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The mkiv Supra Owners Club

ABS - Keep or remove


_Shane_
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Can't see why you'd get rid of something like abs, i wonder what an insurance company would say

if you notified them you'd done this ?

 

I drove an na a while ago in the wet without abs and it seemed very easy to lock up a wheel and

that was only with the stock j spec calipers 2 pot 1 pot set up

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ABS does not necessarily make you stop any faster per se... its stops you locking the wheels and loosing control.

The speed in which ABS assisted brakes slows you down vs threshold braking for example will depend on what environment you are braking in.

 

Personally I would not remove it on a Road car, for example if a kid suddenly runs out in front of your car, you will panic and will stamp hard on the brakes and try and turn out of the way, which with a ABS assisted car will do. If you don't have ABS in this situation you can try and turn all you want but the car will just lock the wheels and continue straight and run the kid over.

Edited by ManwithSupra (see edit history)
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ABS does not necessarily make you stop any faster per se... its stops you locking the wheels and loosing control.

The speed in which ABS assisted brakes slows you down vs threshold braking for example will depend on what environment you are braking in.

 

Personally I would not remove it on a Road car, for example if a kid suddenly runs out in front of your car, you will panic and will stamp hard on the brakes and try and turn out of the way, which with a ABS assisted car will do. If you don't have ABS in this situation you can try and turn all you want but the car will just lock the wheels and continue straight and run the kid over.

 

It is possible to brake very heavily and still turn without abs. It is purely down to how rapidly the braking is applied and whether it is controlled?

 

I've had a couple of near accidents in cars without abs that have required me to maneuver under heavy braking and havent had an issue. But im sure as you say it is very circumstance related.

 

I personally just find it hard to believe that a 20+ year old system can be that effective. I could be wrong but i really dont like it on toyotas.

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The traction control was crap on my UK spec but the abs worked as it should and

made it much easier to stand on the brakes especially in the wet or greasy conditions

and allowed you to avoid things without locking up the unloaded tyre/s

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It is possible to brake very heavily and still turn without abs. It is purely down to how rapidly the braking is applied and whether it is controlled?

 

I've had a couple of near accidents in cars without abs that have required me to maneuver under heavy braking and havent had an issue. But im sure as you say it is very circumstance related.

 

I personally just find it hard to believe that a 20+ year old system can be that effective. I could be wrong but i really dont like it on toyotas.

 

Yes this is called threshold braking, something that you have to get used to.

I don't have any ABS or servo assistance on my track car so I have to use this technique when I am breaking hard into a corner, the fact I don't have a servo makes the control of this easier. This is basically when you feel the wheels start to lose adhesion with the road and you very slightly lift off so you get maximum braking without locking the wheels. This with a servo is possible of course but the pressure you apply to the pedal via a servo is greatly exaggerated and therefore a little more tricky.

Edited by ManwithSupra (see edit history)
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A good driver, especially in the wet, on gravel or on snow could stop a MKIV with no ABS in a shorter distance than one that just jumped on the brake and let the ABS take over. By good, I mean someone experienced in keeping calm and making a split second conscious decision to come off the brakes where all normal instincts tell you press harder, a LOT harder ;) If you feel you can do this instinctively, and reliably, you might consider removing it I guess. But fail to act as above just once and you might find even a dinosaur system like the MKIV has will save your embarrassment or worse. On snow ABS that cannot be turned off can be dreadful. A decent snow driver will lockup for controlled periods to allow a "wedge" of snow to form in front of the tyres, rather than have the ABS vibrating the pedal like a massager, and the car carrying on at undiminished speed. Latest generation ABS is better, but on snow a good Scandinavian will show it as inferior to the human.

 

Now, if you had the latest Bosch Motorsport ABS system, even the best of the best will be beaten by the the electrickery.

Edited by Chris Wilson (see edit history)
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A good driver, especially in the wet, on gravel or on snow could stop a MKIV with no ABS in a shorter distance than one that just jumped on the brake and let the ABS take over. By good, I mean someone experienced in keeping calm and making a split second conscious decision to come off the brakes where all normal instincts tell you press harder, a LOT harder ;) If you feel you can do this instinctively, and reliably, you might consider removing it I guess. But fail to act as above just once and you might find even a dinosaur system like the MKIV has will save your embarrassment or worse. On snow ABS that cannot be turned off can be dreadful. A decent snow driver will lockup for controlled periods to allow a "wedge" of snow to form in front of the tyres, rather than have the ABS vibrating the pedal like a massager, and the car carrying on at undiminished speed. Latest generation ABS is better, but on snow a good Scandinavian will show it as inferior to the human.

 

Now, if you had the latest Bosch Motorsport ABS system, even the best of the best will be beaten by the the electrickery.

 

I was going to mention snow driving. Had a very hairy moment in my new fiesta in snow when the abs took control and that was scary.

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