My car doesn't have ABS. I searched and found the ABS Removal guide and noticed the guy said it is ridiculous to remove the ABS if its a street car but his car is a FD. I also saw posts saying the FC ABS was crap and didn't help much. Well, I just bought the FC ABS Delete kit for $35 from Mazdatrix and wanted to know if I made the right decision instead of buying a used ABS pump for $100 or $2,500 for a new one. I know that ABS is not good for drifting. Let me know your opinions.

 

I don't have ABS, and personally like it that way. My other car is a 2005 Scion tC, and it has ABS....all good and fine, but I like having the control of being able to lock 'em up if I choose to do so. IMO

 

I dont have ABS either and I truely think that as small a car is a 7, it doesn't need it, it only weighs 3300 not 6800 or 7200 as larger cars, so really there is no need. Plus it makes brake systems more complex because of the many proportion valves and brake lines and as you said, you can't really drift too good but it IS fun trying!

 

I took mine out due to a failed speed sensor and bad brake booster. But even in good working condition the 2nd gen ABS is an ineffective anchor.

Remove it.

But if all you need is a pump unit, and want to keep it, i have a good one for sale. $100 shipped.

 

86's don't have abs am I correct?

 

Check the 'what did my fc come with thread' for models that had it.

 

I had ABS on my 90 convertible and currently have NO ABS on my '88 TII and '87 N/A.

The ABS had a lot more responsive braking IMO, with less effort and fade. It also prevented me from rear-ending a car when freeway traffic came to a stand-still just as I was speeding around another car. Without ABS it would've been, "see ya' later VERT".

I liked it while I had it.

 

ABS is a waste of space for people who can properly stop a car using good threshold braking technique... ABS simply threshold brakes a car for a person that can't do it.

Both the FC's I've owned came stock without, and I couldn't be happier. Sure, I've hit some stuff in the cars, but that was me being stupid. ABS doesn't cure stupidity.

In short, if you can "drive" you don't need ABS. Most FC's never had it.

 

Kinda harsh there Kai. While I like the fact that my FC did not come with ABS, I do not think it's worthless and only for people who can't drive. Can you honestly say that you can properly threshold brake in every situation? Rain? Snow? Other drivers swerving around you? No one can drive perfectly all the time. Even Andretti crashes.
-John

 

if you can maintain the threshold better than the abs computer could, the abs wouldnt of came on

 

Considering I don't drive like a madman, the situation doesn't come up too often. I honestly do not remember the last time I locked up my '7's brakes.

I love that line, "Even Andretti crashes." Of course he does, he drives a racecar to the outer limits of man and machine every race. I doubt you do that when you go to the store for a loaf of bread.
Hey, if he needs it, he needs it. I've only owned one ABS equipped car, my first car. I only activated ABS three times on it in two years, each time due to me being a stupid young driver.

If you read the owner's manuals of cars equipped with ABS, most say slam on the brakes in an emergency stop situation to allow the computer to think for you. I don't believe in that.

 

My views on ABS are weird. I think that unless you're confident that you can drive without it, and have practiced stopping, you should have it. In a situation where one tire would lock up, depending on the ABS system, it could decrease the braking performance of the other 3, while not making as much back up by un-locking that one. Some systems do better than others. I will never use "I didn't have anti-lock brakes" as an excuse for why I hit something, prefering "I done screwed up good." Ever since my Legacy had to paddle its way through lots of water (wheels off ground) during a horrible storm, the ABS turns off when I go over large bumps. I've performed some crude, but scientific tests stopping on the same stretch of road from the same speed with it on and off, and on average I can stop my car faster with it off. The thing is, the ABS comes on just a little too soon in some cases, and stays on longer than necessary. When I stop the shortest, the tires lose grip here and there for maybe an inch or two at most, but don't lock. I'm not saying I can do this every time, but sometimes.

Edit: I would expect the results of my test to vary depending on pavement type and quality. I did not go around and test it on new vs old asphalt, or concrete, because A)I don't care B)Every road in Pennsylvania sucks equally.

 

ABS will offer surer and shorter stops in an emergency situation when the idiot in front of you decides to stop instead of speeding up to merge on a 75 mph interstate onramp.

If you decide to remove your ABS, you might as go all out and get rid of the powerbrake booster (powerbrakes for for sissies), fuel injection system (real engines have carbs), powersteering, power windoes, and those pesky seatbelts and airbags.

 

I agree with you homebrewer... depending on the skill of the driver. If you just slam on the brakes in a situation like that, you're either used to ABS, stupid, or panicing. I've had enough close calls, enough barely controlled slides, and done enough stupid things (repeatedly running snowmobiles off a 260' drop where the hill was just shy enough of vertical that you didn't quite free fall) that the panic factor is about zero in an accident. I do know how, and am practiced in properly threshold braking a non ABS vehicle. This said, I would not remove ABS from a vehicle that I drive in inclimate weather. My 7 isn't even driven in the rain, so if it had ABS that failed, I would probably just remove it.

 

You may be a very good driver, but there are a lot of people who are bad drivers. You can't avoid everything. One day it may come where your in a deep situation. Being the best driver doesn't stop you from getting into an accident.

 

no ABS and loving it. Actually, i've only ever owned one car with ABS, and that wasa an accident.

 

Can someone posts pics of the abs unit in the bay, and removed? im curious to see exactly how big it really is.

 

I never have had a RX-7 with ABS (unfortunatelly) and so far I've had 8 but my Corvette was equiped with ABS and it did saved me to crahs into a big truckc that cut me off the road and I am an experienced driver but some times the conditions just don't help. like rain, snow or other elements.

 

Well, I already bought the ABS Delete kit, so I'm going to do that. My first rx-7 was easy for me to drive. I haven't driven a turbo car, so I thought maybe it would be different. I guess this was a stupid thing to ask for opinions considering the fact I like drifting, and it does leave a big open area for easier access to the engine.

 

Actually, it should. Cars are subject to the laws of physics. Being a good public road driver (as separate from a good track driver) requires awareness of other vehicles, what they are doing, what they could possibly do, and what the stupidest thing they could do is.

Also, a good horn is useful. I use my horn maybe once every 2 months, but when I need it, I NEED IT. Hence air horns (which IIRC aren't working properly last time I checked - need to take a look at that).

Regarding antilockss, yes, a good antilock system can make better use of traction than a human driver - you have one pedal to control 4 wheels, a good antilock system can modulate all 4 wheels to get the maximum available traction.

I don't think the FC (or any 1980s, early 90s, or pretty much any American) has a good enough antilock system that it's going to reliably outbrake a human. Give me a new Mercedes, and we'll talk.

I suppose I just prefer having direct control over what the car is doing. Manual transmission, no traction control, no antilock brakes, no stability control. I'm causing every action the car takes.

-=Russ=-

 

My first car was a '66 Stang with a 289 under the hood. Of course it had no power anything and I was young and stupid. I learned how to handle it becuase of this. I never wrecked that car or even came close to wrecking it. I never fucked around in traffic. Period. That doesn't stop other drivers from being stupid though.

If you are gonna delete your ABS you better go out somewhere with no one around or nothing to hit and learn what the car is gonna do with no ABS. At least just pull the fuse or something and learn before you decide.

My '87 Rx-7 didn't have it and I never wrecked it.

I think my '90 Rx-7 that I am currently driving has ABS but doesn't work (I think). I know I can lock it up. This car is the only one of my cars that I have come close to wrecking. The retard in front of me decided to SLAM on his brakes to make a turn and at that moment I was looking down at my radio (stupid, stupid, stupid). It was wet out and once I realized I wasn't gonna stop in time I locked them up and put my car sideways. My passenger door was just about inches from his back bumper. I am just glad I wasn't going 1mph faster because I would have hit him.

It is all about knowing how to drive your car. *edit* and partially luck I guess.

Ironically, the only car I have "wrecked" was my buddies Honda Accord WITH ABS. It wasn't my fault but by law it was. I was driving my buddies car to lunch with some friends (the 7 only fits one other... hehe) on gravel and a truck came up on my passenger side with his brakes locked up and horn blaring. I took my attention from the car in front of me for one instance (the wrong thing to do I guess but what would anyone have done?) and hit the car in front of us at like 3mph. Barely did anything to the cars but... yeah...

The moral of the story? Learn how to drive. That is the best safety "equipment" out there.

 

I run no ABS on my '88. Personally, I think it's just preference. Technically, I think Syonyk is right on the button. Speaking from a personal point of view, I'd say having no ABS is cool just to feel what it's like to really learn how to brake, instead of just slamming on the brake with a nice ABS system. If thats something you'd like to experience, than go for it.

 

If a driver is good enough, then the situation that will get them into an accident will do so ABS or no.

 

Even if your a good driver, that dosnt mean that ABS WILL NOT help you in any situation. i drive my RX all year round. in the rain the breaks lock up a lot easier, than on dry ground.

I wrecked my truck in the rain last year. because a 2003 accord with ABS slammed on their brakes 10 feet from the line as soon as the light went yellow, she with ABS slid into the intersetion, me without ABS slid into her, if i had had ABS maybe the accident wouldnt have been as bad, or maybe i wouldnt have hit her, i dont know.

being that i will be driveing my 7 in the winter this year. i would like ABS just for the rain. you can be a good driver, and aware of your suroundings but, if a car dosnt stop for a stop sign, or just plain pulls out in front of you. there isnt always much you can do. most people when presented with a potential accident thats about to happen in less than 2 seconds. say to themselvs "im going to pump my brakes so i dont lock up." Or "i'll just brake the perfect amount so i dont hit him"

Maybe ABS isnt the solution to no accidents, but i defanitly see how it could help them not be as bad.

Is there any way you upgrade your ABS system so it would function better?

also, ABS runs off of a fuse right? if you pull the fuse do your brakes react as if there was no ABS to begin with? Why not just make a switch for it, so when you go out drifting, you can simply turn it off?

 

If you own an FC turbo, you're going to wish you didn't have ABS...


-Ted