Just recently my ABS has been getting overly excited and has decided to act up in normal traffic. I will be slowing down at stop signs and traffic lights and the pedal just goes crazy. Like every time i press the pedal down for more than 3 seconds it starts pumping and going nuts. I have not changed my driving style at all. Is there anything i can do to fix it? Maybe replace a sensor, module, etc. Any help or ideas on what drug got into the ABS system are welcomed...

 

That is odd. Are you sure it's the ABS and not something loose in your braking system? I would expect a bad sender that caused something like that to be detected, but maybe not. I'd check your brakes over good, though. A loose shoe in the rear or caliper might be able to make the pedal pump as well if it was grabbing and pushing back on the hydraulic system.

I'm also wondering if a vacuum loss would do it by periodically "hardening" the pedal travel and giving you a feel like it was pulsing. Think I'm "reaching" here though.

If you had a wire that was pulling loose or shorting when decellerating, it would "interrupt" the signal from the sensor and cause the system to think the wheel had stopped rotating.

I'll check the service manual, and Bob or someone else may have more insight.

 

Im not 100% sure its ABS but it is pulses just like it. Is there a fuse or something that i could pull to check if it is the ABS system?

 

'01? Yes, fuse 14 in the cab fuse box. That's the one that tells the ABS the key is on and activates it. I pull it to disable ABS offroad.

 

eh theres a recall on the abs system for rangers and explorers, i believe its for earlier uers, i know it affected my truck, but u may wanna look into that. btw- it didnt solve my issues.

 

Yeah, you can pull the fuse to troubleshoot ABS problems, but it will kill your speedometer, cruise control, etc.

 

^^^ Is that true? Bob implemented an ABS disable switch on his truck.. I thought he interrupted the same circuit as pulling the fuse does..

 

Exactly. The 4WABS module is on a dedicated fuse (#14) for 2001 through 2003. Removing it doesn't affect anything else.

 

On 98~2000 Rangers like Earl's, the VSS signal goes through the 4WABS module (except trucks with RABS), so pulling #14 would affect the speedometer and speed control on those years.

 

Yea the fuse doesnt do anything else to the gauges.

Anyways,
I found out the problem that i had. It has nothing to do with the ABS at all. I think the problem i have discovered is alot more serious...
Today on the way home from school i noticed this noise comming from the rear of my truck so wen i got home i decided to investigate what it is. I pulled off the drivers side rear drum and discovered this ugly situation i gotta deal with:


The pumping of the pedal im gonna assume is the broken piece circling around inside the brakes and getting stuck ontop of itself (if that even makes sense to you guys). I no longer have the pumping problem, or noise problem.

I do however, need to get that piece replaced for the driverside rear axle. Does anybody know what it is called? I think this is gonna cost me mucho dinero (alot of money). Also will i have to get raped at the dealer or is there anywhere else i can go?

*Also i did drive the truck around my neighborhood to see if it is safe w/ the broken brakes. It seemed fine to me, but what do you guys think?

 

i wouldnt drive it...


do u need your truck? cuz i would try ebay...

 

Yea i need my truck, i could bum rides off people for a few days. It could sit in the garage for a day or two but i really need it.

 

What I was afraid of -- I've had similar problems which is why I brought it up in the first place.

I've rebuilt my rear brakes twice now -- once to put on my new axle on, and again to fix the mistakes I made!

 

That piece is called the liner for the brake shoes. You need new brake shoes and do both sides. You don't have to go to the dealer for this but make sure whoever does it uses good quality brake shoes and turns the drums. If you drive it like it is now you could end up having to replace the brake drum also. I hope it has not already been damaged too much. Good luck.

 

Is there anyway i can do this myself? From what i have seen the shoes are about $35-$45. And the drum would be around $40. Would I be better off buying the shoes and drum just incase, or just pay somebody for the fix? Also would i need any special tools?

 

"Special" tools aren't necessary -- but the springs are a pain. MAKE SURE you make a drawing or take a picture of the stuff before you disassemble. There are several easy mistakes you can make that will have you taking your brakes apart AGAIN.

Look online for some information on doing rear brakes -- most are similar in construction and once you understand them, they're not so hard. They are just time consuming, tedious, and generally a pain. I'll be glad to get rear discs!

 

Haha that the exact same thought i had as i pulled off the drum. I was like why can i have an explorer axle? So all i will need is a drum, and a pair of shoes? Or should i get a kit?

 

if u need a repair manual, u can use mine...

 

If any of the other part are damaged or badly worn you can replace them. A spring kit is nice to have. Sometimes (rarely) one will break when you take it off, or bend or whatever. It's nice to have new ones to put on. The basic rebuild kit comes with springs, clips and what not.

Another kit contains the brake automatic adjuster parts. The auto adjuster kit is about $10 to $15 (one side) and the spring kits are cheap, $5 to $10 generally and usually do both sides. Depends on where you buy. Good to have though.