How Do Anti-lock Brakes Work?

Here is the full reference of anti-lock systems according to howstuffworks.com. You can also check other information on how you will install brake kits in your car.

When the surface of the tyre skids on the road you have no traction. For example, you may have experienced being on ice or snow, and your wheels just going round and round.

Anti-lock braking systems (ABS) are there to overcome this problem, and they have four main components: speed sensors, a pump, valves, a controller.

The speed sensors are located at each wheel, and they provide information as to when the wheel is about to lock up.

There is a valve in the brake line of each valve controlled by the ABS which controls the pressure passed to the brake. When the valve reduces the pressure to the brake, the pump starts to build that pressure up again.

The controller is the brains of the ABS, and functions like a small computer. It monitors the speed sensors and controls the valves. The controller is sensitive to sudden, rapid deceleration of the car, and makes sure that the wheels do not lock when this happens.