Emphasis added...

So think of it this way, locking your brakes actually decreases traction much like revving your engine and dumping the clutch (you make a lot of noise and smoke but you really don't go anywhere due to traction loss). While initially ABS feels kind of strange, it actually lets you stop quicker should you overpower the brakes. So regarding ABS, yes it does let you stop quicker.

TCS is the accelerator pedals version of the brake pedals ABS. It attempts to maintain traction by limiting wheel spin. The problem here is that while ABS can function very similarly in both race cars and street cars, the focus of TCS is to keep you legal, not to let you achieve maximum acceleration. It would be interesting if companies like SCT could reprogram the TCS for maximum acceleration. In fact, they may be able to do this but so far I've just been turning it off when I want maximum acceleration.

Now that you've got me thinking about reprogramming my ABS and TCS, I think I'll drop by the SCT site and find out if my XCal2 can do this.

Additional note regarding the removal of ABS from F1 cars; it was removed to make driving more of a competition between drivers rather than between the manufactures level of technology. There were safety arguments presented regarding this decision, but the Federation Internationale De L'Automobile (FIA) (F1's sponsoring body) decided forcing the cars to slow down by limiting the ability to over drive the brakes was safer then having better brakes. Needless to say, many of the drivers disagreed, but then the FIA has a history (as do many race organizations) of trying to limit the speeds at which the cars can run.

 

I will say this tho......I just found out a few minutes ago that my car handles holding on a high incline differently when the TCS is off. I had been driving mostly with it on (having not been looking to act a fool lately) so usually I turn off of this particular incline ramp onto the highway with little difficulty. But today, i was toying around with the TCS off and when i got on the incline and stopped to wait for traffic, the car wouldn't hold the incline by regulating the gas pedal. It held for a few seconds (i usually have no problem holding a dead stop on an incline in my manual), then it began to lose power. I had to give it more and more gas....but it would hold for only a few seconds and then start to lose power. Finally i was giving it so much gas it started to climb onto the highway , so i had to let off and then it began to skate backward down the incline. I braked and saw i had an openning so i gave it some more gas to go back up. Needless to say it started to spin tires and race......so, i went with it. I get onto the highway, backend fishing, and try to get it into second to slow the wheel spin and engine down....it jammed, would not go into second. I had to keep peeling out until i got straight on the highway and picked up some speed before it would go into second.

It kinda sucked cuz it ended up looking like i was trying to be Billy Badass coming out of the postoffice. lol. I couldn't figure it out so i circled back around and turned back into the post office. This time i turned TCS on and tried the incline again. With the TCS on it held the incline just fine.........so what the hell?

 

yea, seriously

btw your mustang looks gorgeous

 

seriously......because 70% of the time, I feel that I can stop the car faster and under better control than the ABS can.

However, on ice and snow and rain (which is the other 30%) I really think it's great.

So, to answer your question, Of course I want ABS because when you need it, you really NEED it. Its a great tool in certain conditions but I would just like to be able to shut it off like the t/c is all.

I still say traction control is gay...........but it's probably saved a few stangs, so I will give it props. ESPECIALLY if someone else is driving my car. [&:]