Contour Enthusiasts Group Archives Forums Modifications Brakes improving emergency stop distance

Man that kid is dense.

Threshold breaking is second nature to me. It is called *EXPIRENCE*

*PRACTICE*

hey kid... for the most part drivers ed teachers do not know squat about vehicle dynamics and couldn't explain to you how to really drive. They can tell you the 'rules of the road'

what you need is a REAL drivers education.

check out the Car Guys
http://www.carguysinc.com/

or perhaps Panoz Racing Schools Advanced Handling Classes
http://www.panozracingschool.com/Handling.asp

Better yet
Start AutoCrossing
www.scca.org

Originally posted by bxd20:

---

Thanks Roger, that's kind of where I was hoping this thread would go. Point being, I KNOW I've read C&D reviews that say stuff like "... and the '98 Corvette's Bosch ABS system now features <blah blah blah> that can measure and adjust braking pressure "x" times faster than last year's model."

When I read stuff like that, I can't help but think that the owner of the 97 could just replace his ABS module with a 98 version if nothing else on the car changed.

This might be what it boils down to: Do the part #'s for our ABS modules match across all years? What about the Cougar's?

If Bill did some hunting, and found out that say the part number for a 99 SVT is different than an 00 SVT, I could see this being a potential improvement to our braking systems.

Long shot, but I'm curious.


Brian Dors
99 SVT

---

Back to the original question, as well as maybe stirring the pot a bit, here's more tech info from a Bosch ABS engineer, ABS Theory--keep it or ditch it?

WOW!

Fantastic article, thanks!

So the question now exists, did Ford/Bosch use a different set of tuning characteristics in the ABS systems, if we were to compare say a Zetec Contour to an SE to an SVT.

According to this article, they better have. Tires, brakes, suspension all different.

Brian Dors
99 SVT

Originally posted by Rara:

---

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

Besides, the average person can only pump their brakes between 50-70 per minute, ABS brakes can pump themselves as much as 50 times per second

---

The simple fact that you had the DSC kick in unintentionally on a dry road on an off-ramp proves that you are a very poor driver, and are not aware of what is going on around you.

---

The simple fact that the offramp was GLARE ICE might have had something to do with it. Read a little more carefully next time.

That being said...is our ABS 3-or 4-channel? I know the 6000 and the Bimmer have 4-channel, but I'm not sure about the Mystique. My 1995 brochure says it's a "Four-sensor design that moniters each wheel individually", so that must mean it's 4-channel, right? Heck, even 2003 GrandAms still have 3-channel, and all 2002 (not sure about 2003) Volvos have 3-channel, surprising for being so "safety oriented"

Roger,

Thanks for finding that article. My buddy who used to work at bosch brakes showed me that once... thus why I kept chanting that ABS works best with OEM equipment (tires, pads, wheels etc)

so now we have the answer.

THE BEST way to improve your stopping with ABS is to get everything back to stock. beyond that you could try to lower the mass of the vehcile. The brake system test drivers/engineers spend countless weeks/months testing the systems in ALL conditions and tweaking all of the parameters.

if you are after the shortest stopping distance possible, get a good set of pads for initial bite and modulation, get the stickiest tires possible on the lightest wheels possible. Make the car weigh is little as possible, tune the suspnesion properly to avoid dive disable ABS and *LEARN HOW TO DRIVE*.... (F=MA) you reduce the M and you need less F to obtain the same A. If you have to ask about that little math lesson I suggest you get an applied science/physics book and read.

Practice and expirence make better drivers... go and practice.

I think the idea of OEM components is because most non-car enthusiasts take the cheapest route possible when it comes to fixing their cars. As for car enthusiasts, we willing put out more money for components that are better than stock!

-Andy

Sure, we're enthusiasts. But just as a engine mods require the PCM to to be modified(apex-i, superchip, etc.) to accomodate a/f and timing changes needed for proper performance, the Bosch article makes it clear for best ABS performance, the ABS computer should be "modded" to account for the handling changes our other mods (Larger brakes, wheels, tires) have. Right now, the late model Contours with wheel/tire/brake mods MAY be suffering a loss in braking performance, rather than the increase expected.

It is definitely food for thought.....

I edited that post with more points but they didn't make it!

My other point was that most of the aftermarket OEM replacements are made by the same companies, i.e. our Ford plugs are made by Autolite, the name on the side and dealer mark-up are the only differences. I also think there are a lot more factors that go into an engines workings than an ABS system. No to trivialize the system just pointing it out! When the sensors read a lock up the ABS kicks in. At least in our case! Granted the new BMW and Merc systems are much more comlpex than that.

I made some other point but that was 20 mins ago and I'm ... well I'll leave that alone!

-Andy

Originally posted by Cool Blue Mystique:

---

To the person (persons) who recommended threshold braking...when you're driving 70 in the freeway and an animal bolts across the road infront of you, what do your instincts tell you to do? Pump the brakes? I think not!

---

So we should develop systems for those people that Panic quicker than others? I think not!

This is an irrelevant statement.