Upgrading my F355

I love these threads.

Thanks.

 

Looks like someone needs the keys to the F355! Zoom! Zoom!

Those Challenge Seats look nice, I noticed that all the OMP 355 Seats are no longer available here in the USA. I'm sure someone has a set sitting around as they had to replace them with current seats in order to keep racing?

Ciao,

SRR

 

Those 365mm rotors are HUGE! I think the F355 Challenge car used similar size 14" (355mm) at front and rear? These are going to look nice and perform well on the track. The Challenge Car used 4 piston and now you have upgraded to 6 piston, talk about stopping power.

Looking forward to seeing these mounted. Did AP Racing offer a set for the rear that used the hand brake? I would image not being that AP Racing is for racing and not really street?

Ciao,

SRR

 

Are you using the stock rear caliper and rotor? Will the system be overbraked in the front without changing the rear?

 

For the moment we will test with the rear stock brakes.
My garagist drove the car today, but without braking very hard, everything was ok.
I'll see on track, but as AP does not have a rear kit, I may look for separate AP racing parts to build a rear kit, maybe with 4 pistons...

 

JMNOV,

I sent you a PM regarding the AP Racing Brake Upgrade.

ciao,

Stanislaus

 

keep the good work!!!!

 

Here are the AP Racing kit installed and the roll bar removed
You can see the Nitron shocks with Eibach spring
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That is a pretty big spacer on the front...what kind of wheels are you using?

I see CH wheels but none of the CH cars used a spacer.

 

Nice work, great pics and beautiful little baby!!

 

They are from Oreca in France, we are reducing them by 5mm ;-)

 

You will not be happy retaining the stock rear brakes. The braking resource required on each end of the car is directly proportionate to weight transfer under braking. Since the car has a rear weight bias, you actually want to avoid over-biasing the front. I would recommend a rear upgrade, or at a minimum, try several different brake pad selections (lower Mu) with your front kit.

Looks great so far! Please post more pictures!

 

Was the Spacer added to allow clearance for the front wheel due to off set of the original rotor and top hat set-up vs. oem? Or where you just trying to widen the front track?

Very Nice setup! From the look of the dust you've done some serious driving already.

ciao,

SRR

 

The original F355 has nearly equal braking capability front and rear. THis is due to the larger rear tires and the <nearly> equal sized rotors, calipers, and pads (and pad material).

If you have made a big improvement at the front (and you have) you should make a similar improvement at the back. Or you will be forever trying to find a brake bias setting that balances the car.

 

I installed the Stoptech front and rear and just had it a Road America and the braking is fantastic. Perfectly balanced and no lock up.

 

I may get the Stoptech kit for the rear, as AP does not have any kit for the rear...

 

I agree with you and Mitch....even with the 456(355CH) delay valve(underside of car near shift linkage) thing are not going to be kosher especially under hard braking at high speed.

 

I forgot to add:: There is a high speed brake instability 'issue' with the F355 with stock springs/shocks if the front end ride height is set too low without the rear being set correspondingly low. Under heavy braking at 140+ MPH the underbody aerodynamics moves the center of pressure forward, lessening the grip at the back and desiring slightly different brake bias adjustment.

{What you want under high speed braking is for the front end to loose grip just before the rear looses grip so the car remains pointing in the direction it is traveling.}

Challenge cars don't have this problem because the springs/shocks are stiffer and they run a wing.

So if you end up with some <really> high speed instability under brakes, raise the nose 1mm-2mm.

 

The Nitron shocks are very strong, I choose the spring to obtain the same value as the Challenge springs.
A friend of mine who has been a test pilot for Ferrari last year will come with me on track to test everything ;-)

 

The roll cage is finally installed, anti-roll bars too and the Alfano is ready...
I'm still waiting for the passenger harness and fixation for the seat
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Looks awsome my man. Like it when owners are hands on with their cars. No offense to others who are not. Please.

BTW. Are you keeping the interior pieces you had gutted out for later conversion to OEM? If not, let me know what you have and if they are for sale.

Thanks
Steve

 

Looks good. While looking at this post I noticed the rear hubs could be reversed. Has any one tried to swap the left and right rear hub in order to swap the brake caliper forward? I am currently completing a big brake upgrade on my 348 and was wandering if the back calipers could be flipped forward (like the 360 and newer Ferraris). There should be not difference to the force and stressed on the hub. This would improve weight distribution and reduce the polar moment of the car.

 

Can I ask a question:: Why are you leaving the leather on the doors and dash in a race car? You can save a bunch of weight by removing these, the windows, the motors,.....

 

....except that the rear calipers, when placed in the leading position, would be directly behind the radiators. Not an ideal position for airflow, and the airflow that would be available is not cool air. I think the factory and their longtime brake supplier did a good job on the brake system design. In any front engine car however, your theory would be spot on. They have very high polar weight distribution.

 

It is planned: We will do the doors in carbon with F40 style opening wire and lexan windows
That should save 60 kg on both sides!
I already have a carbon motor deck and the rear wing. We are looking to custom make the pillars to achieve a better result than OEM -> the pillars should have be supported by the chassis...

But all this work is a lot of money, so everything will take some time to see the light of day ;-)

By the way the first impressions with roll cage and anti-roll bars is stunning: after three corners I manage to drive 20 km/h faster than before and the car is more stable at high speed. I'll be on the Dijon track next thursday...