abs delete? worth it?

[Stoner Sam23]

It's supposed to let off the brakes because if it didn't your tires would stop turning and the rubber will skid across the top of the asphalt until you smack the car, the curb, or the tree.

What it's not supposed to do is fail to slow you down at all. That's asinine and clearly broken.
It's also not supposed to magically work without any kind of maintenance for decades. But how often have you been under there cleaning and inspecting and lubing your braking system?

I mean here you have in your hands a high performance engine in a tiny, sporty coupe, but neglecting the thing that prevents you from colliding with other vehicles and whatever else--your brakes. And rather than figure out why this matchbox car isn't stopping on a dime you're arguing to rip out one of modern vehicular safety's greatest accomplishments--ABS.


If you disconnect this system and still don't bother rebuilding your calipers and making sure everything is sealing properly and lubed up, the best case scenario is that you'll lock your wheels where you previously weren't slowing down. So even if you are not slowing down at all because of a malfunctioning or primitive ABS, you still scared the crap out of yourself, yanked the wheel around the thing you were barreling into, and slowed down for the rest of your drive home. That's far better than slamming into something, don't you think?


You can this for yourselves in an empty parking lot.
Try it with the ABS and then try it with the ABS unplugged.

You are correct I have never maintained my brake system other than keeping the fluid topped off and the occasional pad change. Most likely the PO didn't either. In my opinion ABS is not necessary, the car will stop without it. I'm not going to fix something that isn't needed so I will entertain the idea of removing it entirely.

[u3b3rg33k]

Out of curiosity, those of you that hate your e30 ABS should post current tire, tire age, and tread depth.

I'm just curious. Mine is awesome, but so are my tires. You can't phool fysiks.

[nrubenstein]

Out of curiosity, those of you that hate your e30 ABS should post current tire, tire age, and tread depth.

I'm just curious. Mine is awesome, but so are my tires. You can't phool fysiks.

I like ABS, even on the red car. It's got '05 era Blizzak WS-50s on it year round and a complete absence of wet traction. (It's a spare car, so new tires aren't really a priority.)

[nando]

People don't know how to use ABS. it's designed for improved cornering while braking - it was never meant to improve stopping distances. and with a functioning E30 ABS system, you can still threshold brake just fine.

I'd like to see somebody threshold brake the front left, front right and rear wheels independently. oh wait..

[browntown]

Out of curiosity, those of you that hate your e30 ABS should post current tire, tire age, and tread depth.

I'm just curious. Mine is awesome, but so are my tires. You can't phool fysiks.

This thread is becoming pointless. I want a simple car. I've deleted half the bloated over-engineering that the e30 has, am putting an OLDer engine than it originally had and have even contemplated going carbureted."Why would you get rid of some beautiful 80's engineering that the people at BMW wanted and thought was necessary..." Because I'm older than most of you and remember when cars were simple. People looked in the engine bay of new cars and shook their heads every time some modern miracle of engineering was added. Engines went from a lump to a plate of spaghetti.

I really want e21 or even 2002 simplicity with e30 looks. I did keep the power windows and locks though.

To humor you, I have near new BFG KDW II's that are about as aggressive as I've seen on 205/50 street tires. I can't get the abs to modulate when slamming on the brakes. The whole abs while cornering business is foreign to me. I know my subaru's traction control does that selective braking whilst throwing ones self around corners, but to me abs is for shortening that stopping distance when you slam on the brakes in a panic.

[smooth]

This thread is becoming pointless. I want a simple car. I've deleted half the bloated over-engineering that the e30 has, am putting an OLDer engine than it originally had and have even contemplated going carbureted."Why would you get rid of some beautiful 80's engineering that the people at BMW wanted and thought was necessary..." Because I'm older than most of you and remember when cars were simple. People looked in the engine bay of new cars and shook their heads every time some modern miracle of engineering was added. Engines went from a lump to a plate of spaghetti.

You "remember" when cars were simple?

I'm older than you and I don't remember this great heyday of distributors, points, carbs, etc. in fact it was a royal pita and everyone I knew drooled over the aftermarket electronic systems with two exceptions: my buddy's brother who had a Holly six-pack and the Weber on my Datsun pickup. and only because they looked and sounded cool

I can just see it now...Oregon of all places...you're going to get your carbs all set up on Saturday and then when it starts to rain Monday morning you'll be out there with your screwdriver trying to get it tuned again before work. or maybe you'll be at bimmerfest with your timing light twisting on your distributor while one of us is cranking the starter until you remember that you haven't adjusted your points since you drove down but the tool kit doesn't have a feeler gauge....oh yeah, sounds like a hoot!

and the poor kid who started this thread is talking about a daily driver. LOL you guys think smog is a bitch now? dude, with these "simple" systems he's talking about *anything* could go wrong...effing ANYTHING. you needed a whole slew of tools and extension cords just to tune your car. so much crap could be wrong to throw your emissions off. just the idle...just the idle depending on your carb, your points, your distributor, the weather, ....

[browntown]

OK, calm down. I am megasquirting my old engine with wasted spark (no distributor). So yes, technology has a place. As for the emissions stuff? The charcoal canister is in the trash can. Oregon (at least outside of portland and ashland), does not require emissions testing. Every car from 74 I've owned invariably has the emissions crap pulled. It was a nightmare when that stuff came along. You're right, I'm wrong.

[smooth]

I lived in Oregon for ten years down in Grants Pass and I got my undergrad at SOU so I know all about lack of emissions. I was referring to the weather and you talking about going to carbs in a place as fickle as the PNW and that being simpler than EFI.

But apparently you're going to MS your car (because that's not spaghetti???) so let's keep it to brakes? I could have just as easily made similar points about the "simple" drum brakes...

[nando]

OK, calm down. I am megasquirting my old engine with wasted spark (no distributor). So yes, technology has a place. As for the emissions stuff? The charcoal canister is in the trash can. Oregon (at least outside of portland and ashland), does not require emissions testing. Every car from 74 I've owned invariably has the emissions crap pulled. It was a nightmare when that stuff came along. You're right, I'm wrong.

charcol canisters improve fuel economy. otherwise, those fuel vapors just evaporate. that's your expensive gasoline disappearing into thin air! it's a really simple system that only benefits, but people are quick to throw it away because they have no clue what it does.

as stated before - ABS is not for improving stopping distances. It just so happens that most people don't know how to brake properly. it was designed so you could steer while braking..

also, as far as electronics go - the stuff on the E30 is about as simple as it gets, while being functional/useful.

[homegrone30]

I cut mine out and haven't looked back. After replacing my motor and driving for the first time I realized something was seized in the brake system so I rebuilt or replaced everything and cut out the ABS. I still need to hook up my booster but my brakes feel GREAT!

[homegrone30]

charcol canisters improve fuel economy. otherwise, those fuel vapors just evaporate. that's your expensive gasoline disappearing into thin air! it's a really simple system that only benefits, but people are quick to throw it away because they have no clue what it does.

as stated before - ABS is not for improving stopping distances. It just so happens that most people don't know how to brake properly. it was designed so you could steer while braking..

^^^^^ Listen to this man!

[Northern]

I like how a lot of people in this thread believe that once your wheels lock up, you instantly hit a car/tree/explode/die.

You can steer while braking anyways, you just use one input at a time. ABS was designed to simplify the process for your average soccer mom to blindly mash the brake and swing the wheel to avoid the car in front.

[nando]

apparently some people in this thread are superhuman.

yeah, everyone else is dumb except YOU. :p

[u3b3rg33k]

People don't know how to use ABS. it's designed for improved cornering while braking - it was never meant to improve stopping distances. and with a functioning E30 ABS system, you can still threshold brake just fine.

I'd like to see somebody threshold brake the front left, front right and rear wheels independently. oh wait..

And that's where the problem is - get your braking done before the corner people!

I watched someone come up behind me last time it snowed - I was at a right turn (curved road) waiting at the yield sign to pull into traffic, and the person behind me comes in off the ramp good and fast, waits until they're in the corner, turns their wheels, and hits the brakes. And of course, the car starts to slide. Fortunately, they were sliding more than turning, or they would've ABS'd themselves right into the back of my e30.

I slow down before icy corners, but I guess they don't teach anything in driver's ed these days.


As for individual wheel brakes, the only things I've ever driven with those are farm tractors - and they're fantastic if you want to turn inside the length of the vehicle. At high speed, it's a great way to throw yourself into a ditch.

[nando]

actually, what it does is keep the car going straight even if the front left and front right have vastly different amounts of traction. it's not going to send your car into a ditch.

do a high speed slalom in the rain and see if you like ABS then. You don't always want to corner before the turn (or neccesarily have time). :)