Honda Brakes

[Arashi666]

Ok so I get the GT2 and I go out for a bit, I decided to finally use the Brake test feature............usual disclaimer stuff, I did this at abiut 3AM last night (Friday Night/Saturday Morning) and came up with something interesting

Those of you who own a Honda of this year frame might know that the ABS brakes cut on and off sometimes, like in the middle of a drive the ABS light goes on to show that the ABS unit has shut off (Stories say its a 1500 dollar fix, so ill leave it as-is)

So I try the test with the ABS functioning, the result ended up as 60-0 in 153 feet..... not too bad, good stopping power, stopes straight no deviation, and I could feel the ABS pumping

THEN

I drove around until the ABS unit killed itself and tried again on the same straigtaway, It came out as 60-0 in 161 feet, again good stopping power, stoped in a straight line, no problems, didnt really feel the brakes lock either


All in all the Difference between ABS and NO ABS is EIGHT FEET!!!!!!! so that leads me to wonder, are Honda's conventional brakes that good, or is their idea of ABS a joke


What do you think?????
Any input from you Honda owners out there?????

[SmaartAasSaabr]

Honda brakes suck :wink:

Keep in mind, ABS only engages when the brakes themselves can exert a force greater than the traction between the tires on the ground. If you have racing slicks that are hot and you are running down a perfect asphalt runway with some rubber laid down (like a dragstrip) you aren't going to lock the wheels and thus the ABS doesn't engage.

The ABS would come on if there was sand let's say on the road and the tires were skidding on the sand. Or if you are on ice or snow or...

ABS sometimes helps your braking distance (like on asphalt in a scenario where wheel lock is possible) but usually hurts it rather severely (like on gravel, sand, snow) where you can't build up a "wedge" in front of the wheel. IMO the main advantage of ABS is that it is "easy" to control the car. Stand on the brake pedal and turn the steering wheel to avoid the obstacle ahead. With standard brakes, you have to modulate the pedal (threshold braking) carefully so that you are on JUST the edge of locking a wheel, and steer. There is a lot more thought involved, with experience and skill it becomes easy but for the other 99% of drivers out there...

/edit/ I'd be kinda wary about driving a car daily where the ABS kicks itself out of existence all the time... depending on how the system works, if it's a manual brake system with an "add on" ABS unit maybe not, but if it's like the old ATE/Teves system where the ABS pump actually provides all the braking power to the rear wheels and half of the power to the front it would worry me just a wee bit :wink:

[Arashi666]

Well ABS was standard on this model, Modeled after the 97 Accord EX with 4 wheel ABS Disc brakes, while the DX model couldnt do it, and the LX model had it as an option, so I think its the "Add on" thing you mention

ive gotten used to driving without ABS, taking corners and all that, just earlier that night (The thing that motivated me to make this test ), on my way to Popeyes to pick up some dinner there was this old lady in a Prius decided to turn right out of a Parking lot at like 5 MPH and into the left turn lane ( all across a 5 lane 45MPH road), with me closing in a 50MPH, she just keeps on CRAWLING across the road, i nail the brakes, lock, release, my pads and Rotors have a terrible tendency to FADE too so I have to deal with that S**T as well, and I steer into the right lane (I was in the left one as she cut across), i didnt brake until late because I figures that she would be out of the way by the time I crossed that point...... NO CANT DO THAT

[DogGod]

My ABS in my teg turns off 5sec after I start the car. I would rather not have ABS. In my first car(94 Jeep Grand Cherokee) the ABS almost sent me into a 50mph innersection, hit some rough pavement and it engaged the ABS and sent me flying twards the intersection, had to hop a curb to not get hit (hit a crub a fense and 4 brick ). Man I miss that Jeep. I have a Gt-1 and have not found a place to test the brake thing, I have front and rear crossdrilled/slotted rotors, and stoptech pads.

[Arashi666]

I want better fade resistant pads, and im WAY TOO BROKE to go changing the Rotors :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry: :cry:

[WRC]

ABS is good for rain, i bet if you test it in the rain or wet pavement there will be more than 8ft difference

[Arashi666]

its been raining lately, I might give that a go

[Kremithefrog]

I don't like the feel of ABS but I deal with it. I'll be putting on bigger rotors soon (300mm vs. standard 280 front and moving 280mm to the rear) and carbotech pads, so atleast the ABS should be engaging less, especially when I'm on r-compounds.