details please?: ABS into Scirocco conversion!

[amalventano@sc.rr.com (Allyn)]

> a) Will the brake rotor size difference create any problems? I'm guessing
> that there may be some sort of diameter-related calibration, but... lock is
> lock... right?

    all factors affecting braking itself (ss lines, brake diameter, rotational
mass of wheels, diameter of wheels) will play into this. realize that abs works
on a 'pulsed' principle. if the abs system on a stock car pulsed for 20 msec to
un-lock a wheel, that same abs on a tighter system (ss lines for example) may
overshoot with the same 20 msec, resulting in a wheel that is now not only
unlocked, but has less brake force available than the locked wheel would have
had.
    i am of course taking the extreme to describe the effect, just realize there
will be a difference. manufacturers go through alot of pain to 'tune' abs to a
particular car.
    side note: the local pop boys turned away my buddy and wouldnt
mount/balance/install his new set of m3 wheels sunce his car had abs and they
didnt want to be liable.

> b) Is EDL (electronic differential lock a.k.a. "traction control") a
> well-liked feature? Is it at all effective? Or, does it create more problems
> than it is worth? Should I bother with this or just go with the basic
> system?

EDL will only help a quaife setup in the instance where one wheel has no (0)
traction, as the quaife needs at least some torque to start shifting the rest
over. it may actually hurt the overall performance if the quaife was actively
shifting torque (both wheels under load, but some slip occuring at one wheel),
since you now have the quaife and the brakes effectively trying to slow the
wheel with less grip (burning more energy when the quaife had it covered in the
first place)

> c) Will the EDL "play nice" with my Quaife? I can't imagine why it wouldn't,
> but ya never know.

i dont see a conflict, only the potential extra wasted energy (above).

> d) Can the ABS be turned deactivated with a switch if I so desire?

well, you are the one wiring it, and abs doesnt work if the car is off, or if
the abs unit thinks the car is off (hint hint).

> e) Assuming that this conversion has been attempted before, how does one
> mount the sensors in the A1 hub? Welding, drilling, and minor fabrication is
> no obstacle.

i would have to see the sensors. the easiest route would be to just use the
corrado abs hubs, but i think this shifts the ball joint mount point (and
therefore the geometry) in a bad way.
hth
Al

> Scott F. Williams
> NJ Scirocco nut
> '99 Subaru Impreza 2.5 RS
> Mazda 323 GTX turbo "assaulted" vehicle
> Golf GTI 16v "rollycar"
> ClubVAC: "Roads found. Drivers wanted."

Allyn Malventano, ETC(SS), USN
87 Rieger GTO Scirocco 16v (daily driver, 180k, rocco #6)
86 Kamei Twin 16V Turbo Scirocco GTX ('it has begun', rocco #7)
86.5 Occo 16v Trailer (dotting 'i's across the country, rocco #8)
87 Jetta 8v Wolfsburg 2dr (daily driver, 270k, 0 rattles, original clutch,
driveshafts, wheels :)