Reasons for deleting ABS

[Mr_Fielgood]

When I bought #1736 I found that the anti lock light on, 60A ABS fuse under the hood was missing. And also recently found the ABS control unit unplugged when I was replacing the radio antenna assembly. Can't seem to find any info as to why the PO was getting rid of ABS. Any helpful thoughts? Smog check coming up soon. Not sure if I can pass with this light on.

 

[gvr4ever]

It's a popular thing to do if these cars are raced so the driver has full control of the brakes without the ABS system kicking in, or something might broken, or they changed hubs.

 

[iceman69510]

Nothing to do with smog. Do you have safety checks where you live? Unplugging both the control unit and removing the fuse should turn out that light. Or maybe you also need to disconnect the plugs to the hydraulic unit as well.

I removed ABS from one of my cars because it developed a problem with the hydraulic unit where occasionally and completely without warning, it would send the brake pedal to the floor. Probably an internal relief valve failure. Decided to remove it rather than replace a 20 year old unit with another 20 year old unit.

 

[transparentdsm]

Quoting Fielgood1736:
When I bought #1736 I found that the anti lock light on, 60A ABS fuse under the hood was missing. And also recently found the ABS control unit unplugged when I was replacing the radio antenna assembly. Can't seem to find any info as to why the PO was getting rid of ABS. Any helpful thoughts? Smog check coming up soon. Not sure if I can pass with this light on.



i dont think youll fail for ABS light. im sure they did it because the pump was acting up like iceman, the same thing happened to myself in 138 and that is why i deleted mine. if you want to come up to tahoe i can do a complete removal for you with ABS delete prop valve.

 

[Chad989of2000]

Cali doesn't care about the ABS light for smog checks, only the CEL.

 

[biglady112]

Or the easiest solution. Pull the light from the back of the cluster.

 

[marvinmadman]

That's not the easiest. Pull fuse and unplug the control unit in the trunk. No light after that. Well, that's easier and faster for me.

 

[ApexHunter]

^ Same here. Pulling the cluster bezel out was always a prayer away from cracking the damn thing.

Quoting iceman69510:
I removed ABS from one of my cars because it developed a problem with the hydraulic unit where occasionally and completely without warning, it would send the brake pedal to the floor. Probably an internal relief valve failure. Decided to remove it rather than replace a 20 year old unit with another 20 year old unit.



Same here again.

Another good reason, is that late 80s/early 90s weren't exactly the golden age of ABS tech. To me it wasn't worth having it- and its >20 lb ABS modulator sitting in a pretty terrible spot - in front of the front left wheel :/ . These cars don't exactly have physics on their side to begin with. Get that boat anchor out of there.

 

[RayH]

Not sure what the engineers were thinking when they came up with 2-channel ABS. Drop one side of the car onto a slick surface and you pretty much lose all braking.

 

[Mr_Fielgood]

Don't think I want to take the chance and plug back in the ABS unit and fuse to find out I can't brake. lol
Guess I'll be on the look out for an ABS delete kit.

 

[slugsgomoo]

Not only is it heavier, it simply works like crap.

Even in a modern car with great abs, a very good driver working hard should be able to stop just a shade faster threshold braking. With the 2 channel diagonal sh*t we have, it's actually easy to out stop our ABS with proper technique, or hell, even improper.

Lose the 30lb of sh*t off the drivers side nose of the car, and the rest of the junk in the trunk (lol).

 

[transparentdsm]

Quoting Fielgood1736:
Don't think I want to take the chance and plug back in the ABS unit and fuse to find out I can't brake. lol
Guess I'll be on the look out for an ABS delete kit.



i have a prop valve. i usually use the stock lines and cut them back and re-flare them to fit.

 

[KiNgMaRtY]

There is a kit on JNZ:
click

 

[mitsuturbo]

Quoting slugsgomoo:
Not only is it heavier, it simply works like crap.

Even in a modern car with great abs, a very good driver working hard should be able to stop just a shade faster threshold braking. With the 2 channel diagonal sh*t we have, it's actually easy to out stop our ABS with proper technique, or hell, even improper.

Lose the 30lb of sh*t off the drivers side nose of the car, and the rest of the junk in the trunk (lol).



It's closer to 13 pounds, total. Including lines. I had a debate with someone on this here years ago and weighed it all on 3 different scales i had at the house. There are probably pictures of it on here somewhere.

 

[Yohler]

Yeah, I just pulled mine yesterday. After all the legends of the lawn mower engine I expected it to be bigger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif

 

[marvinmadman]

More like a weed eater 2 stroke engine

 

[mitsuturbo]

Quoting Yohler:
Yeah, I just pulled mine yesterday. After all the legends of the lawn mower engine I expected it to be bigger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif



Do us a favor. Weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the lawnmower engine. What's the weight?

 

[NateCrisman]

I think it would be up for debate on remove/don't if the factory ABS worked worth half a damn, but it doesn't. All the times Iv driven GVR4's in the snow over the years with the ABS system, it just basically cuts the brakes out completely until you let off the pedal and try again. It doesn't ever seem to "recover", and gives me more of the feeling that I just lost the brakes all together with the pedal going to the floor & nothing happening..which induces driver panic more than helping you.

Id ditch it completely, working or not working just for the piece of mind that comes with predictable brake pedal.

 

[pot]

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rofl.gif

 

[Yohler]

Quoting mitsuturbo:
Quoting Yohler:
Yeah, I just pulled mine yesterday. After all the legends of the lawn mower engine I expected it to be bigger. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/dunno.gif



Do us a favor. Weigh yourself, then weigh yourself holding the lawnmower engine. What's the weight?



It's buried somewhere in the trash, but I'd wager its close to your estimate of 13 lbs.