Date: Mon, 16 Jul 2007 19:04:34 -0700
Reply-To: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Don Hanson <dhanson@GORGE.NET>
Subject: Re: Some brake tech/ideas (long)
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252"
Dunno if the ABS subject has been "beaten to death" in the past, but I've
not seen it mentioned in the past year since I've been on the list.
The ABS systems I have messed with are all German, from Porsche mostly,
and they seem not too complex. I don't think you could just bolt on an ABS
system using the stock Vanagon systems, though.
The street systems, they need hardware and a controller. For practical
applications, finding and fitting everything from a donar system might be
the way to go, if ABS was what you're after.
ABS needs a wheel speed sensor at each wheel, the wiring to connect that
to an ABS brain and a hydraulic controller to send the appropriate pressure
changes into the wheels, as needed.
A simplistic explanation of the system's working: When the wheel speed
sensors detect one wheel is turning at lesser speeds than the rest of them,
it sends less brake pressure to the 'slower turning' or locked up wheel(s)
Most street systems will do this and then return full braking pressure at
many times per second...trying to get the sliding wheel to hook back
up...much like manually (poedially(?) with your foot, anyhow) pumping the
brakes as we learn to do on snowy or slick roads..That is where the buzzy or
pulsing pedal feel comes when your ABS is called into play..
The hardware is not too complex, but it is "in harms way" down there near
the road and inside the wheel wells, so the mounting and routing of the
sensors needs to be done well. That would be simple if you took the whole
wheels, including backing plates with brackets and wiring looms from another
car...maybe like and old 944 or a 928, an Audi or something..Get the brake
rotors, the calipers and the backing plates, the brain and the controller..
Me, I won't be messing with ABS for my brake upgrade..I got used to
driving over the limit of traction without that system in my racecar and
often used that fact to make passes on some of the more expensive racers who
always relied on the ABS to control their traction during every corner..I
digress..
Anyhow, if I were driving my Van in freeway conditions everyday, or on a
busy aggressive driver commute, or if I lived at the top of a big long
grade, the brake system in my 84 would be long gone..Its adequate for me,
but just barely. An upgrade is coming up my "to do" list as I cross off
things...like my recent fuel line replacement(which I am re-doing tomorrow,
having just read on my new hoses..."not for use with fuel injection")...
Don Hanson
----- Original Message -----
From: "Zoltan" <zolo@foxinternet.net>
To: "Don Hanson" <dhanson@GORGE.NET>; <vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM>
Sent: Monday, July 16, 2007 6:16 PM
Subject: Re: Some brake tech/ideas (long)
> If we install ABS, could we keep the same setup as is?
> And what would it take to install ABS system? I often see ABS blocks in a
> wrecking yard and its cheap. Would anyone know this? Or is it subject
that
> has been beaten to death already?
> Zoltan
>
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