ABS vs No ABS

[Sanctifier]

^^^ Yup for less experienced drivers (like your Mom... no disrespect intended) ABS is great
...but to save your life... bigger tyres, disks and calipers are best any day before ABS.
Brembos rule
Yup they're very expensive... but isn't your life worth more than $7000

[scooby]

could someone explain to me why not having abs is solodex is benificial?

[MadCrix]

u sometimes WANT the car to go into a skate by pulling hanbrakes

to negotiate a turn if your approach is off.

[kes_vtec]

how does hit brake for solodex, 2nd gear , clucth, gas, 1st off clucth, turn

[X2]

How does abs affect a handbrake turn ?? I've done handbrake turns in my Firebird and it had abs.

Bigger brake rotors/calipers are great, but if you slam brakes and your tires don't have enough grip, they will slide and once you're sliding... you're gunna be up shit-creek. Bigger tires = More reciprocating mass... yuh need BETTER tires....

[X2]

How does abs affect a handbrake turn ?? I've done handbrake turns in my Firebird and it had abs.

Bigger brake rotors/calipers are great, but if you slam brakes and your tires don't have enough grip, they will slide and once you're sliding... you're gunna be up shit-creek. Bigger tires = More reciprocating mass... yuh need BETTER tires....

[Sanctifier]

How does abs affect a handbrake turn ?? I've done handbrake turns in my Firebird and it had abs.

Bigger brake rotors/calipers are great, but if you slam brakes and your tires don't have enough grip, they will slide and once you're sliding... you're gunna be up sheit-creek. Bigger tires = More reciprocating mass... yuh need BETTER tires....

[sheit-creek.] Been there more than a few times actually; and not necessarily because of brakes either.

Maybe I should have said wider wheels (tyres and rims.)
Wider tyres (and rims) = Increased contact patch = Increased adhesion (less sidewall flex) = Higher cornering speed and shorter stopping distances (as a general rule); when added to larger diameter rotors and bigger calipers (more pistons & greater "swept area" for brake pads) = Safer driving IMO.

BTW... Did Firebird have mechanical hand-brake linkage to rear brakes like most cars
That would circumvent hydraulic ABS wouldn't it
My $0.02c

[X2]

Yeah, the firebird has a mechanical link to the handbrake. How many car's don't ? I've never owned a car that had any other type of connection. But read the posts, more than once ppl referred to abs and hand brakes as not working hand in hand... I don't know what they mean.

As far as the wider wheel/tire combo, reason I don't like it as an option it's that the more mass on the wheel, the more difficult it becomes to slow it down. Like when someone puts 17's on a car that comes with 14's, the braking distances increase.

[Sanctifier]

Yup, as a general rule you're right.
...but, remember I was talking about wider rims and tyres... not bigger diameter wheels.
That way though inertia does increase with wider wheels; it isn't as great as with bigger diameter wheels.

BTW sometimes its unavoidable. If you want to fit Brembos (or other 4-pot front calipers) you must go to 17" rims (and wider=better tyres) at the same time.
That way you are better off overall.
Think about my examples of 4wd 1800 GSR with single pots vs. 4wd Evo with Brembos.
Though not identical their spring rates and shocks can be said to be pretty similar...
Still, believe me it's "chalk & cheese."
The Evo's Brembos are even nicer than the extra power that it has IMO.
For me the most impressive features are the steering ("turn-in") first, and brakes a close second.
My 2 cents.

[X2]

Yup, as a general rule you're right.
...but, remember I was talking about wider rims and tyres... not bigger diameter wheels.
That way though inertia does increase with wider wheels; it isn't as great as with bigger diameter wheels.

Yeah but going with as large as possible of width on the same diameter tire is going to limit how wide you can safely go. The minor increases in tire width for the same rim diameter does not necessarily increase contact patch (particularly not on anything less than 17"), which is what I figure you're trying to get with the bigger tire.

The best way to increase contact patch is to increase tire width while concurrently increasing rim diameter.... so ya end up increasing mass anyway.

[Sanctifier]

...Yeah but going with as large as possible of width on the same diameter tire is going to limit how wide you can safely go. The minor increases in tire width for the same rim diameter does not necessarily increase contact patch (particularly not on anything less than 17"), which is what I figure you're trying to get with the bigger tire.

The best way to increase contact patch is to increase tire width while concurrently increasing rim diameter.... so ya end up increasing mass anyway.

^^^^... But a 5 1/2 x 14" limits you to about a 185/70-14" or maybe a 195/70-14 (for example); while a 6 1/2 x 14" can comfortably handle a 205/55 or even a 215/55 x 14.
The last wheel-combo will definately stop shorter; at least on a typical RWD Lancer 1800 GSR Turbo (box Lancer).

Still though in the long run the best alternative as you say, is to "bite the bullet" and go bigger diameter and wider tread width; especially if you are upgrading the power & torque (like most do).
You'll just have to upgrade spring/shock combo at the same time; which may not be a bad thing anyway.
My 2 cents.

[cdx2k1]

^^Bess u say ur dollar and done..d amount a 2 cents u put!lol

[Sanctifier]

^^^^^

[~Vēġó~]

lol @ cdx2k1