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Antilock Brakes
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Antilock Brakes
Copyright AA1Car
Most people are familiar with the term Antilock Brakes (ABS), but many do not know much about antilock braking, how it
works, what if any special maintenance is required, or what parts can be replaced in antilock brake systems.
Antilock Brakes are essentially an enhanced or improved version of ordinary brakes. Simply put, the antilock brake system
is designed to prevent the brakes from locking up and skidding when braking hard or when braking on wet or slick surfaces.
This adds a significant margin of safety for everyday driving by preventing dangerous skids and allowing the driver to maintain
steering control while trying to stop.
Antilock brakes do not necessarily reduce the stopping distance, and in fact may actually increase stopping slightly on dry
pavement. But on wet or slick pavement, antilock brakes may reduce the stopping distance up to 25% or more, which could
be the difference between a safe stop and an accident.
There are quite a few different antilock brake systems in use today, but one thing they all share in common is the ability to
control wheel lockup during hard braking. A tire that is just on the verge of slipping (10 to 20% slippage) produces more
friction with respect to the road than one which is locked and skidding (100% slippage). Once traction is lost, friction is
reduced, the tire skids and the vehicle takes longer to stop.
The only exception to this rule is when a tire is on loose snow. A locked tire allows a small wedge of snow to build up ahead
of it which allows it to stop in a somewhat shorter distance than a rolling tire. That is why some vehicles have an on/off
switch for deactivating the antilock system when driving on snow.
Directional stability also depends on traction. As long as a tire does not slip, it will roll only in the direction it turns. But once
it skids, it has about as much directional stability as a hockey puck on ice. By minimizing the loss of traction, antilock
braking helps maintain directional stability and steering control.
Another point to keep in mind about antilock brakes is that it is essentially an "add-on" to the existing brake system. It only
comes into play when traction conditions are marginal or during sudden "panic" stops. The rest of the time, it has no effect
on normal driving or braking.
Antilock brake systems are also designed to be as "failsafe" as possible. Should a failure occur in the ABS control
electronics, most systems will deactivate themselves. The ABS warning light will come on, but the vehicle should still have
normal braking. This does not necessarily make the vehicle unsafe to drive, but it does mean the ABS system will not be
there if needed in an emergency.
An ABS warning light should never be ignored, especially if the brake warning light is also on. This could indicate a
potentially dangerous loss of hydraulic pressure or a low fluid level!). If both warning lights are on, the vehicle should not be
driven until the brakes can be inspected.
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Nonintegral ABS systems, which are sometimes refereed to as "add-on" systems, are used on most of the newer vehicles.
Nonintegral ABS systems use a conventional master brake cylinder and vacuum power booster with a separate hydraulic
modulator unit. Some also have an electric pump for ABS braking (to reapply pressure during the ABS hold-release-reapply
cycle), but do not use the pumps for normal power assist.
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of accumulators may be used as temporary holding reservoirs for brake fluid during the hold-release-reapply cycle. This type
of accumulator typically uses a spring loaded diaphragm rather than a nitrogen charged chamber to store pressure.
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