were there any 91 v6 birds that came with abs? because i have been thinking about installing on mine and was woundering if it were possible, or if maybe i could pull a brake system, rear end and stuff out of anther 3rd gen bird, because it would have been really helpful a few months ago when i ran into the back of a truck
i mean my car was beautiful and now it looks like crap

 

ABS wasnt available in f-bodies untill the fourth gens.

 

is there anything i can do to get in on mine?

 

It is not worth it... just learn to drive better with the knowledge that you don't have ABS, and instead of slamming on the brakes, use less force and/or pump the pedal. You have to learn to drive YOUR car.

 

One thing to keep in mind about ABS is that it doesnt make your car stop any faster under most conditions. It can even increase the distance it takes to stop in some conditions. Take it from a horrible driver like me. Ive made LOTS of emergency braking maneuvers in many different cars and the abs doesnt make it stop any faster. The thing that ABS does is allow you to maintain control of your car, such as if you have to swerve you dont have to lift off the brake to allow the tires to rotate and direct the car rather then just slide. It cant prevent accidents or markedly decrease your stopping distance, jsut allow control to be maintained during extreme braking.

 

okay, here's part of what it takes:

On a 4th gen f-body, they have a reluctor (toothed) wheel at each front hub, and a sensor pickup on each.

In the rear, there is either a reluctor wheel pressed onto the differential carrier (cars without traction control) or a sensor at each outer end of the differential (not 100% sure how these are setup physically)

On a 91-96 B/D-body (fleetwood, caprice, etc.) they have a reluctor ring pressed onto the rear of the rotor. You could very likely machine the backside of a 3rd gen 1LE rotor (same as 79-96 B-body except for bolt pattern) and put the reluctor ring there, but you'd have to mount the sensor to the spindle.

The physical part is doable. But, the ABS computers are programmed for different brake biases based on vehicle weight and tyre size.

Personally, I think it's a huge amount of work. But I've looked into it. Only if I had spare time and $, and a good parts car would I bother to do it. The realistic solution is to run quality tyres and keep your brakes up to par (1LE or better upgrade in front, rear discs)

 

welp the disc rear switch sounds nice, can i just go pull a new rear from a like ta or would the gear be diff and if so how? also would i need the brake booster and stuff?

 

and i know it doesn't make you stop faster i wanted the sys for just what it says anti-locking

 

this is a topic that has been gone through before. I thought it was figured that a 2wd s10 setup was needed or the best to modify

 

so i can just pull a rear end out of an s10?,thats even better because there are no firebirds in the junkyards where i live

 

no.

totally diffrent suspension.






you can do a search on it to read the full details but the jist of it is this:



pick one of the setups.... early or late 4thgen. with or without traction control.


get the proper rear from a 4thgen... this gives you the rear sensors.

machine out a trigger wheel and get a pickup sensor and make front wheel sensors.

plumb in the ABS computer and pump(s)






and with a touch of luck, it should all work.

 

Somebody actually wants to put ABS on their car??? You might as well volunteer for an unnecessary root canal while you're at it too! Every vehicle I've ever seen with ABS brakes has a couple of things in common. They all have the ABS trouble light on in the dash display, and the owners faint dead away when the dealership gives them a price quote on fixing all the problems that make the stupid little light stay on. If you ever check the price on the servo pump rebuilt or new, you'll know exactly what I'm referring to! By the way, whether it's GM or Ford makes no difference either as far as the light always being on. My mother's Pontiac and my boss's Ford van both have the constant trouble light. Oh yeah, I forgot about my dad's 91 Caprice that also has the light on all the time. The dealership quoted him over a thousand dollars to fix that stupid little light. I agree with the other guys who suggested just upgrading your existing brake system. ABS is just a sales gimmick for susy homemaker to feel like she's buying a safer vehicle. With the proper pedal technique, I'm convinced that standard brakes are far superior for control in an emergency situation. Besides, according to the light in the dash, the ABS never works anyways! Just my .02.

 

ok.

1st off. maintain your car, including the brake system and you wont have a problem. with the 100s of 4thgen Fbody owners ive hung out with and met, NOT A SINGLE ONE has ever had a ABS prob. nore have i seen them posted on LS1.com or CZ28 or LS1tech

2. fix your own damn car.. the dealership screwes everyone over for everything.

3 if was really just that stupid little light, then take the bulb out... or you can reconize that theres a problem, learn what the heck that light means, and fix it. i'll even mail you a GM scan tool... (paperclip)


4 you obviously have no idea what ABS truly does or how it works. that leaves you two choices.

• remain ignorant with a uninformed opinion.
• learn about how it works, how to fix it, and EXACTLY what it does (not a general overview like everyone knows)

i think you'll have a bit more respect, and appreciation for it, even if you dont like the concept of it... and you will save your butthole from the cost of the dealership for somthing thats probly pretty stupid.

 

Damn dude, if you can retrieve abs codes with a paperclip you're a better man than me. The paper clip method generally only works for retrieving engine codes as far as I know. I won't argue the fact that a dealership will leave you walking funny either, but abs parts even through autozone or a similar parts house are still outrageous. If none of the guys you know have never had an abs problem or light, they must be living a charmed life or sacrificed one of their young.

 

man i didn't mean to start an arguement, i was just woundering if any 3rd gens came with abs: and i know how they work and what it does, i also just wasn't sure what all was involved if i wanted to switch, my girl has a 02 mustang and the braking in it is deff because she has abs, i stop quicker but her stop is more reliable and more in control, and i too know people that get ripped by the little light, and thats only because they don't maintain their system, there is alot to be said for it, and also to be said against it, like i said i was just thinking of it as a project and how hard it would be

 

Man, had lots of cars with abs and not one problem. ABS is definatly worth it on a car that will see rain/snow/adverse conditions. Even though some systems can protract the stopping distances in some conditions, steering control can still be maintained over the vehicle, sicne the tires are momentarily unloaded at the onset of lockup so they can still rotate and provide directional control over the car. Another problem is that all the brain dead drivers out there (your average motorist) dont know how to deal with an abs system. They feel the servo begin actuating and they panic, take their foot off the brake, crash, and then blame it on the abs. Its not surprising, considering the way some systems feel. The one in my parents new CRV goes 'THUNK! .... THUNK! THUNK!' rather then the mid 90's gm buzz but it does a very good job of maintaining stability and control. If you dont believe me, go out in the rain/snow and slam on your brakes. While your skidding out of control because all four tires are locked up, try to steer the car. Doesnt steer much, does it? Repeat the test with abs and tell me how it goes. Bet the car will do much better, no slides and youll still be able to have some degree of control over it.

 

Oh, proper pedal technique. The abs systems can modulate the braking at each tire upwards of hundreds of times a second instead of the .7 times a second modulation that your foot can do.

 

oh im sure a pro at the top of his game can come close to that..

he just needs to be able to modulate 4 brake pedals at once.




heh, ever notice that in any pro motorsport where its legal, they have it? (except marine and aircraft... i know some smartass was thinking it. )

theres a reason they outlaw it.... drivers can brake later, harder and go faster.. no real skill required..

miss avg soccer mom can slam on the brakes and still turn the car around the corner, or switch lanes to avoid someone.

Mr badass race driver will still never be able to stop as fast and steer in the same car.

then again, if you're truly badass, you wont get yourself in a situation where you need it... so its only a backup anyway.

and like i always haveto say in these threads... its not like you cant add a off switch.

 

Aw hell, no worries about starting any arguments dude. It's really all a matter of personal preference which system anyone prefers. I won't argue the fact that abs systems do work great when they're functioning properly. Instead of flaming for or against cars with abs, I guess the point I'm trying to get across is considering how complicated and expensive the parts are for an abs system, I wouldn't bother trying to retrofit it on a car that didn't have it originally. There's braver souls out there that would attempt a project like that, but count me out!