Hi guys. I just wrecked my 2000 F150 2wd with 4 wheel abs and rear disc brakes. My dad has a '99 2wd with just rear ABS and drum brakes. I was wondering if I could take all of the hardware and electronics off of my truck (which could stop on a dime) and put it all on my dads truck which stops like $h!t.
My plan was that I would just swap the rear axles (my truck had a 5.4 and a 9.75" axle that I had just rebuilt not too long ago/ my dad's truck has a 4.6 and an 8.8" axle that is wearing out), then strip out all of my dad's existing brake system. THen I would take out all of the ABS stuff (modulator, control unit, brake lines, Emergency brake cables, etc.) on my truck and put it on his truck.
He has a longbed, and mine was a short bed, so I know I'd have to lengthen the lines somewhere, but my real question is whether or not there might be a problem with electronics compatability; IE: does the ABS system have to communicate with the ECM/PCM, or is it a standalone unit?
DO yall forsee any problems with this? I bought my truck back from the insurance company to use as a parts truck, and it seems like a damn waste to not upgrade my dad's truck if I can.

 

If you just swap out the rear axle and master cylider you will accomplish what you desire....better braking.

The ABS system is just that....an Anti-lock system. It will not improve the trucks ability to brake. The ABS system only rapidly applies pulses to the brakes when in a threshold brake, senses a tire locking up. This type of braking is rarely encountered and the rear is already set up. The benifit to swapping the front ABS and entire ABS electronics in my opinion would be a waste of time.

A question you need to ask yourself....have you ever even had the ABS system work when you weren't "playing" around?

If so, and you live where this system will help you...by all means switch it over.

Other parts that may be needed that will not swap:
ECM (computer) for the truck you are converting for the engine and trans, the axle ratio and equipped for 4-wheel ABS.
You might also need the complete wiring harness for the conversion truck also..but you should be able to rob that from the donor truck.
If that is the case...It would be another reason not to convert.

 

The 4WABS module is separate - it's not that hard to swap. I almost did it on my '83 Bronco, but now I'm waiting until I find a good rear disk axle. I might even add traction control.

 

Yeah, the 4WABS has kept me outta some sticky situations before. My truck had a troyer Xcalibrator2 tune on it to synchronize the speedometer and related BS. I'll have to get him to make me a new tune for that to work with my dad's truck.
I think what I'll do first is pull all of the abs hardware off of my truck (modulator, PCU, Master cylinder and brake booster, front spindles, axle , wiring, and any other crap that I cant think of right now) and figure out exactly what I'll be dealing with, then proceed from there.
I think I'll also post this same question on the Chips and Programmer's forum and see what they say about the Xcalibrator conversion.

Thanks a lot fellas!

 

The hardware should bolt right up provided you take the calipers and master cylinder from the 2000 truck and transfer it to the 99. You will however be splicing the connectors. The 99 with only the RABS has a different module hence a different plug. I could send you the schematics for both years so you can play around with the connectors if you want. Send me an e-mail with the add to send you the diagrams.

JMC

 

That would be great man. Send them to dixiebandit69@yahoo.com. I tried to send you a Personal message, but it said I didn't have access.
Let's git after it!

 

dixiebandit69,

You have mail. I sent 2 PDF files. ABS1999.pdf and ABS2000.pdf

JMC