Thread: Reinstating ABS

Hi All,

My 1994 Vogue (Soft dash) came standard with ABS, however at some point in it's life a previous owner was having issued with it and decided to remove the modulator, abs pump, WABCO unit and installed a D1 booster, thereby effectively removing the ABS system. The ABS sensors probably went with the old axle assemblies that look like they were completely replaced with non-abs diffs.

The vehicle stops fine, even when braking hard, however, I am concerned about the legality of driving around without an ABS system. I have been told by others to leave it as it is, as the old ABS system is very problematic etc.

In order to reinstate the ABS system, by going through RAVE I have worked out that I would need to do the following:

- Buy ABS modulator, pump, accumulator, WABCO control unit, 4 abs sensors
- Source ABS swivel hubs and ABS CV's (I currently run heavy duty Ashcroft ones, which I'm assuming are non ABS)
- Source new rear brake disks (I am assuming that the reluctor ring is on the disk, unclear in RAVE where the sensor picks the signal up from.
- Hope I haven't missed anything and hope that everything works.

So I am keen to hear everyone's opinion on this, do I just leave it as it is or spend the money and reinstate the old ABS system using mostly used components? The car is only used for touring and offroading.

The risk of reply regarding the ignorance of what is legal versus what is actually safe are not entirely the same discussions to have in parallel, so let's ignore the detail of the legality.

The fact is that for the vehicle to pass the brake test, it does not need to lock wheels, it needs to provide a pressure and retardation measurement for a given speed.
That is why brake testers exist.

Now, leave all that at the door and ask yourself this.

Do my brakes work WELL?
Do they work as intended?
Do they handle towing duties without any problems?
Are all the components of the system in good working order?

If yes to all, leave well alone.

Now ask yourself
Are your tyres in good condition and at the correct pressure for the road surface conditions?
Does your vehicle pull to the left or right when braking?

If no, get it sorted. tyres, balancing and alignment are often ignored by many, yet they contribute to poor handling and vehicle dynamics more than most think.

When you are comfortable with the way the vehicle is operating then all is well.
Do not go looking for problems that don't exist or creating issues out of nothing for the sake of it.