[V8] Delete ABS?

[rmwoodbury at roadrunner.com]

Taking the ABS system out of a perfectly good performing ABS equipped car is something that needs to have some careful consideration. I would suggest that such a process be delayed until you have had at least one experience where you are sure that ABS has saved your life, THEN decide whether you would want to drive without it.

Back around the dawn of time I had a new Mercedes 190D Turbo.  Of course that car came with 4 wheel ABS, airbag and the all the rest of the Mercedes safety stuff.  

I was driving back to Maine with my small children for visitation.  We were driving in heavy traffic down Storrow Drive in Boston.  Now this area was once my stomping grounds, but it had changed some since I was last there. Traffic was VERY heavy and moving MUCH faster than it ever did when I was in college.  

It was raining slightly, although the road was only slightly wet.  Suddenly a car two or three in front, decided that it needed to be in the left most lane and just WENT there.  The cars two in front of me immediately locked up, and with the only choices for me being hit the guard rail in front, go right and get nailed immediately by the fool who was going too fast in the right lane, or locking up the brakes and hoping for the best, I locked 'em up.

That was my first experience with feelinig ABS chatter.  My car stopped under control, and the guy in back of me did too (another Mercedes of some sort).  Without ABS I was certain that the outcome would have been different.

I was not following too closely, nor going faster than anyone else. I was merely in traffic with decent distance between me and the guy in front...it just all compressed so fast, that with NO alternative, it was brakes or worse.

I am a believer in ABS for cars being driven every day.

FWIW

Roger