Am I being stupid?

BillytheImpaler · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:01

aztechnology said:
but in the OP's case, i would not swap cars just for ABS, just realise that you don't have it and drive accordingly.

I agree. However, if you wanted to get a larger motor...

Scottland · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:03

Over Clocker said:
Yeah i know, i have been on a cadence braking course etc and have never really locked up the brakes on my focus since putting Eagle F1s on it.

TBH, think i'm just looking at excuses to get the 2.0 one instead, even thought there is v little difference!!

There's surely hardly any difference in power though, in real terms. It's what, an extra ~15bhp?

Also, what year is it? I would have thought being the Ghia it would have ABS?

Remember, you're interested in safety, and everyone knows that the number of cylinders is proportionate to the safety of a car

Alibaba99 · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:04

NickXX said:
Absolutely no point selling your current car for it - but it is definately a feature worth looking for when you buy a new car. That said - it seems to be standard on pretty much everything anyway.

ABS is now a legal requirement on volume cars so all new vehicles will have it.

As to the stopping distances modern ABS/ESP systems will outbrake a similar car not fitted with ABS. When cadence braking you are limited to the tyre with the last grip, once it locks you have to come off the brakes. With ABS you are limited to the tyre with the most grip. The first tyre starts to lock so the computer releases the brakes for the wheel only, the other tyres can still have the brakes fully applied.

Over Clocker · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:06

DRZ said:
ABS doesnt .........
Of course, if you can use that as justification to the mrs for a better/more powerful car then by all means...

I'd get the ST170 if i hadn't just bought a house!

Simon · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:08

thedazman67 said:
Something doesnt sound quite right there kicking in even when dry sure there is not a problem with your ABS?. Mine has only ever kicked in once last winter glad it did otherwise i would have rear ended someone.

thedazman

Or he has crap tyres.

My Wilwood 4 pot brakes on my Rover wouldn't lock the wheels in the dry

aztechnology · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:20

Simon said:
Or he has crap tyres.

cut...

I know that feeling. I made the mistake of "cheap tyres" last time round, and I've had better grip on a Pram..

agw_01 · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:54

Yep, the tyres fitted to the wheels when I bought them were crap. Three are some unknown brand, one is a Pilot Sport.

The Pilot Sport now has a bulge in the sidewall :rolleyes:

I plan to change the tyres on the rear, put them on the front and then put the fronts on the rear.

thedazman67 · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:59

Eagle F1 GSD3 you know u want to andy

thedazman

DannyDan · 31 Jul 2006 at 19:59

DaveyD said:
Surely though, if you didn't have ABS in that situation, you'd have just locked your wheels and continued into said bus?

Exactly.

50/50 · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:01

ABS is great when you brake hard after a corner. I find it helps the car stay straight. Also works well when its wet, and your braking from high speeds on unlevel road(some motorways) , it keeps the car in the correct lane. My previous car did have ABS (saxo VTR), and it felt pretty dangerous under certain situations. Definately something I would consider essential. Its a disgrace Ford decided to skim on something so essential, in such a high volume car.

agw_01 · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:03

thedazman67 said:
Eagle F1 GSD3 you know u want to andy

thedazman

I'd already decided on those

DaveyD said:
Surely though, if you didn't have ABS in that situation, you'd have just locked your wheels and continued into said bus?

It's hard to say really Davey. It just felt that the ABS was kicking in too soon. Of course, I didn't know how greasy the road was, but there was something in my mind that I could have stopped quicker by myself.

In the incident I mentioned in the 214, where I had to stop quite quickly when the car in front locked up, the tyres had less tread than the tyres on my 220 (220's tyres are brand new) and were again, a crappy brand.

50/50 · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:08

Maybe your car just has a rubbish ABS system?

agw_01 · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:09

It's a Rover, so quite possible

Like I said though, it was only that once that it's locked up in the dry (and normal wet conditions might I add).

Gixer · 31 Jul 2006 at 20:18

agw_01 said:
It's a Rover, so quite possible

Like I said though, it was only that once that it's locked up in the dry (and normal wet conditions might I add).

AGW have you never had a play with your ABS? It's well worth while going somewhere quiet and seeing what the ABS feels like and how it responds in various conditions.

I have upgraded my brakes on my 306 Gti6 and have Toyo proxes fitted all round so they are grippy tyres. I can get the ABS to come on quite easily in the dry (though maybe the up-rated brakes help this) but I went somewhere quiet and did various hard slow downs from different speeds to see how the car responds. The ABS never seems to do the same thing, sometimes it only vibrates slowly, other times it goes mad! I am glad I tried the brakes out like this before I ever actually ever needed to use them in anger as it was a peculiar sensation on my foot when it kicked in and at first you feel like lifting off.

aztechnology · 31 Jul 2006 at 23:06

Gixer said:
AGW have you never had a play with your ABS? It's well worth while going somewhere quiet and seeing what the ABS feels like and how it responds in various conditions.

cut...

I do this on the other halfs 206cc. Every time she complains that the brakes are feeling a bit sluggish, I take it somewhere long, straight and quiet, and scrub the brakes in again (loads of slow around town stopping seems to build loads of crud on the discs and pads that needs scrubbing off every now and again), the ABS does seem to react in different ways, I just put it down to the fact that grip must vary on the road surface.

Gribs · 31 Jul 2006 at 23:29

thedazman67 said:
Something doesnt sound quite right there kicking in even when dry sure there is not a problem with your ABS?. Mine has only ever kicked in once last winter glad it did otherwise i would have rear ended someone.

thedazman

There's something wrong with your brakes if you can't manage to lock your wheels (or activate the abs) in the dry if you try.

thedazman67 · 31 Jul 2006 at 23:32

I can and i have tried

next question

thedazman

Jonnycoupe · 31 Jul 2006 at 23:35

agw_01 said:
Yep, the tyres fitted to the wheels when I bought them were crap. Three are some unknown brand, one is a Pilot Sport.

The Pilot Sport now has a bulge in the sidewall

I plan to change the tyres on the rear, put them on the front and then put the fronts on the rear.

So its likely theres some rotation circumference issues there aswell as grip levels difference at each corner. Doesnt really do the ABS brain any favours.

As a side note, ive modded my brakes, changed the tyre size and the type, Im under no illusion that ABS will brake better than me. Unlike my ABS I can learn to reduce braking distance right down to the maximum the ABS system is only calibrated for the std setup, however in an emergency when you just react its a totally different storey

bigG · 1 Aug 2006 at 00:15

DRZ said:
ABS doesnt provide/hold the greatest amount of traction under braking outright, but it does provide the greatest amount of traction whilst maintaining the ability to change course risk-free.

For that reason, it is well worth considering but as you have to be braking pretty damn hard for it to kick in, its not a big enough reason to justify selling a car for another model.

Of course, if you can use that as justification to the mrs for a better/more powerful car then by all means...

dont confuse ABS with ESP

Overlag · 1 Aug 2006 at 01:28

cymatty said:
I always thought in snow the best way to stop was to lock the wheels so they bunch snow infront of the tyres stopping you, with ABS this is not possible.

LOL

Am I being stupid?

Man of Honour