Who has put FHP Steering ECU on their 550? | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Who has put FHP Steering ECU on their 550?

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by Grant, Aug 5, 2009.

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  1. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    The heavier front bar is going to give a bit more understeer on corner entrance and help plant the outside rear tire on corner exit. Weight transfers diagonally so when the bar tries to pick up the inside front tire that weight is transferred to the opposite side rear wheel.

    Think of it as a table with one short leg and you will see what I mean.

    As in all things its a compromise, you have to fit it to your particular driving style.

    The lack of suppleness may be due to worn shock mounts. I have a set of rear upper shock mounts with less than 50 miles on them I will sell you for half price. Replacing them is extremely easy on a 550.
     
  2. jznd

    jznd Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2008
    373
    Hong Kong
    ferraridriver - have emailed you privately re the shock mounts.

    Regarding the FHP antiroll bars, they're for the rear if I'm not mistaken. The front antiroll bar remains stock in the FHP (27mm diameter?), but FHP adds a rear bar with choice of two different diameters. I'm guessing the thicker 21 mm one will reduce understeer more than the 19.5 mm one? Do both fit the 550?

    Thanks.

    Ben
     
  3. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    Ben, fundamentally speaking there is no way to increase a cars ultimate grip in corners by manipulating anti sway bars. All you can do is affect the balance front to rear.

    You can alter the balance towards understeer or oversteer in relatively small increments with bars but you must remember that the changes are incremental and may adversely affect other driving requirements.

    What I'm trying to say is that there is no free lunch, it's all a compromise.

    I haven't done any research on 550 bars, but I am suspect of any increase in rear bar diameter. Given that all cars are different, still I only tolerate a rear bar on my race car for appearances sake, otherwise I'd leave it off. (I do disconnect it in the rain, but don't tell anyone, please)

    What you have to do is determine what aspects of your car's handling you want to change and get back to us.
     
  4. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,985
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    jznd- Both the 175890 rear anti-roll bar and the replacement (for both the 550 and 575M) 210888 are 21 mm, I believe, but would need to measure them to make sure. The 550 parts catalog says 210888 is 21 mm and the 575M catalog speculates it is 19.5 mm. If you do buy one or the other, make sure you get the matching bushings to make sure (130533 for 175890 and 210897 for 210888). Changing the rear anti-roll bar, which Ferrari did on both the FHP and HGTC packages (with higher rate springs, however) will cut down on understeer. My FHP 575M is very well balanced and I like it that way.

    Daniel at Ricambi may be able to measure 210888 and tell us for sure. Either way, the 21 mm rear bar was part of FHP for 550s and 575Ms and tested by the factory.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  5. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    #30 ferraridriver, Aug 14, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2009
    Think of anti sway bars as the fader control on your stereo. The fader control does not affect overall volume it just changes where the volume is applied front to back.
     
  6. jznd

    jznd Formula Junior

    Oct 26, 2008
    373
    Hong Kong
    Taz and ferraridriver - thanks for the feedback. I'm going to take it step by step to see what cures/improves my suspension issues. First per ferraridriver's advice, I'll replace the shock mounts to see if that resolves the harsh ride problem, then I'll add the FHP components piece by piece. I'm a scientist by training, so prefer controlled experiments where only one variable is adjusted at a time.
     
  7. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,985
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    I am a rocket scientist myself. If I were doing it I would go in this order:

    F&R suspension alignment to make sure everything is OK.

    Shock rubber replacement for as close to a hyperblock as you can get. There is one expert here who can tell you how to do that. Do a search on 550 shock rubber bushings.

    FHP Steering ECU.

    FHP rear anti-roll bar.

    FHP or aftermarket springs if necessary (new alignment and ride height adjustment necessary).

    Better brake pads.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  8. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
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    Dave
    I would suggest that the shocks be dyno tested, and if needed, be rebuilt before anything else is done.
     
  9. ferraridriver

    ferraridriver F1 Rookie

    Aug 8, 2002
    4,134
    Bay Area Calif.
    Full Name:
    Dave
    The problem is there is no replacement rubber shock mount for the 550. The upper mounts are a monoball arraignment, exactly what you want in a race car, and exactly what you don’t need in a GT car, especially when they are the slightest bit worn because it is essentially a metal to metal mount with a small gap and no isolation.

    Interestingly enough the only other place the upper front mounts are used is in the 355 Challenge cars, and properly so. Every other shock mount I could find utilizes rubber as an isolating medium.

    Another interesting thing is that the front mounts utilize a fixed bump rubber, and that’s the only place the actuator lead winds up, coincidence? Perhaps, but I have my doubts.

    I gutted all my mounts and replace the monoball with Bilstein rubber bushings. It’s a time consuming and expensive process, but my ride is now sublime with no discernable loss of grip or handling. A plus is that the actuator can’t turn and wind up its lead.
     
  10. Robie

    Robie Formula Junior

    Apr 26, 2008
    331
    Hsiang Kang
    Full Name:
    C. Camillo Negroni

    Checking my invoice from when I installed the FHP anti-roll bar and part # 210888 does not specify diameter, but the bushings "210897 Buffer 19.5mm, rear anti-roll bar" are specified.
     
  11. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Barry Wolinsky
    #36 308 GTB, Aug 15, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2009
    Yeah. I'm busy checking those and unwinding them every few months.
     
  12. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,985
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    If you want to have your shocks rebuilt, these are the guys used by some of the pros on this site. They have some proprietary parts they use in the rebuild to replace Bilstein parts that fail frequently. They can also revalve the shocks for you if you want them stiffer or softer in rebound or jounce.

    http://www.deltavee.net/services.htm

    Conflicting information on the 210888 bar. Only way to know for sure is to measure one. Would be interesting to see which bar a 2005 FHP car has, like Gary's 141041, because at some point 210888 replaced
    175890, it would appear, since it appears in the 550 parts catalog as an FHP part. It could also be that the 21 mm bar made the 550/575M a little too tail happy for some owners, so they toned it down for HGTC.

    Taz
    Terry Phillips
     
  13. seanc

    seanc Rookie

    May 14, 2014
    6
    Hi. I know it is an old thread, but perhaps someone knows this. Will the FHP steering ECU have a firmer steering feeling regardless if "Sport" mode is activated or not? Or does it only firm up in "Sport" mode? We installed it on one car and the customer says he does not feel any difference. Thank you.
     
  14. tazandjan

    tazandjan Three Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Jul 19, 2008
    37,985
    Clarksville, Tennessee
    Full Name:
    Terry H Phillips
    Except for a few steering ECUs customized by Maranello Skunkworks that use the Sport switch to select between FHP and normal steering, all the FHP Hydraulic Steering ECUs are unaffected by the position of the Sport switch when fitted to 550s, 456Ms, or 575s. True also of later Maranello Skunkworks ECUs.
     
  15. puckybadger

    puckybadger Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 12, 2016
    312
    Milwaukee, WI USA
    The PO of my 2002 456M GT had it installed, and while I have nothing to compare it too the PO told me in no uncertain terms that this was/ is the best driving 456M of them all. And I agree.
     
  16. 308 GTB

    308 GTB F1 World Champ
    Rossa Subscribed

    Feb 7, 2002
    11,166
    New Jersey
    Full Name:
    Barry Wolinsky
    I'm one of those lucky few that have what Dave and John call "The Poor Man's Manettino." It has transformed my 550. The FHP steering is just what my car needed.

    Thanks again Dave and John!
     
  17. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    There were only 10 or 12 of them and I was lucky enough to have 2.
     
  18. Jon Von Bon

    Jon Von Bon Formula 3
    BANNED

    Feb 8, 2015
    1,697
    Toronto / Florida
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Carl, if is this what was done to the silver Rocket then I highly recommend it to all 550 owners.

    As it works in conjunction with the sport setting, when I hit that switch, I can feel the car “tuck in “ and tighten up all the way around. It is magnificent, particularly at speed and when I feel like driving aggressively on the windy back roads.
    I do like the option of switching it back to “comfort” mode though.

    This, along with cruise control is a “must have” on the car.
     
    Ferrari55whoa likes this.
  19. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,292
    socal
    I forget? Did we put cruise on the silver rocket too? If so that is a are car. There are only a handful of MSW cruise controls and 2 handfuls of switchable ECU's.
     
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  20. Jon Von Bon

    Jon Von Bon Formula 3
    BANNED

    Feb 8, 2015
    1,697
    Toronto / Florida
    Full Name:
    Jeff
    Yep. Cruise is on the car. It is perfect.
     
  21. ixlr8

    ixlr8 Formula Junior

    Aug 24, 2015
    301
    Eastern Shore- Virginia
    Full Name:
    Jim
    I have all 3 550 steering ECU's, the stock one, the FHP one and the MSW custom one. The stock one will never be in the car again for as long as I own it. I plug in the FHP one when I am in a sporty mood carving up the back roads. I put in the MSW custom one when I am in more of a cruising mood. I have all the parts to make up a switchable setup. I have had the parts for 2 years, just haven't had time to finalize the project. I believe I have the parts to make up 3 sets. If somebody wants a switchable set, let me know. Keep in mind that I know I won't have time to work on this until October at the earliest.
    I would LOVE to put cruise control in this car!!
     
  22. 12659

    12659 Formula Junior

    Oct 6, 2005
    346
    Seattle WA. USA
    Full Name:
    mark
    I have a Skunk works unit in my car. Works great.
     
  23. dodici

    dodici Karting

    Mar 24, 2007
    99
    Bay Area, CA.
    Full Name:
    Dale
    I have skunks work too. Great unit.
     
  24. root

    root Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 28, 2012
    472
    Bay Area, Ca
    I have the MSW one in my car. Works great and I like it more than the original.
     

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