Do Anti-Lock Brakes Suck?

[Rev]

If you can't modulate your brakes, ABS ain't gonna save your ***. PKRWUD may have a point about variable rear brake pressure depending on variable weight distribution. Personally, I'd just rather do it myself.

Rev

[zepherman]

Im in the GM ASEP program at my local community college. We are about to complete the brakes portion of he program. The professor told us that the point behind RWAL in the trucks is to keep the rear end from sliding around to the front. He also said that ABS isn't designed to shorten braking distance. It is there to help the driver maintain directional control under hard braking. This definately makes sence to me, but the guy is a GM guy so consider the source.

[Rev]

I think straight line stability can be maintained, even in a pick up truck , without ABS. Is it easier with ABS? Yes. Does it take longer to stop? Yes. My $.02.

Rev

[rbohm]

i personally have never felt the need to have abs brakes on any of my cars. i have driven my vintage cars around the country in various weather conditions including ice and snow, and through the remnants of a hurricane, and i have never had any problems with stopping, even pulling a trailer.

[Mr 5 0]

I'm not an expert but my '90 LX never gave me any trouble stopping from high speeds with it's allegedly undersized brakes and without ABS. I avoided driving it in snow or on slippery surfaces so I can't attest to it's ability in those situations but I can believe that ABS would be a hindrance on slippery surfaces.

I now have an '06 Honda which is a 365-days-a-year daily driver (with ABS) but I haven't experienced a problem with it stopping on wet or slippery surfaces. Of course, I also avoid making hard stops in those conditions, so I may not be the best judge of this.

I suspect that ABS - which has been around a long time - was designed for the average (clueless) driver, not the tuned-in performance-oriented driver that usually pilots a Mustang V-8.

ABS literature mentions that braking may be compromised under 'certain conditions' which is a sly way of telling you that it isn't 'foolproof'. However, I doubt many grocery-getter drivers ever notice that disclaimer in the fine print that follows the description of ABS on their new or used car. In any case, despite it's shortcomings, I doubt that ABS is going away and in fact, it is likely to remain standard equipment on most vehicles for the foreseeable future.

[bmxmon]

2002, digging deep!

[Unit 5302]

Five years later...

My opinions on ABS haven't really changed a whole lot in regard to cars manufactured then. As far as cars manufactured now, I don't have an opinion. I know they've made progress in the past few years with ABS systems, and probably a heck of a lot of progress in poor road condition performance. Looking at how ABS performed just a couple years ago, you could clearly see how much better new ABS systems had gotten.

I'm probably not as arrogant as I used to be either.

Anyway, where srv1 was headed was logical then or now, but I still think my point holds true for cars of that time because it's based on my experience as an informed, and I feel, better than average driver when situations push my vehicle to the limit. Your average driver that reacts without thinking or analyzing the situation is probably far better off with ABS than without. For a skilled driver under crappy road conditions, I'd wager they will perform better without ABS because conventional brakes do stop faster, and so long as you're evaluating the situation well, you can still turn by modulating pedal pressure manually. For a skilled driver under good road conditions, I'd wager they will perform worse without ABS.

ABS is no longer a new technology. It's a time tested, and highly fine tuned technology these days so a person may be much better off with it than without. I always look to closed circuit racing as an example. How many times do you see a wheel lock and the driver slide off the course? How many of those cars use ABS vs. conventional brakes? Seems to me that ABS is getting the nod more often than not in racing these days, and the guys out on the track put the rest of us to shame in ability.

[1965GTO]

I don't like ABS,ESC,Traction control, cruise control, power steering, etc. It is all made for people who are marginal drivers and don't understand how things work.

[bmxmon]

Originally Posted by 1965GTO

I don't like ABS,ESC,Traction control, cruise control, power steering, etc. It is all made for people who are marginal drivers and don't understand how things work.

Its pretty hard to think as fast as a computer, though I can see your angle. Cruise control though? Haha, seems pretty funny to say people who use the cruise are marginal drivers.

[1965GTO]

Ok, I admit to having used cruise control when I was in a vehicle that had it. However I don't think vehicles should have it. It comes in handy when driving in a slow speed zone, you can set it and not accidentally end up with a speeding ticket, but if you are paying attention to your driving you don't need it. That is the problem with cruise control, too many people set it and then are too lazy to drive the car or truck. Lazy people don't want to kick off the cruise or adjust the cruise and instead run up right on someones rear bumper before hitting their brakes. It is the reason so many big trucks are tailgating and speeding also.

[chuck88]

I dont like ABS & if you ask me its just another gimick to sell more cars (appliances). If you pump the brakes you can stop the car better then the ABS can. I had a 71 mercury with manual drum brakes (all 4 tires) you know you have a terrible stopping distance so you work around it.

I have had many instances were the ABS kicked in my work truck and if hadn't pumped the brakes to decrease the stoping distance I would have hit the car in front of me. (I know ABS is designed to allow you to drive around the problem but try that on the cross bronx expressway in the rain in rush hour while slaming on the brakes.)

[TomD]

ABS brakes suck! Every time I've ever hit something with a car, it was with a car that had ABS brakes. First, when I worked for a car rental agency, I hit our garage with the shuttle bus going about 2 mph in the snow. The brakes pulsated and the vehicle would not stop at all. Another time was when I was working for a valet service and drove a Chevrolet Cavalier through a puddle at about 10 mph. Some other car came around the corner really fast. I put on the brakes and the car would not stop. It ran right into the other car. Until recently the only car I owned personally was a 1951 Chevrolet I've owned it for over 10 years now. It has ONE master cylinder with no perportioning valve. Front brake shoes are larger than rear ones, and that controls perportioning. I have gotten into some nasty skids with the car, and even spun it around once. However, once I learned how to drive it properly, I could manage almost any situation. It stops way faster and more easily than any ABS car in the snow or rain. You just have to know how to operate the brakes and steering properly, and try not to lock up the brakes. You don't need to pump the brakes. Just let up slightly when the wheels lock up, if the car loses control. It's an automatic reaction that happens instantly. It takes no thought. Just practice. I just bought at 1999 Saturn with ABS brakes, and I'm scared to drive it in the snow. Today I blew through an intersection at 10 mph in the snow. Luckily there was no cross traffic. The car would not stop. Applying the parking brake only made the car skid sideways. I'd like to disconnect the ABS sensors, but I"m afraid that if I got in an accident with them disconnected, I'd get into trouble for that. Too bad there isn't a switch inside to give the driver control. One thing that is nice about ABS brakes, though, if you can call it that, is that they keep the vehicle going straight so that the least vulnerable parts of the car are struck (front and rear). A side collision is much more dangerous. However, my parents' 1993 Mercury Grand Marquis, with 4 wheel disc brakes and no ABS, stops straight almost all the time. I wouldn't say that about my 1951 Chevrolet (stopping that car takes skill), but the Marquis stops just fine without ABS. Also, my friend's 1990 Honda Civic (great car all around....with 230,000 miles, too!) doesn't have ABS brakes, and it stops, goes, and steers just fine in up to a foot of snow. It's great!

[Rhauf]

ABS sucks. the ONLY time abs is nice is when it's rear ABS on a truck used for towing

I had 4 wheel ABS in an offroad vehicle (96 ranger) and in a sandy river bed, doing about 45mph, i stomped them to avoid running into a fallen tree. in a non abs vehicle I'd have locked up the tires and dug them into the sand and stopped easily, however with the ABS i went sailing through the tree, clearing off limbs, as if i hadn't even touched the brakes. that was its second offence, first time was on a hill climb where i didn't make it quite all the way up.. pressed the brakes and they did nothing but vibrate the pedal, so i went coasting down the hill backwards gaining speed like crazy... until i popped the clutch.

i disabled them when i got home. abs is worthless. and a PITA when it comes to bleeding brakes etc.