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Well the comment made was "the best way to improve an old cars braking"....and ABS does not improve braking.
If you're saying that braking with non-locked wheels is better than locked wheels, then yes of course it is, I doubt anyone is arguing that. But it doesn't take ABS to avoid locked wheels - proper set up and threshold braking.



ABS makes stopping faster in panic situations for people who haven't practiced panic braking and keeping the brakes right at that threshold. Every winter on an empty stretch of slick road I'll practice how fast I can punch the brakes and stay on the edge of locking them up.

The current set up on my truck ('72 W200, discs all the way around), I can't lock up the fronts. But that may be more due to the 32s and dry pavement This spring I'll get a pressure gauge and do some more testing.



I don't doubt that you guys can stop your vehicles better than an average dummy in your vehicle standing on the pedal with the wheels locked.

The question is - can you stop your vehicle faster than it could if it had ABS? I've not met a human being yet that could modulate braking individually to 4 wheels with one brake pedal. Although I've not met everybody yet.

Overall, I'm always amazed at the $$ some guys will spend on their car but refuse to at least upgrade to OEM discs.


I'd venture to say it would be unusual in the extreme for four wheels to lock at the same time - i.e. ABS will not usually need to modulate 4 brakes at the same time. If it does, the driver probably buried the pedal in a limited traction situation (e.g. ice) and maybe shouldn't be out in those conditions!
Don't get me wrong, I'm not against ABS per se, but the suggestion was made that ABS would improve braking, which is not the case. Is it useful in some circumstances - yes. Would I pay a lot of money to retrofit it to my car, no way, I could achieve much more worthwhile improvements (braking or elsewhere) for the $$. Plus I don't generally take out my classic Mopar when it is sheet ice everywhere (actually I don't take it out at all while it is still in bits ).

Under normal conditions with a well set up system - yeah I'd take on an ABS system and not expect to lose out.