348/355 drivers: how is that anti-lock braking system?

Faced it once in the rain and low ambient temps. Normal ABS juddering pedal. No drama otherwise (fortunately)

 

I get into an ABS situation several times a year on purpose just to cycle the pumps (something we were highly recommended to do when I owned my NSX) and it feels just like every other ABS vehicle I've driven. Typical shudder and loss of feel at the pedal.

 

My 348's ABS kicks in whenever I'm braking on a wet track. It's ideal for control, but it limits what I can do with a good sliding drift stop. I'm tempted to turn it off.

 

The F355 went through 3 different sets of brake systems (95, 96-97, and 98-99). Each one was slightly better than the preceeding one.

One day at TWS in the rain, Risi and his top drivers were out with a 360 LeMans car doing ABS setup work. The car would come off the banking in excess of 160 MPH at full song into T1 and run down 3 full seconds before hitting the brakse for T2--WITH standing water and rain comming down (1/3 inch per hour) on SLICKs! The pilot would do 10 laps bring it in for an ABS readout and retune and go back and do it again.

 

I find that the ABS on my '95 348 works surprising well for it's vintage. It pulses through the pedal, but it doesn't excessively reduce the actual braking pressure as many early ABS systems on other cars were prone to do.

 

I am surprised you have been a Ferrari owner for several years and never tried the ABS! I test the ABS on every new car I get - if you don't test it how do you know it works or what it feels like?! Anyway, on the occasions I have tested it and used it in anger (avoiding an errant sheep!) it works just like the ABS on anything else and the car just stops...quickly... in fact very quickly! You would be amazed how fast a car with the ABS working flat out will stop - try it. For me, I never want to be doing something in my car for the very first time in an emergency situation - I want to know what it is likely to do and how it is likely to feel before then, so some practice is well worth while - find a nice empty road somewhere, get upto 60-odd, check there is nobody behind you and stand on the brakes. You will feel the pedal pulse rapidly under your foot and it will just stop with a few chirrups from the tyres - simple!

 

Cadence braking technique will stop you shorter than the 348 ABS. I've tested it out a couple of times.

However, in an emergency, you just press that damn pedal as hard as you can and forget any technique.