by plip1953 » Wed Jul 27, 2022 10:38 am
ABS can be a lifesaver for an average driver like me, and, on balance, I would prefer to have it fitted to any car that I might drive. But for a proper circuit driver it can be a bit of a double edged sword. The MX5 featured in the video has a braking system that is designed around ABS being present. So when you disable it (by simply pulling a fuse) you are almost certainly going to find yourself in trouble. Some years ago I got a tame race car driver to drive my Mk3 MX5 on track. It produced some amazing times considering it was almost standard (because they are brilliant cars), and the ABS was largely beneficial. However, there were occasions when it really couldn't cope with a really aggressive track driving style and simply gave up the ghost. Which wasn't especially welcome because it usually resulted in flat spotted tyres!
So on to a second MX5, but this time the abs was completely removed and we installed a form of pedalbox arrangement with twin master cylinders. And we also fitted a proportioning valve in the rear circuit, different front calipers and different pads. Many tack sessions later and we've now arrived at a setup that produces good retardation numbers and a good level of predictability, even in the wet, of impending lockups (but remember we are talking here about quite a lot of development and a very good driver behind the wheel).
Nonetheless, would the driver prefer to have ABS? Yes, definitely, but only if it worked well. And what does "work well" mean? Essentially no lockups, but neither should it be kick in too soon because then you actually see braking effective drop.
How might this be achieved? The Teves system has been mentioned in an earlier post and also the Bosch Motorsport system. But the point is that both of these ABS systems are significantly different to the run of the mill ABS systems. And both cost quite a lot more, especially the Bosch! So we're staying ABS-less!!
On the Atom 4 I would recommend the Bosch ABS at the drop of a hat. And I'm pretty sure it would be relatively simple to fit alongside most of the current hardware. Technically you should change MCs to an ABS compliant version (that can cope with the pulsing), and you'd need twin lines to the rear. Also you'd most likely need different (ie Bosch ABS compatible) wheel speed sensors. Whether it would be possible to retain the OE traction control is another question.
Is it necessary, and could it be justified in cost terms? Arguable!!
ABS can be a lifesaver for an average driver like me, and, on balance, I would prefer to have it fitted to any car that I might drive. But for a proper circuit driver it can be a bit of a double edged sword. The MX5 featured in the video has a braking system that is designed around ABS being present. So when you disable it (by simply pulling a fuse) you are almost certainly going to find yourself in trouble. Some years ago I got a tame race car driver to drive my Mk3 MX5 on track. It produced some amazing times considering it was almost standard (because they are brilliant cars), and the ABS was largely beneficial. However, there were occasions when it really couldn't cope with a really aggressive track driving style and simply gave up the ghost. Which wasn't especially welcome because it usually resulted in flat spotted tyres!
So on to a second MX5, but this time the abs was completely removed and we installed a form of pedalbox arrangement with twin master cylinders. And we also fitted a proportioning valve in the rear circuit, different front calipers and different pads. Many tack sessions later and we've now arrived at a setup that produces good retardation numbers and a good level of predictability, even in the wet, of impending lockups (but remember we are talking here about quite a lot of development and a very good driver behind the wheel).
Nonetheless, would the driver prefer to have ABS? Yes, definitely, but only if it worked well. And what does "work well" mean? Essentially no lockups, but neither should it be kick in too soon because then you actually see braking effective drop.
How might this be achieved? The Teves system has been mentioned in an earlier post and also the Bosch Motorsport system. But the point is that both of these ABS systems are significantly different to the run of the mill ABS systems. And both cost quite a lot more, especially the Bosch! So we're staying ABS-less!!
On the Atom 4 I would recommend the Bosch ABS at the drop of a hat. And I'm pretty sure it would be relatively simple to fit alongside most of the current hardware. Technically you should change MCs to an ABS compliant version (that can cope with the pulsing), and you'd need twin lines to the rear. Also you'd most likely need different (ie Bosch ABS compatible) wheel speed sensors. Whether it would be possible to retain the OE traction control is another question.
Is it necessary, and could it be justified in cost terms? Arguable!!