F430 Spring rate calculation

Got the car back today and the first pleasant impression was visual. The F430 looks so much better when it's 2cm lower than the Euro standard. It's still very reasonnable and not super-low.

I went for a ride on some the mountains roads. The ride is stiffer, no doubt, but remains still very comfortable. But difference in handling and cornering is huge. It's so so much better even if I couldn't go fast as the temperatures are freezing and the roads very cold (but dry). BTW, the new Michelin SP2 are doing a great job even with low temperatures. I couldn't resist to try the car in Race mode which gave me a good "avant-gout" of the potentials of these new springs and alignement. Bracking was also much improved and the front never hit the ground even in sharp downhill corners. The car is very responsive and it's easy to get her in a controllable slide.

I'm very happy I got now a real F430 which is not only powerfull but has now a great handling.

Here are some pictures of the lowered car
Stef
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Stef- She looks great. At $110 each for the springs, plus a bit more for installation and alignment/ride height adjustment, you got a great deal. One advantage of the V8s is they built a whole lot more of them than the V12s and therefore have more spare parts available.

One thing you should notice is a reduction in understeer with the stiffer front springs. Scud wheels that are 1/2 wider in front will make it understeer even less and so would a Scud rear anti-roll bar.

This is a screaming bargain, too, assuming it will work, which is likely. They are way more for the V12s. Up to three times the cost. Your local dealer can get one for you, as well.

http://www.eurospares.co.uk/searchResult.asp?find=&M=&Mo=&A=&B=&S=244466

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Thanks very much for the good tip Terry. You're right, it's a bargain. I will look into this in more details to find out what's the difference between the F430 and Scud suspension ECU. I thought they were identical (skyhook)/

Stef

 

Hi Stef,
I'm thinking of using scud springs in my F430 as you have done. The only info I have found is this thread here. I suggested this to my Ferrari dealer and they don't want to do it. I'm not sure i completely understand your chart and my dealer was reluctant to clarify any of the details. I'm not overly knowledgable with this type of stuff, so based on your numbers, i'm thinking the scud springs are about 20% stiffer. I did notice the Length was 208mm for the front scuds and 240mm for the F430 (without load) an the backs were a little longer. so how did you adjust the ride height (maybe measurement from behind front wheel well to the ground).

Are the scud springs the same in size as the standard 430 springs other than the length?

Can you send me any other threads that you know of.

Thanks
Jasoon

 

Scuderia springs are 35% stiffer front and 32% stiffer rear. They fit the standard F430 shocks, I haven't measured the length on the springs, but will try to measure them later and post pictures, as they have been out of my car for 3+ years.

Also, the anti-sway bars are thicker in the Scuderia (stiffer). Bushings are the same, and so are the drop links.

 

Thanks F430GT, that would be excellent. In my searching i found that Stef might have left this site due to politics, so i don't think he will reply.
So you also installed scud springs on your 430? Did that work out well for you. Any additional comments on how you like or dislike it?
I often scrape the nose at high speed under heavy breaking in corners etc, but i've always thought it was a little soft for a ferrari as well (my e90 M3 has a stiffer suspension).

From your experience would you recommend the scud springs or just try to get the standard RED F430 springs instead?

 

I would go Scud springs JB.

 

The F430 soft springs (Yellow) and hard springs (marked Red) are just 4%-5% apart in spring rates. The Scuderia springs are 35% stiffer (front) and 32% stiffer (rear) than the Red F430 springs.

I have a Scuderia, but I went through multiple iterations of suspensions (Moton 3-way, F430 challenge, and my current setup).

I would not install the Scuderia springs in a F430, everything works as a system, so you should replace the anti-sway bars with Scuderia version, as well as the 4 springs. This will give the F430 the mechanical grip of the Scuderia, except the fact that the F430 uses a narrower front wheel/tire and less Aero (high speed grip), but most of the softness found in the standard F430 would be gone, and chassis control will be improved.

 

i was searching around, came across this link:
http://exquisitemarques.blogspot.com/2010/01/ferrari-f430-h-sport-spring-upgrade.html

i've sent them an e-mail asking if they installed the springs and adjusted the hight or just installed without adjusting, and the answer was without adjusting.

so as of me, i guess i would go with H&R springs as this hight what i exactly looking for, and don't really need to play with the coil adjustment in case if i need to bring back OEM springs in future, need the original set-up to be there.

H&R springs owners feedback is much appreciated.

 

I like the H&R setup. Its a lot stiffer than the original setup I had on my 360 spider (spiders have the softest springs originally).
The spring rate could be stiffer for the track, but as a compromise between street and track use, its quite ok. Drivable, even comfortable on the street and stiff enough for light track use as well.

 

did you adjust the coil? or just installed the springs on the OEM coil hight?

 

Just installed the H&R coils with still retaining the original spring perch position. It looks much like the link you added in terms of ride height.
Height is lowered by about 25-30mm from Euro ride height.
Might be too low for some, but perfect for me.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

perfect.
any pic of your car not moving?

 

attached are some data from H&R i just received.
View attachment 29405.pdf

 

Reviving an old thread. There seem to be a mistake on the calculation especially on the tabulation by StefVan

To determine spring rate it should be
Static load (462.5 kg) / (Free length (240 mm) - length with static load (160 mm) )
= 5.78 kg/mm or 323 lb/in

With same calculation rear is 10.65kg/mm or 596 lb/in

Scuderia
Front 437 lb/in
Rear 620 lb/in

F430
Front 323 lb/in
Rear 596 lb/in

 

the titanium spring has a much lower weight as trev360 would point out