Opinion of Maranello's stock brakes?

I believe fellow fChatter, GatorGreg had a Bremo kit fitted to his 550 ?

Argento

 

absolutely right. 6 laps at Moroso and someone actually asked me if my car was on fire. Greg has the brembo's and says they make all the difference.

 

Brakes, who needs any stinkin brakes...

Actually, as you have discovered, the Maranello's brakes are just adequate for normal road use. On the track, you will not be setting any lap records.

However, search the archives under Maranelloman. He put a lot of time on the track in his 550 and had good luck just upgrading the brake pads. From what I remember, harder pads from a 350Z fit perfectly. You'll get squeals, and a set only lasts one track session. But it is cheaper than replacing the disks.

Dale

 

The brakes are the single most expensive upgrade of the Fiorano package for both 550 and 575. I was recently quoted $3,600 for a Fiorano upgrade to a 575M without touching the brakes; with the full brakes upgrade the price would increase to $10,000!!!!

Actually this raises a question - if I want to upgrade to a stronger Brembo system without getting ripped off by Ferrari, where can I buy the kit & how much does it cost?

 

I ordered the Superamerica with the HGTC package and it is expensive, but when you are playing in that rarified air there is really no point is going with anything less than carbon brakes. The brakes are stunningly good and the hotter they get the better they perform. They simply never fade. I would recommend carbon brakes to anyone who drives their car hard or anyone who ventures onto a track. That's where carbon brakes come into a different league. Tracking is a series of hard acceleration spurts followed by very hard braking, repeated several times a minute. Stock brakes simply cannnot hold up to that kind of punishment.

 

If you are going to upgrade you should do the whole lot. $3600 seems too cheap for a complete upgrade even without brakes. Is this from an authorized dealer - do not trust suspension work to anyone else as it will devalue your car. Also, just the tires - Pirelli Corsa - is about $3000. You should upgrade to the GTC spec (more expensive than just fiorano) and get the upgraded brakes. Yes, they squeel when cold - to be honest, with a Tubi I can barely hear them. The standard brakes are simply dreadful for such a high performance car. The upgraded brakes are truly great. Once you do all these upgrades, should be closer to $14K, you will have the perfect car. Yes there are faster more nimble Ferraris but your 575M with this configuration would reduce your lust for anything else.

Best,
K

 

I hit the brakes a few times when starting out, even at low speeds to put some heat in them. They tend to be a tad noisy until they warm up, but they stop the car just fine in city driving without any drama. As soon as they warm up I make sure to check my mirrors because I know I will stop faster than the guy behind me.

 

Why did my dealer (official Swiss Ferrari dealer!!) quote me only $3600 for the Fiorano suspension set-up plus steering ECU modifications, but an extra $6000 for the brakes??? It seems a lot for simple pads. I think he told me the calipers are new, as well as the larger discs.

BTW - If anyone has information on part numbers / prices for a full Brembo upgrade kit for the 550/575 I'll be very grateful.

Thanks

 

I looked into Movit 6 piston rotors and calipers for my 550.

Movit quoted me around 3800 US$ + taxes for parts (4864 CHF + VAT). Big problem in Switzerland however: these do no have any kind of certification, so severe problems on the horizon at the next compulsory inspection.

 

I installed the Brembo GT brake kit for $10K. It's 380mm disc, 8 piston system, steel lines with hi-temp 600 degree castrol brake fluid.That was the end of my brake problems on the track. The stopping power is incredible. If you track the car, I strongly recommend it.

 

The standard brakes on the 550 are lethal if you drive fast. I put 19" wheels on my car so that I could fit 380's on the front and 355's (I can't remember the exact sizes) on the back. It is important to do both front and rear if you are serious about stopping. I was super happy with the Brembo kit. They saved me more than once

 

So, you all recommend that I get the upgraded brakes if I finally get a 575? Still, they ARE bloody expensive! I'll better look for a 575 Fiorano with 19'' split rims, so I save myself the money of the upgrade.

 

I installed the MovIt Maranello kit 3 years ago here in Switzerland. No issues with the inspection last summer. Brakes have never let me down since the upgrade. It's not cheap but it sure is worth it

Older thread: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=885
More pics: http://homepage.hispeed.ch/bjc138/F550/F550.html

 

I emailed Dan at Harmony.
Response follows

 

I have driven a 575 and 550 back to back very hard on track without the handling packages. I honestly had no issues with the 575 brakes. I am not sure what the problem is with the 550. If you look at the 550 and 575 engine bay the brake fluid reservoir is moved away from the engine. The master brake cylinder is separated by a heat shield. So, I think Ferrari had some complaints about the brakes on the 550.Enough so to make some changes to the brake reservoir location. I have also took temps with a laser at the track and found the "surface temps" were 350 degrees + at the reservoir. Which means simply the fluid is getting to hot to operate the brakes. I think the brakes are simply to small to stop a 3800 lbs car. The brakes over-heat and simply do not work. No magic to this. Others have changed the pads, lines and fluid. It did not work for me. Personally there is one thing that I do not want to worry about at the track. It's the brakes.

 

Greg, since you drove both at the track,how do you compare the handling and performance of the 550 vs 575? I assume the 575 was without FHP?

 

Please send me an e-mail if you are interested in MOVIT brakes and would like a quotation

[email protected]

 

I am a huge fan of the 550, but I have to say the 575 is a refined 550. The fit and finish is better. The handling is about the same. A little more HP from the engine throughout the band. The biggest advantage is the ability to keep your hands on the wheel with the F1 shifting. You have the ability to down shift later before a turn. I did carry more speed into the braking zones and I was using more gears then I would with a 6 speed. Is the 575 a better car, yes. Is it worth the extra money. If you have it, then yes. The 550 is a bargain in the Ferrari world, IMO.