8.8 swap abs/brake questions

jonsranger · Sep 30, 2017

I just did the 8.8 swap from a 2001 exploder into my 90 single cap swb ranger. It came with a 7.5, but I previously swapped in a 9in. Now that I have disc brakes I'd like to hook the abs back up if I can. :icon_welder:

1. The sensor on the axle sorta plugs up to the factory pig tail but it doesn't latch, can i get a sensor for a 7.5 and put in there or use an 8.8 pig tail?

2. The explorer master cylinder has 2 sensors with roundish plugs, and the original one only had 1 with a rectangular plug, which sensor do I rewire up a pig tail for? Which position does each wire goes in?

3. I've searched the forum half way decently and cant find where anyone has actually successfully hooked up the parking brake cables, I think the original ranger had some kind of threaded rod, but those parts are all long gone. Anyone have any finished products I can copy? Or know what to get from the jy?

Thanks,
Jon

adsm08 · Sep 30, 2017

I would leave your ABS disabled, since early RABS (like pre-95) is worse than no ABS, especially when it works correctly.

1) The sensor plugs should be the same, there is probably dirt in one end or the other preventing full engagement.

2) I dunno. One is likely to be a cruise kill switch. But that should be a round switch with a rectangular plug, two pins. I am really unsure about the other. Pics would help.

3) Dorman 21123. Use the big one to connect your factory front cable to the long cable from the axle. Have the cables from the axle hooked together as the would normally be through the proper equalizer. I grabbed one from a 97 Expedition and it looks a little different, but works correctly.

scotts90ranger · Oct 1, 2017

I'm using the stock master cylinder on my Ranger with a disc brake 8.8 and it works fantastic... MILES ahead of how the drums worked, works better with 35" tires than the stock brakes did with stockish tires but that's been a while...

4x4junkie · Oct 2, 2017

The ABS sensors are the same (I took a sensor out of my old 7.5" axle to replace the one on my 99 Ex 8.8" after it took a dump).

I fabbed up my own linkage for connecting the parking brake cables... I welded a couple nuts and some strip steel to pieces of the old cable hardware and used threaded rod to connect it all together (the rear cables are the Explorer's cables). Since you don't have any of the old hardware, a trip to the junkyard may be in order.
I also made a bracket to support the cables since the Ex cables are shorter than the OE drum cables (and won't reach the stock support located on the leaf hanger).

A couple pics:

adsm08 said:
I would leave your ABS disabled, since early RABS (like pre-95) is worse than no ABS, especially when it works correctly.

How do you figure that? :icon_confused:

I know RABS is dated, but it certainly is better than nothing...

RABS was designed simply to keep the vehicle from swapping ends in a panic stop (and it seems to do that quite well). Of course with no lock up control of the front wheels you won't have steering control (unlike with the newer 4WABS), but staying in a straight line is generally better than spinning around in circles on a wet freeway in the rain after someone f'ing around with their cell phone cuts you off (it also stops the rear wheels locking up prematurely with no weight in the bed).

adsm08 · Oct 2, 2017

4x4junkie said:
How do you figure that? I know RABS is dated, but it certainly is better than nothing...

RABS was designed simply to keep the vehicle from swapping ends in a panic stop (and it seems to do that quite well). Of course with no lock up control of the front wheels you won't have steering control (unlike with the newer 4WABS), but staying in a straight line is generally better than spinning around in circles on a wet freeway in the rain after someone f'ing around with their cell phone cuts you off (it also stops the rear wheels locking up prematurely with no weight in the bed).

When they were new and there was nothing else, yes they were better than nothing.

The early RABS systems are very dated, and a large portion of their terribleness comes from people who expect them to work like a modern system. At least the pre-95 systems had no pump, and so still required the pedal to be pumped, albeit at a slower rate, to replenish the pressure in the valve. Today many people who purchase new-to-them old vehicles with gen 1 RABS hop in, expect it to work like a modern system, and wreck because of it.

In addition, there are many common failure that can cause the valve to stop functioning mechanically but leave it intact electrically, and so you have no RABS but you are expecting it because you also have no warning light telling you something is wrong.

I was also never a fan of the idea that it simply assumes wheel lock up and deceleration rate since there are no wheel speed sensors on the front. It seem like that leaves the door open for both a number of false activations, and a number of failures to activate in appropriate circumstances.

4x4junkie · Oct 2, 2017

Would that not be the fault of the driver then?

Mine's never not done what I expect it to. I can feel the system working if the back tires start to screech (lock up) for a brief moment. Most often this happens when the dumb drum brakes exhibit their humidity sensitivity on cold damp mornings, but of course a hard stop with an empty bed will make it kick in too.

FWIW, '92 I believe was the last year for gen-1 RABS. '93 & '94 (and maybe later w/o 4WABS?) have a gen-II RABS. Both systems are capable of detecting a failure such as what you describe during a hard stop (it would set a code for "excessive dump solenoid pulses", or something to that effect, along with the warning light). Of course a hard stop has to be executed for most any ABS system to be able to detect a mechanical fault such as a stuck dump valve.

jonsranger · Oct 3, 2017

Thanks for responding, I took a couple of pics but they're too big to attach for some reason, I'll try to figure out how to add them.

I tried cleaning the axle plug and pigtail, but it is like 1/8" from clicking in with me trying to force it on. I think ill go to a junkyard and grab a pigtail.

The parking brake is still an issue, I got the dorman kit and the cables hook up fine with the kit, but mine are too long. I believe i'll have to make a new bracket like the pic 4x4junkie posted. Any more pics of that mounting bracket would be awesome by the way. I did find some of my old parking brake hardware in a box, yay. The stock bracket seems to be too far forward for this as when I hook everything up like 4x4junkie did, my cables have a lot of slack, and just barely get tight with the pedal in all the way. Where did you get the spring on there?

Edit pics links, tell me if they don't work.

https://ibb.co/fnK0fb

https://ibb.co/dgYhtw

https://ibb.co/bDpcRG

4x4junkie · Oct 5, 2017

Clicking your links, I can see your pics.

Yeah it would appear you need to mount your cables further back. The spring is part of the factory hardware that came from the Explorer (my '94 Ranger has the same setup on it's cables as well).

The spring attaches to the front end of the clip that connects the first cable's outer housing to the second cable, and the other end of the spring attaches to the bracket that supports the second cable's housing, if that helps.

I'll try to get some more pics... Is there a certain angle of it you'd like to see?

scotts90ranger · Oct 6, 2017

I did very similar to what Junkie did... Unfortunately the bracket I made catches on a body mount in some situations so I had to weld on a plate to the body mount bracket to keep that from happening... My solution was bigger and clunkier than Junkie's... As for the bracket, I got it from the Explorer that donated the parking brake cables I think, I was able to find a hole in the frame at a reasonable place then made an adjuster to take up the slack...

8.8 swap abs/brake questions

jonsranger

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adsm08

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scotts90ranger

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4x4junkie

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adsm08

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4x4junkie

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jonsranger

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4x4junkie

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scotts90ranger

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