RABS Bypass Advice???

[Oldfish]

'89 Ranger, 2wd, 2.9v6.

Problem/s - Bad master cylinder replaced, cannot bleed back brakes. Also, do not get fluid out of RABS valve downstream (output). Before and since MC replacement, front brakes locked up and appeared to not have back-wheel braking. But when I really stand on the brakes in hard stops, the back brakes lock up -and then slowly let off... faster if I apply the e-brake and release. My conclusion from reading this forum is the RABS valve is clogged or bad.

My hoped for solution is to bypass the RABS unit. Not that I don't believe it is a good thing, but this is a farm truck that seldom sees pavement or speeds greater than 40. Also, the RABS valve at $115 (O'Reilly's) is worth more than the truck, and I just put $230 into rebuilding the transmission. Unfortunately, I also like the truck (mostly cuz my wife hates it).

So, the questions:
Does a bypass sound like a good solution to my problems?
Can I put a union between the RABS input and output linest?
What size union would this be? 3/8 inch?
Do I need to disconect any of the RABS wires?
Will this cause me any other problems?
Is there any chance of catastrophic brake failure while my wife is driving

Thanks in advance,
Oldfish

 

[Evan]

Bypass it. Pull the whole unit, and disconnect the wires. Run a new hard line back to the axle.

RABS is just about useless on a truck that sees no highway and travels at low speeds. In fact, ABS systems take much longer to stop on a gravel or mud surface than standard brakes.

And on an offroading truck RABS can be downright scary and dangerous when dealing with muddy hillclimbs and descents.

 

[MAKG]

Autozone has the cheapest RABS units, but not much cheaper than that.

If it is EVER driven on pavement, it can expose you to liability if you have it disconnected. Aside from that, new hard line from the master cylinder to the rear flexible line connector will make for fewer potential leak sites.

If your RABS valve is packed with rust, it's a good bet that your rear wheel cylinders are as well. The PO probably never changed the brake fluid....flushing it would be a good idea.

I ended up replacing the valve on my Exploder when it did this. But it spends most of its time on pavement.

 

[Hahnsb2]

Pull it and by-pass it. If you get an ABS light on the dash, pull the bulb out

 

[Evan]

If it is EVER driven on pavement, it can expose you to liability if you have it disconnected.

Let's be realistic here, MAKG.

You're more likely to be struck by lightening multiple times than to get into an accident, have someone sue you and win by proving that the accident occurred due to lack of RABS.

 

[MAKG]

That's an overstatement.

The braking system has been modified. All it needs is for a braking-related accident to occur, whether or not RABS function is involved. For instance, the new line can develop a leak or may be routed too close to something hot (cat?), leading to brake failure.

I agree it's unlikely, but I don't agree with the fabricated statistic.