....it's not like bolting on a new carb or a dropped axle---serious engineering comes into play---it's not for everyone.

 

Abs on my dakota worked great, my toyota truck it has almost killed me. I for one would welcome it on the galaxie. For me and where I live, (trad or not,) it is a huge tourist area and the drivers are horrid. It does no good to stop in a hundred and fifty feet when everything else on the road is stopping in one hundred. These ***holes around here think the space i keep between me and the car in front of me to stop safely is for them to pull in to to cut me off.

 

I agree, better to die in a wreck as long as you are TRAD.

 

"Traditional" rod builders didn't have ABS technology, but they didn't have plazma cutters, MIG welders or TIG welders in their garages either.

If you die hards are so hell bent on "traditional" building when will you give up MIG and TIG welding for stick welding and gas welding?

 

ABS would not be nessesary if it were required to learn how to drive before one received their license. ABS nearly killed me in a work truck. It would have been better if I had been able to lock up the brakes and control the slide than be unable to stop and steer, off into a ditch to avoid the other vehicle. Good or bad, driving is a skill, not a priviledge or a right.