Anti-lock brakes

[Viper Byte]

Does anyone know of a place in California, preferrably
in the Bay Area, that can install anti-lock brakes on
a '99 GTS? Any idea on the cost?

Thanks!

 

[LTHL VPR]

Check your e-mail. Just sent you one. We can help you with this upgrade.
Regards,
Wayne (LTHL VPR)

 

[monnieh]

I thought you had to just about disassemble the entire car to convert to ABS.

Can a Non-abs car be converted with out having to spend $5-10K?

 

[FRANK]

Who the hell needs ABS? The reason for loving the Viper and buying one is because it doesn't have all that high tech crap. If you really want ABS and traction control and run flats etc etc maybe a Vette would have been a better choice....

I cannot believe someone would spend 5-10K on ABS aftermarket....

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

I agree with Frank.

 

[RED97GTS]

We are not talking about heated seats and cup holders.
The area the Viper performed the worst was stopping. I believe ABS was to improve this area. At VOI-5 during the "Tech Session" it was said a retro fit was in the works for the non ABS cars. I am still waiting.

 

[viperdoctor]

I am a little rusty on my BASIC programming, but:

IF 99 is close to stock THAN sell 99 AND buy 01 ELSE

IF you sunk 10's of thousands in mods in your 99 that you will never get back in resale THAN what's another $5-10K in ABS upgrades?

I still don't understand how the ABS system on the 2001 so dramatically improved the stopping distance in the Viper? I always understood that a good driver in dry weather could outperform ABS with proper threshold braking...

When the Lotus Esprit was dominating in the early 90's, the drivers would switch off ABS for dry and back on for wet conditions.

Dodge must have done something else to the brakes and hide those changes within the ABS release.

 

[Henry Cone]

The big advantage of the ABS brakes is the optimized front to rear proportioning. A non-ABS Viper is very heavily front brake biased - so much so that braking distances suffer substantially. Dodge did this to insure that the front brakes always locked up first, no matter what the conditions. Most of us track rats fix this, fully understanding when we do so we are accepting the risk of having the rear brakes lock up before the fronts in certain conditions.

 

[slaughterj]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by monnieh:
Can a Non-abs car be converted with out having to spend $5-10K?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm wondering the same thing. I thought this was the price range for the Archer system, installed. What are the other prices being charged out there? And are others just installing the Archer system, or doing something else? Solid info please.

 

[viperdoctor]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by slaughterj:
And are others just installing the Archer system, or doing something else? Solid info please.

<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Has anyone checked with Hennessey?

 

[FRANK]

Another thing I cannot understand is why people want airbags. I am thrilled that my RT 10 doesn't have them. If I get into an accident with the Viper, I'd rather go head first through the windshield and die than rather live and deal with the friggin agony of getting the car repaired...

Airbags, ABS, Run Flats, Traction Control, Suspension Control are all for wimps. I be just as happy with my Viper if it had 4 wheel drum brakes on it. Come to think I go through the traps with my Dart at almost 120 miles per hour with 4 wheel drums...I like a little excitement in life!

 

[Marv S]

http://vca1.viperclub.org/ubb/Forum2/HTML/000556.html

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by slaughterj:

Originally posted by monnieh:
Can a Non-abs car be converted with out having to spend $5-10K?
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>I'm wondering the same thing. I thought this was the price range for the Archer system, installed. What are the other prices being charged out there? And are others just installing the Archer system, or doing something else? Solid info please.

 

[MichaelP]

Screw the ABS, screw the air bags, hell while you are at it screw the seatbelts.

HE!! while you are at it be a manly man and bleed the break fluid out too MAN.

 

[HogWhisperer]

LOL! Really, what will it take for a drum brake retro-fit on my ACR? LMAO!

ABS is a nice thing. Not only will it save tires but lap times drop too! I would have already retro-fitted my ACR with them but I'm just not real crazy about losing the parking brake...

Wait, I know...... What wimp needs a parking brake? LOL!

 

[Bonkers]

If the Archer System is a complete overhaul type package it might include the rotors and calipers. That would substantially increase the cost of the package hence a $10k price tag. I've seen big brake kits for my impala running at $6k with 12 piston ABS Calipers.

Also I think the braking performance level of the older Vipers (having never driven a 96 or newer) is in desperate need of a controller. On the track I don't think I would notice the difference between ABS and (my skill at) threshold, but during a panic stop at highway speeds it could be a BIG difference. I remember the one (and only) time I jabbed the brake to play and in the time it took me to lock-up, acknowledge the lock-up, react, and modulate the pedal, I had traveled a couple of extra feet. If there was a cheap way to convert I would definitely be interested.

 

[kverges]

ABS system requires a lot of work. You need the plumbing and controller and pump and valvebody. Then the rear uprights and calipers are different, because ABS cars have more rear bias (larger caliper). Then you need the tone rings, sensors and wiring. And I don't know if the front uprights need to be replaced, but you will also want to add a waring light somewhere, which might require a new driver information center portion of the dash.

And I think 18" wheels are mandatory to clear the rear caliper.

This is just off the top of my head. Big, big project to retrofit, I would say it is cheaper to trade up on the car to a 2001 or 2002.

 

[GTS Dean]

Keith,

I just ckicked and up-sized your Avatar. That is a bithchen photo! Very nice!

 

[germanleal]

Hi to anyone,
How bad is this? My light are on, and I check my manual, so I know to check ASAP with the DODGE dealer, how bad and cost any idea experience will help? because my other vehicle is not available, so I need to know if I can drive tomorrow to work?

Regards,
GRL

 

[Chuck 98 RT/10]

Hi to anyone,
How bad is this? My light are on, and I check my manual, so I know to check ASAP with the DODGE dealer, how bad and cost any idea experience will help? because my other vehicle is not available, so I need to know if I can drive tomorrow to work?

Regards,
GRL

Your check brake light is on and you have ABS? If so, you are probably ok to drive, just realize that the ABS action of the brakes is not functioning properly. Make sure the fluid and pads are good.

 

[RTTTTed]

According to Wikipedia the Viper was faster than Ferrari, Porsche etc, except that the brakes on Vipers were inferior and even the Porsche could be a few seconds faster around a road course because of the brakes. The antilock brakes did not make a large difference, even though the rear brakes were improved.

My thoughts are similar to Tom and he builds 40mm brake calipers that fixes this problem. Tom's site has a graph showing G force stopping distances and the Vipers were definitely lacking with only .8 G force of stopping force. Gen 3s were much better at 1.0+ G forces.

ABS does increase stopping distance so the 2001 had much better rear brakes and did outstop the earlier non ABS cars slightly, but with much more control.

I installed the Roe Racing 14" Big Brakes kit on my Sapphire GTS the stopping forces were greatly increased. The difference was enough that you could feel the difference easily. Once the rears are ABS(44mm) or Tom's upgrade (40mm) the rears work great for street, although racing would realize a heat improvement with multi-piston calipers in rear.

Ted

 

[RTTTTed]

I found that with my 2000 ACR the rear tires had such a small amount of braking that I couldn't even lock the rears up in the rain! I removed the rear proportioning spring (don't recomend it for anyone else unless they are an expert)and the rear tires still don't lock up - except they 'might' in rain.

 

[germanleal]

Your check brake light is on and you have ABS? If so, you are probably ok to drive, just realize that the ABS action of the brakes is not functioning properly. Make sure the fluid and pads are good.

Hi Chuck,
Thanks,yes I will drop it today to be in safe way, I called to the office that I'll be late.
GRL

 

[MTGTS]

Save your $$$ on the ABS kit and buy a 4 wheel Stoptech BBK

 

[costanZo]

Save your $$$ on the ABS kit and buy a 4 wheel Stoptech BBK

BBK is the way to go.. Performance and Bling!

 

[REDSLED]

Wow, an 8 year old thread.

 

[wellis77]

Pulling back out a 9 year old thread. I'm trying to find out any information I can on what these old ABS Retrofit Kits consisted of, what parts were used to make this happen. Was it a matter of simply taking the Gen 3 stuff, putting it on the Gen 2? If so, how did it get wired? Any help is appreciated.

 

[MTGTS]

I would PM DC Performance or Woodhouse.