How to disable ABS?

[pickup]

ABS does not work on gravel roads (99 percent of my driving) The sensors think that the rocks are slippery, but dont realize there is hard, good stopping traction, just underneath. I've been driving for 24 years, most of them as a trucker, and I sure don't need some hi-tech, proven on a "test track":annoyed:, school trained design engineer:idiot:, built truck:badidea: helping me with my driving skills.

I have an 04 4x4 that I would like to know how to get rid of the abs without losing the speedometer. I understand that just pulling fuses, knocks out the speedo. Is it possible to unhook the sensors at the wheels or is there another way?

[Wicked_Sludge]

since abs became popular in the 70's, it has been used world-wide on literally billions of cars....its much more then just "test track" tested.

the ABS works by unlocking each individual tire after it locks up....so the system has no way of "thinking" a surface is slippery or not. it just knows when a tire is locked...and a locked tire will not stop as quickly as an unlocked one. what it boils down to is that your truck will stop more quickly with the ABS system in tact than it will with no ABS....regardless of how much you resent the technology behind it.

[86ford]

ABS does not work on gravel roads (99 percent of my driving) The sensors think that the rocks are slippery, but dont realize there is hard, good stopping traction, just underneath. I've been driving for 24 years, most of them as a trucker, and I sure don't need some hi-tech, proven on a "test track":annoyed:, school trained design engineer:idiot:, built truck:badidea: helping me with my driving skills.

I have an 04 4x4 that I would like to know how to get rid of the abs without losing the speedometer. I understand that just pulling fuses, knocks out the speedo. Is it possible to unhook the sensors at the wheels or is there another way?

theres a plug behind each tire. pull them and they will stop working. i have also been known to pull the wiring from the ABS box on the inside of the drivers frame rail(older RBVS). because lights on my dash drive me completely nutts i also will pull the dash apart and pull the bulb for the ABS. i hate the light and the e-check people here in ohio dont like brake lights or any other lights be on, on the dash. (inspections else ware i assume do too).

86

[blkmazda90]

[QUOTE=pickup;58303]ABS does not work on gravel roads (99 percent of my driving) The sensors think that the rocks are slippery, but dont realize there is hard, good stopping traction, just underneath. I've been driving for 24 years, most of them as a trucker, and I sure don't need some hi-tech, proven on a "test track":annoyed:, school trained design engineer:idiot:, built truck:badidea: helping me with my driving skills.

That doesn't make sense because abs only unlocks the tire when it locks up. On the inside of your rotor there a bunch of teeth similar to a gear i guess you could describe it that way. Anyway when your driving and the sensor sees that the teeth have stopped turning(locked up tire) it releases and applies and if you think about it one of the best inventions for a vechicle. but if you dont like it pull the fuse.

[pickup]

Thank you 86ford, thats what I needed to know. As for how abs works, I know. And try not to take the "thinking" part so literally.

You guys can have your technological advanced stuff. The big truck manfacturers even quit using abs, after trying it for a few years. We put on more miles in one year than most people put on in their pickup's life and never needed abs. Like I said before, fine on the test track, but out here in the real world, it's just another trouble causing gadget.

To clarify the "slippery gravel" thing, the road is usually hard, under an inch of loose rocks. If you lock up the wheels, it pushes the rocks out of the way and allows the tires to get to the hard part of the road, where its got some traction. Your wonderful abs, keeps locking and unlocking on top of those loose rocks, so it takes forever to stop.

There is a huge difference between gravel and pavement. Same as the pasture in the hills, abs just keeps the truck rolling on top of slippery grass, when what you want to happen is, the tires to skid and tear up the grass to get to the dirt underneath.(I live in some HILLY country, where we need 4wd)

It all boils down to where you drive, and for me, abs doesn't work.

[Donnie strickland]

ABS works and it is safer for the vast majority of drivers. You can't steer a locked-up wheel. But what I wonder about is this: when ABS started to become common on everyday automobiles, a lot of cars had an "ABS Off" switch so that you could disable it when conditions warranted -- i.e. on gravel (as pickup correctly points out) or on snow (not ice). A car can stop more quickly without ABS in these situations. But it wasn't long before these switches disappeared. Fear of lawsuits, perhaps?

[freebird]

you probably could just pull the ABS fuse. The light will come on, but when you go to get it inspected just throw the fuse back in.

[Jmhm17]

since abs became popular in the 70's, it has been used world-wide on literally billions of cars....its much more then just "test track" tested.

the ABS works by unlocking each individual tire after it locks up....so the system has no way of "thinking" a surface is slippery or not. it just knows when a tire is locked...and a locked tire will not stop as quickly as an unlocked one. what it boils down to is that your truck will stop more quickly with the ABS system in tact than it will with no ABS....regardless of how much you resent the technology behind it.

i hate to be an ethug but wow.. im new to this whole off road world (i know your not off roading when this is happeing) but when you try to stop going down a huge hill covered in sand, gravel, or snow while offroading.. you dont want to have ABS on or you will just "roll" to the bottom faster then if you where to slide by locking the breaks, this is very dangerouse belive it or not. now since we dont need to give an explination of what ABS is or dose.. lets get right to answering your question since Me, just like you dont like ABS on sertain kinds of terain.. what you need to do is pop your hood and pull the number 17 fuse from your fuse box, dont pull the one in the cab it will shut all other shit off, the one under the hood is just the ABS motor.. now im not 100% sure if its fuse number 17 im going off of memory.. check your owners manual and pull the fuse in the engine compartment thats labeled "ABS Motor" and whala no more abs.. hope that helps buddy

[amanda11270]

thank god, someone finally just answered the question, because I was looking for an answer for this also, rather than attempting to be an engineer on how ABS works and whether it is better than non ABS, I think everyone has a preference, how about we leave it at that. I myself owned motorcycles and cars with ABS, and do not prefer it, im more the "im in control type" than relying on the vehicle being in control type. Anyone seen "the terminator" look were machines being in control gets you LOL.

[MAKG]

Your worldview is shaped by the Terminator? God help us.

It's science FICTION. Key word, there.

[Wicked_Sludge]

:taunt:

i like to be in control of my truck as much as the next guy. thats why i have a manual transmission, transfer case, hubs, windows, mirrors, locks, etc, etc. but there are some things a computer can just do better than a human...and one of those things is pulse the brakes to prevent a lockup. there are certain circumstances in which ABS could prove ineffective, but in 99% of cases, its going to slow the vehicle faster than you could with just your foot.

[BlackBII]

:taunt:
but in 99% of cases, its going to slow the vehicle faster than you could with just your foot.

Speakin of which...what all would need to be done to swap ABS into say, a '90 BII? New master, booster, spindles, calipers, sensor etc?

[Wicked_Sludge]

you'd need the whole computer and wiring harness....it wouldnt be fun. not to mention im not sure if the newer spindles and rotors with ABS provisions will bolt onto a BII...although i dont see what not. that'd also get you upgraded 2-piston calipers.

[BlackBII]

Im currently gathering parts to do a 2 piston swap for my BII (It has a D35). I figured I may look into putting ABS on as well while I have the knuckles off the truck :D

Maybe too much of a headache with the whole computer and harness (I actually just finished the 4.0 swap in my BII)

[jax4bangin]

my manual doesnt have shit bout fuses in it( its jus the lame one that comes wit ur vehicle) how can i find out exactly wat fuse it is? pictures anyone??

[fordboi415]

Try fuse #14 it worked on my 01

[Evan]

ABS takes longer to stop on gravel, deep mud, and deep snow than non-ABS. Therefore there are a few scenarios where it's ok to disable the ABS system.

I pulled the ABS system on my truck because it sees some hardcore offroad action. Try descending a steep, muddy hill in an ABS truck. Scary. I simply pulled all ABS-related modules and sensors out of the truck. This will trigger the ABS light.

Where I went to college in Houghton, MI we got a couple hundred inches of snow a year, in a hilly area. The best way to stop in deep snow on a hill is to let the wheels lock up and "dig in". With ABS you just "float" and the vehicle can take a rediculous amount of time to stop. This would be another instance where you might want ABS disabled.

According the the insurance company I work for, the net effect of ABS on safety is 0. There are many opinions as to why this is, but it's the bottom line. ABS is not some miraculous safety system. It can help you, and it can hurt you depending on the situation. If you are a driver who knows how to use ABS (don't pump pedal), it will generally help you out. It can be tough to remember not to pump the pedal if you've been trained your whole life on a non-ABS vehicle. Pumping the pedal during a lockup becomes almost an instinct.

[therieldeal]

so you work for an insurance company, eh?!

would disabling your ABS cause you to automatically be at fault if you were ever in an accident? i have heard a rumor about this. my rear abs unit has taken a crap and i'd like to replace it with a $3 piece of brake line instead of a new $150 abs unit.

another thought, with rear abs do you pump the brakes or not? your fronts can still lock, but if you're pumping the brakes your rear abs wont be "working".

[Evan]

so you work for an insurance company, eh?!

would disabling your ABS cause you to automatically be at fault if you were ever in an accident? i have heard a rumor about this. my rear abs unit has taken a crap and i'd like to replace it with a $3 piece of brake line instead of a new $150 abs unit.

No, you would not be automatically at fault. DOT does not require ABS on cars. From a legal standpoint, if a party could prove the accident ocurred due to lack of ABS, you could be in trouble. VERY unlikely that this would happen, and I have never heard of it happening.

another thought, with rear abs do you pump the brakes or not? your fronts can still lock, but if you're pumping the brakes your rear abs wont be "working".

Generally, you would pump the brakes. You can't steer if the front is locked up.

[Wicked_Sludge]

According the the insurance company I work for, the net effect of ABS on safety is 0.

very clever wording...you should divulge the whole story.

according the the IIHS, all of their studies have found that on-road vehicle accidents have been reduced in vehicles equipped with ABS as compared to non-ABS equipped models. the "net effect of zero" comes from an increase in off-road vehicle accidents due to the effects you mentioned.

being that most peoples trucks spend the majority of their time on pavement, completely disabling the ABS is a bad idea. pulling the fuse is alright, as long as you remember to put it back on for daily use. even easier would be a simple on-off toggle mounted on the dashboard.

[Evan]

being that most peoples trucks spend the majority of their time on pavement, completely disabling the ABS is a bad idea.


Agreed. It's a bad idea for MOST people.

It looks like your "source" considers ABS to be a bit safer. However, when most insurance companies underwrite auto policies, they do not take ABS into account. So if there is any net safety gain, it's quite small.

[thegoat4]

For the OP, plowing the gravel off the hard-pack below does not let the tires then stop by scrubbing on the hard-pack below. It's the plowing through the gravel itself that slows you down.

On surfaces that you can readily deform with your wheels and plow, non-ABS wins since you now have the option of locking your wheels and instantly turning them into shovels. On any other surface, slick or not, ABS helps most drivers.

Big semi trucks all use ABS these days. They have for years, and so have the trailers. If it has a bright green electrical cord instead of the black one between the tractor and trailer, it has ABS. You'll also see an extra "running light" on the driver's side of the trailer, usually at the rear, where the driver can see it with the mirror. That's the trailer ABS light and often even has "ABS" written on it. None of the truck manufacturers have stopped using ABS. And with the ground pressure those rigs have (generally 90-110psi) if the surface is firm enough to drive on without sinking in, it's firm enough to benefit from ABS. Plus it's nice to keep the dumbass variety of drivers from squaring the tires.

And one other thing, ABS can and does interfere with a tire that has not yet locked up. Put your truck on jack stands, put it in high gear, and wind it out. Then stand on the brakes and see how long it takes to stop the wheels. Do it again with the ABS unplugged and note the difference.

RABS might as well not be there as far as stopping is concerned. For the most part it simply reduces drive tire skidding when you don't have anything in the back by keeping the wheels from locking. Drive as if you have no ABS.

[Wicked_Sludge]

If it has a bright green electrical cord instead of the black one between the tractor and trailer, it has ABS.

never knew that. ill have to pay more attention on our next road trip.

[jax4bangin]

ok fuse #14 now i know they're not numbered(or r they?) so do u count till u get to the 14th one? and where do u start the count from?

[Wicked_Sludge]

the fuse numbers are on the fuse box cover.

[jax4bangin]

i pulled #14 and went to test it and it still has anti lock?? another dude said its the 17th fuse so i pulled that and it was the blinkers lol.. any ideas? i dont plan on disabling for highway use, just for off road or tryin to get crazy in a wet empty parking lot. :headbang:

the truck is a 2007 regular cab, short bed, 4 cylinder manual tranzz

[jax4bangin]

i was pullin the fuses in the cab.. shud i have been under the hood?

[westonoto]

Interesting thread. My ranger is a 99 and I have to say it has the most dangerous 4wheel ABS of any vehicle I have owned. Both my Rodeo and Toyota truck performed much better. The first year I had my Ranger (bought it new) I actually thought there was something wrong with it and had it to the dealership twice only to be told it was fine.
I live in northern Maine and we don't have bare pavement for at least 4 months of the year on my road. Mostly packed snow turned to ice by traffic. I can't even safely get down my 300ft driveway with my truck without putting it in 4wd to equalize braking. The ABS completely negates the front brakes on ice in 2wd. The only thing that has saved me a few times is flicking the 4wd on and hoping everything engages fast enough that I then have braking power.
I may just try taking the fuse out for the winter months. It can't be any worse. I have had two slow speed accidents because of the ABS on this thing. Both times I was travelling less than 20mph due to icy conditions and slid into objects that were quite a distance from me.

[firefighter]

What about trying the ABS Relay

[cr_the_machinist]

ok fuse #14 now i know they're not numbered(or r they?) so do u count till u get to the 14th one? and where do u start the count from?

Look it up in your owners manual. It will map out each fuse box in there.

Interesting thread. My ranger is a 99 and I have to say it has the most dangerous 4wheel ABS of any vehicle I have owned.

Sounds like you have a common case of crappy wheel sensors. I ended up picking one up from the dealer and it solved that problem.

I used to hate my ABS system until I set aside a day and just inspected the whole system. I cleaned all the sensors and replaced them as needed. The coil on one of my front sensors was shorting so it was always thinking one wheel was faster than the other. I wouldn't mess with disabling your abs, if it wasn't proven to be a good system it wouldn't be oem standard.

[Dezert Runner]

ABS in the dirt simply DOES NOT WORK. My ABS fuse got pulled every time my tires touched the dirt for a while and then one day I just never put the fuse back in.

I havent had ABS for 7 months now and it hasnt affected my truck in the slightest. Even in driving rain or with snow on the ground.

[prefab08]

hear to clear up some misconseptions .... ABS is not required for a safty check any one that tells you this is hoseing you for money or do not know the laws, your ABS light can be on and disfunctional and you can and shold pass a safety check if your brake pads, shoes, drums and / or rotors are in the manufatures minimum tolorances. ABS as far as a warenty has to be fully functioning or else no matter what the problem is with your vehical they will not repair it unluss that is the reason you are geting warenty work done. and when it comes to big rigs and or tandam dump trucks the same aplies for the moment.
as for doing it the relay or fues removal works but the best is still removing the abs unit as a whole and running new lines, i have done this on a 2000 ranger xlt 2x4 and the only down fall was the abs light which i then removed.


ABS was made for untrained drivers who slam on the brakes, with ppl like this it greatly inproves stoping and turning abillitys in panic braking situations, but as far as making a shorter stoping distance that has not been proved. and when it comes to off road it is summed up eazy .....ABS that shit will get you killed. :icon_thumby:

[jasonl]

Don't bother pulling fuses, just unplug one of the front sensors (rear if you only have RABS) under the bumper. You can trace the line from the wheel hub. All you have to do is unhook one, your truck will disengage the ABS because it will see a hard fault and your ABS light will stay light up.

ABS is optional equipment on some new vehciles today so no you do not have to have it working to pass saftey inspections, atleast where I live.

I personally like properly functioning ABS, but my 96 will not stop on slippery surfaces, the ABS just stays engaged and the pump runs continuosly (I actually ran a red light because of it) so I unhooked my passanger sensor. I have no trouble codes so I am not sure what the issue is with my truck. Any suggestions?

[suzuki2903]

did anyones speedo stop working after pulling fuses etc? i un hooked my abs from the wheel sensors and now my speedo doesnt work at all

[BDAB]

You guys can have your technological advanced stuff. The big truck manfacturers even quit using abs, after trying it for a few years.


this is simply not true. every class 7 and 8 truck manufactured after 2001 is required to have anti-lock brakes and all trailers manufactured after 1999 are required to have ABS by the FMCSA. Infact I won't buy one with out ABS. besides the really deep discounts on my Liability insurance..... ABS works plain and simple. I can haul 80,000 pounds down to a dead stop on a sheet of ice in half the time it takes with out ABS and I don't have to stab the brakes and they have very few sensor failures...... the only time I can smoke the brakes is when the trailer is light plus ABS equipped trucks don't go through brake shoes as fast. To each their own but don't blame a system you do not know enough about......... However it has been said that Anti-lock brakes do not work as well off road but I know a guy that off roads a $65,000 200 series Land Cruiser and the anti-lock brakes and anti-roll over sensors saved his truck from rolling over after he did something really stupid on a dirt road.........

the brakes on your 04 won't work right if you disable the ABS computer.

[Wicked_Sludge]

To each their own but don't blame a system you do not know enough about...

thats exactly what it boils down to. people are afraid of things they dont understand. its the same reason every mullet-head in the country wants to disable his EGR and remove his cat converter...

[jasonl]

did anyones speedo stop working after pulling fuses etc? i un hooked my abs from the wheel sensors and now my speedo doesnt work at all


Your wheel speed sensor shouldn't have anything to do with your speedo. Are you sure you didn't unhook the vehicle speed sensor at the tranny???

[locovaca]

Your wheel speed sensor shouldn't have anything to do with your speedo. Are you sure you didn't unhook the vehicle speed sensor at the tranny???

Not true on a 99... it gets the speed signal from the ABS sensor.

http://www.therangerstation.com/tech_library/speedometer.htm

I'd pull the connector at the ABS Modulator.

[suzuki2903]

no i didnt un hook anything at the tranny, just the wheel sensors in the front. my tach work but no speedo or mileage. any ideas? also where is the abs modualtor at that your talking about to pull? thanks :)

[suzuki2903]

i pulled the connector at the abs module thats located on the fender well, and still no speedo. theres gotta be away to do away with the front abs and keep the speedo working. i still have the rear axle hooked up because from what im understanding is thats where the speedo gets its signal from.

[jax4bangin]

i pulled the connector at the abs module thats located on the fender well, and still no speedo. theres gotta be away to do away with the front abs and keep the speedo working. i still have the rear axle hooked up because from what im understanding is thats where the speedo gets its signal from.

fuse #17 under the hood

[rusty ol ranger]

ABS is worthless.

I hae hitting my brakes on something slick and hearing "ernt ernt ernt ernt" as you go rolling past your intended stopping point.

Atleast if i dont have abs i can usually crank the wheel and lock the brakes and skid sideways to a halt by the time i needed to stop.

later,
Dustin

[jax4bangin]

ABS is worthless.

I hae hitting my brakes on something slick and hearing "ernt ernt ernt ernt" as you go rolling past your intended stopping point.

Atleast if i dont have abs i can usually crank the wheel and lock the brakes and skid sideways to a halt by the time i needed to stop.

later,
Dustin

agreed!... i think that for off road, abs is dangerous
bout a month ago me and my buddy were dickin around in some mud and i almost coasted right into a dam fence.. as soon as i started applyin the brakes the abs took over and i just freewheeled straight for a fence.. so i dropped it in gear and spun er around and pinned it lol didnt hit it:icon_thumby: but i was pretty pissed.. abs just is not great for every situation.