Fordnatics List Archive

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Mail From: (email redacted) (Brian Kelley)


Dave Williamson writes:

>ABS senses when one wheel locks, and then backs off the brake pressure
>to all the wheels. In snow, with mismatched tires, you will lock the non-
>snows first, which will kick in the ABS. But this will be _way_ sooner than
>the you get the maximum grip from the snows. Basically, you are negating
>any advantage you get from the snow tires. Always use 4 snows with ABS.
>Besides, those front tires do _turn_ the car. It would be nice to have good
>grip there, as well.

Ah yes, more clueless speculation on ABS systems! Isn't it wonderful
how so many folks are willing to share their *guesses* and
*assumptions* on how technology works. And they aren't even willing
to confine their conjecture to private Email - they want to share
their guesses with hundreds of other list members. It is getting more
and more like the 'vettes list every day - perhaps 1 in 10 to 20 posts
is worth reading.

It is really unfortunate. The signal to noise ratio on fordnatics
continues to decline. It really makes you question any information
you get from the list. For the one person who responds and knows what
they are talking about, you've got 5 or 10 others who have almost no
idea and often _no experience_. Do they mention that in their posts?
Sometimes. But if you don't know, why post? If you don't _know_,
perhaps you should at least limit your response to private email..

I don't generally post unless I'm quite certain of what I'm posting,
or I'm quite certain that I have information that no one else does
(or I'm flaming ;-) Is that modicum of self discipline too much to ask?

But I have to give Dave credit. His post on this thread has been
closer to reality than any of the others (that I read). It may sound
like I am attacking him, but I am not. It was really the other posts
which I found so grossly inaccurate. One or two of those posts really
made me question whether the author had ever driven a car with ABS.


The content quoted above is where Dave's response fell short. That
would be true only in the case of 1 channel ABS systems. The better
systems are 4 channel, and modulate the braking force to each wheel
individually. 2 and 3 channel systems (where a pair of wheels are
controlled as a unit) are also still produced. I would be surprised
if any 1 channel systems are still being produced. The number of
channels can usually be found in the description of the system. Certainly,
1 channel systems aren't worth much consideration.


Now for some content that actually relates to the list charter (Ford
stuff, wasn't it?)..

SVO ran out of 302 4 bolt race blocks a while back, and I do mean
_out_. A new design replaces the old and they new units are slowly
being shipped. My source at Roush tells me that the new blocks
visually appear to be an improvement over the old. Only time will
tell if they are actually better. Roush had 35 on order and recently
received 11. The old blocks were around $800 and the new blocks are
around $1600 :-( A couple of monthes ago the new blocks were selling
for $3000 because of the large demand. Hopefully those prices will
continue to drop.

Interestingly enough, Roush was only able to get one season of
TRANS-AM racing out of the old blocks (and likely something less than
that since the engines get swapped out for freshening rather often).
The blocks really couldn't tolerate a second season. The problem was
cracking in the main webs. However, for drag racing, that block might
last essentially forever. Fortunately, it is very hard to abuse a
block as badly as the front runners in T/A do.

Brian


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(email redacted)