ABS Reluctor Ring Replacement (aka ABS brake pedal judder)

[pgascoyne]

Over the last year since I've had my car 2000 Wreg D9 I've noticed that my brakes had this weird feeling like they were jumping/juddering for some reason and always at low speed.
Having joined the forum and did a bit of research I found that my reluctor rings were cracked and sliding off the drive shafts.
At the time I didn't know what it would take to fix this so I just reseated them in place and then used a bit of Araldite to secure them in place.
And for the most part it worked well, but the juddering kept coming back.
So rather than buy new drive shafts (if it aint broke don't fix it) I decided to do some research into replacement rings having found that there are more than one size used on drive shafts.
I measured mine approx 90mm and luckily found a seller on eBay (http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll? ... 0535865530) and ordered two of them.(48 teeth and an inside diameter of 89.9mm)
Then I had to figure out "how in the world was I going to get them fitted"!
And that's where this awesome website comes in yet again.
And as luck would have it MJB had done a fab write up on doing a Clutch change with photos that had most of info I needed! Kudos to his hard work!
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=8234
So when I started I got a bit carried away and stripped out the whole brake disk assembly and all the hassle of doing one side for the first time cost me almost 4 hours!!!
Suffice to say when I did the second it took less than 1 hour to do
So for those interested this is how I did mine. (URL links are linked to MJB's excellent clutch change post)

• Loosend Wheel nuts
  Jacked up car, removed wheel.
  Take out split pin and remove hex cap
  Replace wheel and put lugs back in (hand tight) and lower car back down.
  Then you'll need a damn good 2' + breaker bar with a 35/36mm Socket (I was lucky that my bro-in law has some Aircraft Engineering tools, 1" drive kit ) and like MJB says "You'll Have To Jump On The Breaker Bar"
  http://www.botchitt.com/screens/406coup ... eel_on.jpg
  Once that is loose Jack up car and use axle stands to support car and take wheel off.
  Now all you'll need to undo is both the Steering Ball Joint
  http://www.botchitt.com/screens/406coup ... ljoint.jpg
  and the Bottom Ball Joint
  http://www.botchitt.com/screens/406coup ... ljoint.jpg
  and split both joints (Steering arm just moves out of the way, The wishbone needs to be pushed down to allow the Bottom Ball joint to get free)
  Once they are both free the strut will now move enough to allow the drive shaft to slip out and will give you enough room to remove your old reluctor ring and install your new one.
  Make sure you clean up the old reluctor ring location of rust/debris (araldite in my case )
  I heated up the new ring in the oven to help it expand so that it slides over the drive shaft easier but it was still a tight fit so I used a soft mallet to gently knock the ring onto the drive shaft round and round until eventually it's in position.
  Then it's just a case of reassembly!
  But I'm sure you'll hit a snag like I did with the steering ball joint spinning when trying to tighten it back up (The bottom ball joint has a hex in the base of the bolt making life so much easier)
  I had to roughen up the ball joint tapered shaft so that it gripped the strut and then I was able to tighten it back up correctly.

I hope this may be of use to someone!

[puggy]

Excellent post Gaza !! I have been suffering the same symptoms and this
post combined with mjb's is going to be of great help

[steve_earwig]

Looks good to me, I've copied it to the KB

[rallyman]

I have just fit an abs ring to one drive shaft as it was missing and the dash was showing brake fault.Unfortunately it stills show a brake fault.Does this mean i have other problems or do i have to get an auto electrician to remove the fault warning?

[Archangel]

How can I tell if I have abs ? mines a glx estate 1997

[DiscoPol]

How can I tell if I have abs ? mines a glx estate 1997

empty road, stamp on the brakes, if it skids then its a no if it judders like buggery and stops with a slight pulsing feeling in the pedal then yes, or stick your vin up and somebody(maybe even me) with service box will check


or wait for a pugeek to come along with the answer

[steve_earwig]

It might be safer to open the bonnet and look for the control unit (big silver thing in front of the brake master cylinder/servo with pipes coming out of the top of it)

Who's Norris?

[D9406]

Norris is the old guy from the cabin in Coronation Street.

[steve_earwig]

Some things from the UK I just don't miss at all

[OdinEidolon]

Wait, what? The brake vibrated only when the ABS was active or even in small brakings? My brakes vibrate when the ABS kicks in in strong brakings, but I thought that was normal since my mum's Clio did that from the first day we bought it (new).

[DiscoPol]

It might be safer to open the bonnet and look for the control unit (big silver thing in front of the brake master cylinder/servo with pipes coming out of the top of it)

Who's Norris?

Boring Boring Boring

[Doggy]

Tell the court, in your own words, why you decided to stop, as quickly as possible, from considerable speed, for no discernable reason and indeed without any form of warning and in so doing set in motion the chain of events which culminated in the multiple vehicle collision in which Her Majesty's conveyance was also involved.

Well, this guy from Poland told me to do it, on an internet forum.......

[DiscoPol]

How can I tell if I have abs ? mines a glx estate 1997

empty road, stamp on the brakes, if it skids then its a no if it judders like buggery and stops with a slight pulsing feeling in the pedal then yes, or stick your vin up and somebody(maybe even me) with service box will check


or wait for a pugeek to come along with the answer

[steve_earwig]

What about a dirt track? You wouldn't have to build up too much speed for the abs to cut in. Or wait for it to snow...

[Archangel]

Got a silver block on passenger side with pipes coming out of it , just by the suspension housing , is that what you mean ? see pic