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ABS on a Kitcar - Is it worth it?
webbey - 27/10/11 at 07:25 AM

Hi There

I am making a mev rocket style kit car and my donor ford focus has abs and traction control, I was wondering if it would be worthwhile putting it in the kitcar?

designer - 27/10/11 at 08:11 AM

For me, No.

franky - 27/10/11 at 08:29 AM

a standard TC system no. A fully adjustable high resolution system like racelogic, yes.

coyoteboy - 27/10/11 at 09:01 AM

ABS isn't traction control as such.

And ABS, IIRC, won't pass the IVA?

EDIT - I think I lied. I'm sure I read somewhere that ABS wasn't allowed - interesting.

Adds too much weight for my liking

[Edited on 27/10/11 by coyoteboy]

Macbeast - 27/10/11 at 10:02 AM

You only need ABS if you're not a very good driver

jabbahutt - 27/10/11 at 10:05 AM

I better get some ABS fitted then

britishtrident - 27/10/11 at 12:08 PM

About 12 years back in a US fuel injection forum a guy who worked for one of the US "big 3" posted some interesting insight into the effort required to setup ABS for a new model, according to him it required something like 50 times the number of man hours it took to set up the engine management.

snapper - 27/10/11 at 12:50 PM

I have a friend and neighbour that does this for Fords, lots of ice lake testing etc.
I did ask him about abs, traction control and stability control from a donor and he said the original weight, power, gearing was all taken into account, change any of this and the system will not work as it should.
Simple abs like the old sierra might work as it only measures wheel slip anything more software based would be in trouble.

DixieTheKid - 27/10/11 at 01:34 PM

I think ABS would take the fun and the whole concept out of having these types of car. Dont know if others will agree?

[Edited on 27/10/11 by DixieTheKid]

rallyingden - 27/10/11 at 01:47 PM

NO NO NNNNOOOOOO

Unless you make provision to turn it off when doing handbrake turns

RD

britishtrident - 27/10/11 at 03:34 PM

quote:
Originally posted by rallyingden
NO NO NNNNOOOOOO

Unless you make provision to turn it off when doing handbrake turns

RD


No ABS on the handbrake separate system it has to be a separate system.
Only interaction between the two is if you try driving off with the handbrake on a Bosch abs will usually flag up a wheel sensor fault once the vehicle speed reaches 7.5 mph but fault light will clear on restart.

Most ABS systems these days are connected with Cruise Control and Traction Control but these outputs to these systems rather than inputs to the ABS.
Very often the ABS also drives the speedometer.

iank - 27/10/11 at 05:49 PM

IIRC smart51 used to be involved with ABS design. Certainly sounds like it if you read his posts here
http://www.locostbuilders.co.uk/viewthread.php?tid=83884

I also remember it didn't used to be allowed for either SVA or IVA, but it looks like they are happy with it now.