ABS retro fit

[Gus 5]

ive been thinking idly...dangerous i know but hey.....would it be possible to retrofit abs? if you could get the abs control unit, mount it somewhere, then just reroute all the hose into it, and all the ones going to the brakes....it should work? does the unit rely on the ECU to operate? or does it do it all by itself? would be cool

[bmwsparkle 3]

dont bother... my contril unit blew... very hard to find a part, took me about 6 months to find a new one, and thats got sent away to be fixed too

guess how much a new unit is...? 2 grand.....

[Viking 0]

*cough* 2 grand?!

how many E30's came out with ABS? are they easy to find for sale in NZ?

[Guest Spargo]

Gus' car is the only facelift i've seen without it. Weird.

[Grant 4]

Gus' car is the only facelift i've seen without it. Weird.

both of the facelift E30's I have owned have not had it, it is more uncommon, than common.

Cheers

[Guest Speedye30]

"1986 and later models are equipped with a bosch ABS system"

-chapter 12 page 1 Bentley e30 service manual.

Advice: Difficult and expensive job. Do you really want ABS?

Edited May 17, 2004 by Speedye30

[Viking 0]

I would, but then again I hope to have over 450rwhp in it, so stopping is going to be a major thing, I need to do a bit more research to see what the best setup is with boosters and such for the M50/E30 conversion.

[Grant 4]

"1986 and later models are equipped with a bosch ABS system"

-chapter 12 page 1 Bentley e30 service manual.

Advice: Difficult and expensive job. Do you really want ABS?

Bentley must be wrong (I can almost hear the gasps of shock).

Neither of the two facelift E30's (my old 320i was a 1990, and my current 325i is 1991) had, or ever had ABS.

Real drivers don't need ABS (but I'm sure in an emergency situation, it could come in handy)!!!

[Gus 5]

yeah read about it a bit more.....not easy is it! was just wanting it for emergency situations.....so easy to lock up fronts now..... and its cool...but i spose i will just have to learn to drive!

[Grant 4]

yeah read about it a bit more.....not easy is it! was just wanting it for emergency situations.....so easy to lock up fronts now..... and its cool...but i spose i will just have to learn to drive!

yes, ABS with those monsters could come in handy.

[bumpstop325 0]

this is not advised.

$400 each for pick up's alone. and you need four of them.

you need:

pick up's for each wheel

wiring loom

control unit

not sure if they need new computer.

or whether is a stand alone unit

[Napier_E36 0]

but i spose i will just have to learn to drive!

haha you said it yourself bro.... so i guess you should have said this yourself PWN3D

my bimmer is the 1st car ive had with abs, and i hardly ever need it - in fact, i think it is a bit of a hinderence - esp when you are working them and you get brake fade! They proved it at the driver training day, without using abs, they stopped that E36 touring quicker - and ive found the same - when you slam the foot hard on the brakes, you can stop hard without locking up, but it takes a bit further remember? hehe you dont need to waste that money! by the way, congratulations on giving it the power to stop, before making it insanely quick like most "boyracers" do....

[Guest Andrew]

The bentleys manual only refers to AMERICAN spec cars. Hence the 84 318 - the 325i 325e and varients. .

Gus - you cannot fit ABS to your brakes.

[Gus 5]

i figured....sticky tyres on front then

[*sic 1]

anyone with abs here, make sure you use it every so often or the sh*t frezzes up... mine just has i think... that or its electrical : /

[Grant 4]

Is that a common problem with ABS?

If so, it must hit people all of the time, as most people would never use their ABS (except in emergencies).

Cheers

[*sic 1]

yea it is, and its all gay if your sh*t seizes : /

its best to actuate it every so often so the gear doesnt lock up.

[Napier_E36 0]

hehe mine definitly gets the ole work out every now and then eh evan - last trip to vegas, those 2 random cars on the side of the road.... had to brake HARD!! where the hell did THEY come from??? hehe my ABS still works....

[Viking 0]

So what is the bottom line on ABS? I'f your talking 350-400+rwhp in a E30 with something along the lines of a brembo big brake kit, are you going to loose alot of drivability by not having it? Would it be advisable with that power to have it? the recent skim of E30's on trademe reveal next to none with ABS already fitted.

[threeta 0]

my 88 325 has abs - works fine. it fires up each time you start the car and move off - gives a little wirl wich stops it freezeing up i guess. I smacked the back of a newish madaz 626 a while ago, after looking at a speed camera, and had all the kids hanging out of there seat belts, in the dry, hit the 626 with the front of the bonnet, as the brakes were really hauling arse. so then me and jock (m5 dude) tried a little brake contest between me and his newish primera - the threeta won hands down every stop - jocko kept on locking his fronts and by the time he'd lifted off and reapplyed i was stopped. Cool stuff the abs in an emergency. but its crap in a race - it gets confused as hell when braking for corners and small bumps and stuff upset it.

the other point is swapping from an abs car to non-abs - in the abs car you have to stamp on the brakes hard to activate the abs and let it do the stopping - trying to stop the lock up (cadence brakeing) with abs stuffs up badly.

sorry to waffle on - cool topic

article on cadence

[Gus 5]

so abs doesnt like braking properly? interesting....im getting to the point where i can brake all the way from 140 with the front tyres sounding like tread is being ripped off.....rad fun! having driven the mums e34 with abs though...god it stops! but looking at the size of the brake pads its hardly surprising

[Guest Zwilling]

I'm driving a facelift that has the space for abs and the wheel bearings looked like they had something to do with ABS given there size...anyway, i'm not a fan of ABS esp. in dry conditions as you just don't get a feel for the stopping distance like a non-abs (admittedly i'm comparing my bimmer to a honda)

Sure, in an emergency they might help, but how often is an emergency the kind where you need to stop in a dead straight line??? If it's the case of travelling up someones arse then you don't need abs to solve that one...

[bumpstop325 0]

how often is an emergency the kind where you need to stop in a dead straight line???

being drivers, you should be a where of your surrounds at all times. not looking at chicks/guys, getting bj's from your female passenger while driving.

you should have been looking forward, a couple of cars infront of you.

and not speeding so you dont have to brake.

my car has abs. whether of not it wants to work or not is a different question.

i am quite confident in pulse braking. come last taupo training day, in the braking exercise downhill. i was able to bring my car to a stop in the wet faster than i expected.

[Guest Zwilling]

how often is an emergency the kind where you need to stop in a dead straight line???

That was my moot (rhetoric question) and I agree that drivers should be aware at all times.

Awareness is what makes males better drivers than females because we have more spatial and awareness capable minds than our counterparts - however, distractions come thick and fast...

sh*t, that better not open a can of worms...

Edited June 1, 2004 by Zwilling

[Napier_E36 0]

If it's the case of travelling up someones arse then you don't need abs to solve that one...

the idea of abs is so that you can brake hard whilst turning a corner - i can stop quicker without using abs than i can with it - but i still like having it there for if i get into a situation....