Ride Quality after lowering a Portofino with Novitec Springs | FerrariChat

Ride Quality after lowering a Portofino with Novitec Springs

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by RossoDiamante, Jan 2, 2021.

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  1. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
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    Mid-Atlantic, US
    For those that have lowered their Portofino with the Novitec springs, how much lowering did you end up with at the end of the day and is that a variable that can be selected? Or do you install them and "you get what you get"? Before and after pictures would be appreciated.

    But the more important question for me is your impression of ride quality before and after? And whether or not you have run into problems doing the things Ferrari wants you to do in these cars -- going to work, going to the mall, getting groceries, going to the gym, going downtown to the theater, etc.?
     
  2. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    Mar 10, 2011
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    My Portofino has the base suspension,which is not height- adjustable like the Magneride option. The stock springs had an 8mm spacer under each spring. These spacer come in 6mm and 8mm. A 6mm spacer was added with the Novitec springs,and the result was 15mm lower front and 12mm rear. Without the added spacers,the shop estimates an additional drop of about 8mm. Ride quality is about the same,and I would never go back. Whenever the shocks need replacement,I plan to go a little lower.
     
  3. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
    214
    Mid-Atlantic, US
    I have ordered Magneride on my Portofino. I didn't realize that the height changed with the button. I thought it only adjusted the damping rate of the shocks. Very interesting.

    Thanks for your data point. 23mm and 20mm seem like pretty substantial drops. Do you have before and after pics of the side profile? You kept standard wheels/tires and offsets?
     
  4. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    The button doesn't change the ride height. But the shock assemblies are like coilovers,so the spring seats can be screwed up and down to change ride height.
     
  5. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    Many forum members have lowered their cars 20 to even 40mm. I have 20x10 (+38) with 285/30-20 and 20x12 (+44) with 335/30-20 (tire diameters are identical to stock).
     
  6. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
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    Thanks. Is the bottom picture before or after lowering?
     
  7. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    That is after lowering. The car is only about 1/2" lower than stock.
     
  8. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

    May 29, 2019
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    I've driven two Portos with Novi springs. One had chariot wheels and the other had stock wheels. Both lowered about 35 mm. Both rode quite a bit harsher. How much harsher really depends on the amount of lowering. A lot of the added harshness comes from tightening up the sway bars. When you lower the car, they twist more and become tighter. If you install Novi springs and raise the car, it will be very stock feeling, because the soft part of the Novi spring has a rate that is pretty close to stock. But when you lower it and tighten up those bars. And add a bit more rate, you end up with a harsher ride. And if you hit a larger bump that takes those progressive Novi springs into their high rate range, then you get a pretty bone jarring smack. You WILL sacrifices comfor when lowering. Lower a little, and you will sacrifice a little. Lower a lot, and you will sacrifice a lot. A small drop of 12 mm like Slim has done, will not hurt it much, but once you get into 25-30mm or more, there's a noticae difference. You can contact Mario Rill from Novi and he is usually very up-front about this.

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  9. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    Even if the ride were not harsh after lowering 30 or 35mm,there is the issue of how low is practical for street use. Based on my experience and comments from forum members who had their Portofinos lowered 20mm on stock springs,I wouldn't lower more than 20mm. You can also add wheel spacers to the stock wheels for improved looks and handling (wider track). And with Magneride,you can experiment with ride heights a lot more easily than I can. I am very happy with my setup;I really don't have any negatives to report.
     
  10. cyr

    cyr Formula Junior

    Jan 28, 2020
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    I have magneride. Does your post mean I can adjust the height of the seats to a bit more than the standard maximum height?
     
  11. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
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    What is the difference between the US and ROW spec?
     
  12. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

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    Are you talking ride height? From what I understand, they have pretty much done away with this. On the old Cali, 458 and 430 it was about 15 mm, but now cars are all the same.
     
  13. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    Your ride height is adjustable,but I don't know how much the car can be raised above stock height. I have only read about people lowering their cars.
     
  14. AirKuhl

    AirKuhl Formula Junior
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    Nov 23, 2004
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    Mine is lowered about 25mm. It has Magnaride.

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    Is it harsher feeling? I guess side by side it might feel that way. The stock Porto is pretty plush. But on the bumpy road setting it's still a smooth ride for this type of car. Better than any of the 5 911's I've owned.

    I drove 7 hours one day and harshness or ride quality never entered my mind. On the sport setting you can feel the road surface, but if I'm driving aggressively I like that.

    As far as the lower nose height, I live in a rural area with snow heaved roads and steep driveways. I have yet to scrape the nose, although I am extremely careful with taking angles and picking spots out of long time habit with low cars. I would do the same if it wasn't lowered.

    I think that the car ships artificially high due to pedestrian safety laws. The stock wheel well gaps look wrong. Lowering the car a bit gets it back to where it should be IMO. I do recommend the matching spacers to avoid the goofy "skate board" look once you lower the car.
     
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  15. Redneck Slim

    Redneck Slim Formula 3
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    I have Scrape Armor's protector on my chin. It does a great job and is almost invisible.
     
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  16. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

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    One thing I think is important to consider is this. When we talk about X amount of lowering, is it from factory spec height, or is it from what it rolled off the line with. I point this out because more often than not, the cars ride height and alignment is all over the place when delivered to the dealer. Some dealers align and adjust as part of the pdi, but most don't. I spoke to the manager at my dealer today about the height of my Porto when it was delivered back in June, and it was more than 10 mm too high. This is way more than what they expect it to drop when it settles on the springs. So when we discuss and compare, it is imperative to know what the starting point was. If your car came 10 mm too high, a 25 mm drop is only an actual 15 mm drop. The cars I drove was lowered 35 from proper factory spec as per the WSM, and that was significant.

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  17. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
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    Using factory springs? Is there any logic to the assertion that is made that lowering cars by just putting in a shorter spring makes the ride harsher because now the shocks basically pre-compressed and able to use their full range? But I suppose that would be the same whether the lowering was done with the stock springs or by putting on a set of Novitecs?

    What is the magic number for the spacers?
     
  18. AirKuhl

    AirKuhl Formula Junior
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    It's the other way around. The Novitec system is the springs (adjustable for ride height) and it retains the factory Mangaride adjustable dampers. My spacers are the matching ones from Novitec. I believe they are 20mm in front and 30 mm in the rear. When you lower a car, the natural arc of the suspension makes the wheels move inwards. This can create a "skateboard" look where the wheels look too far inside the wheel wells. The spaces just adjust for that to help the wheels fill the wheel wells correctly..

    Any lowering will increase the "harshness" of the ride. The Portofino is quite plush as delivered. When lowered, it becomes a bit less plush. IMO, it's still pretty darn plush when lowered. I've owned many cars that are stiffer than a lowered Porto. None of them bothered me at all. YMMV.
     
  19. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

    May 29, 2019
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    Your spacers are either 10, 15 or 20 mm. If you are lowered and don't rub, you probably have the 10/15 combo. 20 mm in the rear usually results in rub, and so does 15 in the front

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  20. Il Co-Pilota

    Il Co-Pilota F1 Veteran

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    When you lower the car by adjusting the collars, you don't change the pre-load in the strut, it does not work like that. The strut valving remains the same, and so does spring compression. What makes the ride harsher when you lower the car is the fact that you tighten up the sway bars the lower you go. This will happen no matter if you lower via the perches or install Novi springs. If you install novi springs and raise the car up on the springs perches, it becomes soft again as the soft part of the Novi spring is similar in rate to the OE springs.

    Get the spacers from Hill Engineering. You can either order them directly or from Ricambi. They are of a higher quality than Novi spacers and have steel inserts. On top of that, they are also cheaper. Get 11mm for the front and 15mm for the rear. Don't forget that you need to order longer wheel bolts. You can also get those from Hill.

    https://www.hillengineering.co.uk/ws011-114

    https://www.hillengineering.co.uk/ws015-114

    Simple as.

    Don't forget to use a pair ofcthese when installing wheels with spacers. https://www.hillengineering.co.uk/wh02



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  21. AirKuhl

    AirKuhl Formula Junior
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    I meant in terms of axle. You are correct, the individual spacers themselves are 10mm front and 15mm rear.
     
  22. RossoDiamante

    RossoDiamante Karting

    Jun 3, 2013
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    Thanks for all the great information. Has anyone had any difficulty getting the dealer to lower on the factory Magneride suspension prior to delivery? What do you tell them? As low as it will go on factory threads and still align? (Just kidding!) I assume that I should be asking for certain number of mm between frame and ground at Ferrari's reference points? Does anyone know what those numbers are from the factory? Is it standard to check the alignment prior to delivery at the dealer (assuming no special requests are made to change anything in the suspension)? Or is that dream-worthy?
     

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