HappyTrails

For some reason many of the mid 90's XJ's in our area were delivered with ABS. My 96 Sport is one of them. I presume this creates some off road driving issues. I would welcome comments from experienced off roaders on this issue.

Also, what is the good, bad, and the ugly of deactivating or removing the ABS?

One of the downsides to having ABS is it was only on the D35 axles. So upgrade is not feasible without removing ABS.

Help me out here, as I am really in the dark on ABS and Jeeps.

77olds

It would be best to replace the master cylinder with a non-ABS style, but disabling it by pulling the fuse probably wouldn't cause any problems.

I have ZERO problems driving my non-ABS XJ on the Michigan icy roads, you just have to drive more carefully and slowly.

xjsnake

I've had one car with ABS ever. If you know what you are doing, you won't miss it.

cazador

I think this is good advice. I pulled the fuse/relay for abs on my 96 because abs kept engaging at every stop (bad rusted sensors and sprocket thing). I didn't have any problems with braking after that, but the ABS does have special procedures for bleeding the lines and i was never sure that I got all the air out of the abs system.

Kris smith

My buddy has a 89 with this set up and it quit working right so the PO rigged it to a switch and he kept a locking up after we replaced calipers pads rotors we went in for a non abs swap we used a dual diaphragm booster from a 95 with master cyl and his og prop valve. There's a lot of lines to remove and it gets a lil tricky invest in a flairing tool and cutter you will have to make lines rebend and repurpose lines when I showed up at his house he had the master out and I did most of the rest it was a six hour job

salad

I'd get rid of ABS just for this reason... dealer has to use a DRB-III tool to run the pump in bleed mode. A little impossible for the DIYer

phobia

I completely eliminated the ABS system on my '89 XJ. The first time the system failed on me, I had the recall done by the local Jeep dealer. One week after I got it back from them, it failed again. I ended up replacing the entire system(hard lines and all) using a '96 XJ as a donor.

5-90

How old are you? I've noted that most drivers over 35 (like me...) actually think these systems cause more trouble than help.

Removing ABS a mortal sin? No - I consider it a cardinal virtue! I've never met an ABS system I couldn't lock up anyhow... And, I find it limiting (I also find front-wheel drive limiting as well. And, to a limited extent, I also find automatic transmissions limiting...)

Pulling the fuse should disable the electronics - meaning it won't read the wheel speeds and it won't be able to do anything about it anyhow. That should cut off power to the ABS pump as well - same net effect.

However, if you really want to deal with the issue, replace the master cylinder with a non-ABS version (should be available,) modify the lines PRN, and just strip out the upper electronics (leave the stuff at the wheels alone, it's just "along for the ride.")

Nota Bene - Removing ABS from a vehicle that had it from the factory can and has given your insurance underwriter a "way out" of paying for a claim! Similarly, you may lose coverage if you notify your underwriter that you intend to remove ABS (because it's "removal of an 'OEM safety system'," which is generally frowned upon. Even if it's a "safety system" that doesn't really enhance safety and merely allows the driver to abdicate responsibility. As I was taught, "Your Number One safety device lies between your ears.")

It's a BS reg - but so's half of FMVSS, and that may as well be set in stone (however useless it may be.)

andrewmp6

I'm 30 and don't like abs at all,Anything i owned that had it i pulled the fuse on it.As far as removing it if you can do it right go for it.

HappyTrails

Being more than twice as old as the oldest XJ, and having bought NEW 1986 and 1990 XJ Laredos, I have enjoyed many miles on--and off--the road! Never been a fan of ABS sort of ideas-using devices to dumb down driving skill and responsibility. Kind of like what GPS has done to nearly everyone under 25. Most are lost, incompetent, and dependent without it. Don't know north from south and can't read a real map. Or even that the sun rises in the east and sets in the west.

Not a big fan of front wheel drive cars either. Yeah, I get the efficient packaging idea etc. But having owned a PT Cruiser for 13 years, I can say I will never buy another sidewinder that is essentially a throw away car. I got rid of it at 140k miles when the water pump failed with 40k on it. Cost to replace it was nearly same as doing the cam belt at 100K: $1200. Pump is driven by cam belt (stupido or what?) and buried down under everything in the lower right front corner. Same labor as doing cam belt replacement. And to replace the clutch, you have to dismantle the front suspension-to pull the half shafts, to pull the transmission, etc. You could totally remove and rebuild a transfer case on an XJ in half the time and effort the PT Cruiser water pump replacement takes. Oh, and to replace the spark plugs you have to remove the throttle body and then remove the intake manifold. I kid you not!

What are new Wrangler owners in for with that fancy V6? I wonder.

89cherokee2gtmudy

None of my vehicles have working abs. I honestly hate cars with abs. Learned young to hate it since I'm only 18. Don't even get me started with the new wranglers. My fathers '13 already has trans problems with 7,000 miles. I'm thinking is computer related as it won't shift out of a high gear while going up a hill without having to use the auto stick mode. I'd consider it a pos

salad

I think most of the problems in new JKs are computer-related. Like every few months I hear about some new software upgrade at the dealer to fix 90000 different problems.

kgm

What's the story with bleeding ABS systems? I have ABS in my XJ and will probably need to bleed it sometime soon.

salad

A special procedure with the DRB-III tool needs to be done to cycle all the valves and run the pump.

kgm

If I have to install longer brake lines, I will have to have a shop / dealer bleed the line, or just if I'm doing a full bleed?

I had a shop flush all my fluid out when I first got it since I didn't have time. (6 mos ago)