Reductive Design... from Ford CEO

[85_Ranger4x4]

This has gotten funny.... ABS is on every new vehicle for a reason... It's safer than non-ABS brakes. Cars are built to a high safety standard so things like traction control, abs, camera's, and sensors are all built onto vehicles to keep the people inside safe. period.

Your results may vary on traction control. It sucks on my wife's Edge. She has gotten it stuck a couple times, I neuter the stupid TC and when it isn't punching itself in the face it walks right out.

But It is pretty good on the new Ranger.

$veryone thinks they are the best driver and they would never get into an accident because they would see it coming but that is pure BS.

Says some guy on the internet... what does he know?

I've drove in plenty of vehicles with touch screens and they are not distracting at all.. No more distracting than reaching for your yoohoo bottle rolling on the floor...

I have too, I pretty much do not care for them.

To think a 20-30 yr old vehicle will stop better than a new vehicle is ridiculous. The sensors on the new car will be stopping the vehicle before you even think about hitting the brake pedal.

If the system is working correctly and the sensors are not dirty/covered in snow... and if you opt for the higher end vehicle. Actually a 20yo vehicle probably isn't much different than a base model new one, both have 4 wheel ABS.

It's time to accept the touch screens like you did the computer. I'm sure you hated computers when they first came out too but now look at ya, posting on forums and getting into internet fights.

To be fair to this day the Apple II we had in kindergarten still seems kind of pointless... at least the IIE's had Oregon Trail.

As to thinking no one will steal your car because it's a manual, I guess your day might come when you learn the hard way. Yes, some thefts have been stopped due to manual transmissions but that doesn't mean it will deter everyone. It takes 2 seconds to lock or unlock a car door. How long do you think it would take to call police and tell them your car was stolen and track down your car? If its a nice car then you will probably never see it again and all you had to do was take a second to lock the door.... THE WORLD IS NOT AN HONEST PLACE AND IF YOU GIVE PEOPLE THE BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT IT WILL BITE YOU IN THE ASS. Just saying.

No, I am pretty sure I would see it again. After it was torched, upside down in a ditch. There is a reason there were not '85 Rangers on the board in Gone in 60 Seconds, they are not going to get loaded on a shipping container and exported. A chop shop ain't gonna mess around parting one out. It would be a joy rider probably with all my garage's tools in the back.

A friend of mine had that happen with his mint foxbody pace car. They put all his tools in the back (trashing the interior) and made a wrong turn. Sheriff found it in the ditch on a mud road full of tools, unique valances were trashed and they had blown the engine trying to get it out.

I have taken other steps to help make sure mine doesn't wonder off aside from having three shifters sticking out of the floor.

This is complete and utter nonsense.

You may 'think' you're a better driver and capable of outstopping ABS, but it's delusional.

You -cannot- measure slip at an individual wheel and correct for it point by point. It's simply not possible. With wheel speed sensors and a controller to monitor them, it's trivial for a computer to do so.

Whether or not you acknowledge reality doesn't change the facts of the matter.

I did it all the time when I was into tractor pulling. It is a lot easier when you can see the tires, are going less than 3mph and have differential brakes though.

 

[fastpakr]

Rusty, to your point that there are a few surfaces where ABS can be outstopped specifically in a straight line by a tiny margin that's true. But it only applies on a surface that you can bog down in a bit like deep snow or gravel. But on an actual road that's rare, and you still lose steering ability. You're still far worse off than letting your ego take a back seat to a place where equipment does have value and trusting the system.

 

[Uncle Gump]

If traction is good a skilled/attentive driver should have no problems getting stopped or out of the way.

The problem in your equation is that... most drivers are NOT skilled nor attentive.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

Rusty, to your point that there are a few surfaces where ABS can be outstopped specifically in a straight line by a tiny margin that's true. But it only applies on a surface that you can bog down in a bit like deep snow or gravel. But on an actual road that's rare, and you still lose steering ability. You're still far worse off than letting your ego take a back seat to a place where equipment does have value and trusting the system.

Ive had way more close calls with ABS then without. Espicially on snow/ice.

Besides if its slick enough for lockup chances are its to slick to steer effectively.

The problem in your equation is that... most drivers are NOT skilled nor attentive.

Exactly my point. Learn to drive people.

 

[85_Ranger4x4]

Rusty, to your point that there are a few surfaces where ABS can be outstopped specifically in a straight line by a tiny margin that's true. But it only applies on a surface that you can bog down in a bit like deep snow or gravel. But on an actual road that's rare, and you still lose steering ability. You're still far worse off than letting your ego take a back seat to a place where equipment does have value and trusting the system.

Actually gravel roads are usually crowned, so if you just drag tires you will slide to the ditch.

 

[fastpakr]

Ive had way more close calls with ABS then without. Espicially on snow/ice.

Besides if its slick enough for lockup chances are its to slick to steer effectively.



Exactly my point. Learn to drive people.

In this case, learning to drive means you need to accept the reality that you aren't as skilled as you think you are.

 

[rusty ol ranger]

In this case, learning to drive means you need to accept the reality that you aren't as skilled as you think you are.

Im skilled enough not to need electronic nanny devices.

 

[19Walt93]

My 04 and 11 Rangers both had ABS as standard equipment. My road pitches down hill where it intersects the state road and if I was travelling at more than walking speed on a snowy day the ABS would activate as soon as I braked (properly, I didn't pump the brakes) and I would slid out into the road without stopping. It's a fact that ABS stops quicker on clean, dry pavement. From November to early/mid April that isn't what I drive on. If you get stuck with traction control you need to shut it off to allow enough wheel spin to get moving again. Auto lamps are a good idea, I don't like auto high beams. ABS was mandated by the same people who mandated alcohol in out gasoline, even though we expend more energy producing alcohol than it produces and it reduces fuel mileage. Adding distracting tech to vehicles doesn't make them safer, if you have to look at it to operate it, it doesn't belong in a vehicle. A person who steals a vehicle because the key is in it is a thief, blaming the owner who left the key is like blaming any other victim.

 

[Dirtman]

I pull the ABS fuse when it snows. In dry weather, rain, or ice it's a great feature. But in snow I find it utterly useless and just increases stopping distance. I've always considered just adding a switch on the fuse circuit so I can turn it off and on quickly as needed.

 

[gw33gp]

I pull the fuse when I am off-road. A steep down hill that was full of moguls taught me ABS and off-road don't work well together. Once one tire had no traction, the ABS let up on all the brakes and I went flying down the very bumpy hill. I am glad there was not a sharp turn at the bottom.

I also had a scary moment, braking in the snow when someone spun out in front of me while going up a mountain. It should have been a very easy stop but ABS made a scary thrill out of it. Now, I will remember to pull the fuse in snow (which is not very often). Thanks for the tip!

 

[91stranger]

Umm.... You're less likely to have a car stolen if you lock it up, plain and simple. If you're too lazy to lock it then that's your own fault. I lock my vehicles because I don't trust people. I learned the hard way, luckily it was only a cd player but at the time my driveway was 1/8th mile, can't see the house from the road and I thought the same thing that it was fine leaving unlocked at night. Learned the hard way on that. I've never heard of ABS brakes letting up on the brakes to the point your flying down a hill.... You must have had another brake issue because you should have brakes when hitting the pedal... NHTSA mandated the ABS for a reason. Just ask what NHTSA stands for. It's been required on new vehicles since 2013. As for the tablet or touchscreen... Just because it has one doesn't mean you HAVE to fiddle with it the entire time you are driving. Might as well not have a phone if you think like that. If you don't like the tech, don't buy it. No one is making you buy a new vehicle...

 

[Dirtman]

Pretty hard to steal a 98+ ranger locked or unlocked. You might get your stuff stolen out of it but PATS is a damn good anti theft system. Some people can't even get their own trucks to start with it. I never lock my doors, I'd rather have them steal my loose change than brake my window and I know anyone trying to brake into a ranger is not the sophisticated type of criminal who's bringing the equipment needed to actually start it with no keys.

And the reason ABS can be bad offroad like @gw33gp experienced is because if your decending a hill and a wheel slips on some loose dirt it will kick in and RELEASE braking pressure and start pulsing as it is designed to do. ABS is designed to make steering safer while braking, not stop better or faster.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Im skilled enough not to need electronic nanny devices.

You're also fallible. We all are.

 

[19Walt93]

It's not hard to steal a PATS vehicle, there's a device called an interrupter that will get around it. It didn't take car thieves long to come up with it, either. Now PATS just costs people money. Much as I dislike ABS, don't pull the fuse. If you get in a wreck and it's found a lawyer will skin you, whether it had any affect or not. If there's a blown fuse in the slot that's different.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Im skilled enough not to need electronic nanny devices.

Your definition of "skilled enough" and my definition of "skilled enough" may be vastly different. And, your definition of "skilled" enough" may be vastly different from that of @alwaysFlOoReD. And it may be vastly different from that of the DMV.