Attempted to lower 430...No such luck. Need advice PLEASE

That is SOP. Also have a plan. What are you trying to do? If you are lowering the car because it looks better most likely you will make at limit handling worse than stock. The oem stock setup is there for a reason. You need to have reasons for changing it. Lower is not better unless it is met with alteration of companion components. Don't get fooled by "it feels better." You can have more exciting handling and a slower less safe car.

 

This is the thread and video to show you exactly what to do.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/415959-diy-lowering-scud.html

Be sure to watch the video.

 

The privacy settings had been modified. It is available for review now.
You must loosen the jam nut first before anything else. The spring will typically twist when the large nut is turned.
You lower the jam nut and perch nut in order to lower the car. The nuts get turned in a counter clockwise direction if you were looking up at the nut from the floor in order to loosen.
If you use lubricant sprays, be. Artful to not get much in the ceramic discs.
The video should answer your questions. Let me know if you need more help and good luck!

 

I just did it but I raised one side. The spring must be compressed with spring compressors. Easy to turn collar when that is done and almost impossible to do without compressing the springs. Then, you must have the car realigned. Camber and toe will have to be reset.

 

Car must be lifted at the jack points with the spring fully extended. It is not nearly impossible as shown in the video. It takes a fair amount of determination but done without too much fuss.

Ride heights are changed at the track all the time with race cars and they never use spring compressors.

Assuming (which you should never do) the car was properly aligned prior to lowering, the camber offset can be mathematically determined by the number of turns lowered. Well documented in other threads. If you lower 4 turns, about 8 mm, this will give a little more negative camber which is definitely OK for the street. The toe will need to be adjusted for sure. Changing the camber as a DIY is not easy because you need to have a source of various shim thickness available prior to doing the adjustments. You can do it the old way and use various washers, but this is a Ferrari, not a spec Miata. A set of various shims will run you about $750 but you will only use 6-8 and they are not returnable.

 

Do the race cars have the rubber gaskets between the springs and perches? The rubber seems to bind and prevent turning the collar. If metal to metal then turning would be fairly easy when lubed.

 

On the F430C, yes, but the rubber is slightly different.

In the video, you can hear the rubber making noise as it turns the spring.
Spray a little lubricant down at the bottom rubber perch support and also at the top of the spring.

It is possible that your perch nuts and rubber are a bit frozen from age or oxidation or something. Once it breaks free, it will work well.

 

Sounds like you have a stubborn frozen perch. There isn't much turning movement at one time so you just can't get it to break free.

WD40 is only good at water displacement and not the best penetrating lubricant. Get some real penetrating lubricant and try that.

Do you have a plan for the alignment to follow?

 

That was my experience and if the tool slips off cranking hard on it you bang your knuckles. Getting the spring compressors on the springs is sort of a hassle as well and I ended up sitting the top compressor hook over the top spring perch mount.
About the expensive shims, if you have the camber tool and are going to do the alignment yourself, you can temporarily set the camber using washers stacked together to determine the thickness of shims needed and just order what you need.

 

easier to remove the coilover and adjust out of the car... my .02

 

As the spring perch lowers, the car lowers and vice versa.

I just lowered mine a few days ago. Un bolted the top control arms to get space, put spring compressors in to take load off the perch.

Dialled the perch down and then took the compressors off and re bolted the control arm.

 

I noticed no difference in handling with mine with a 22mm drop. I was told that was Euro ride height. It is unlikely Ferrari would use different springs for the US and European market. So I don't think there is a safety concern.

You will need a front and rear end alignment afterward.

 

Try this thread.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430-sponsored-yellow-compass-group/484105-lower-alignment-quote-2.html#post143866662

 

Also, let me know if you need any help. I can take some pics of what I did that helped the rings turn easier.

 

Looks good. I went 10 turns, but noticed that it was too low for me, so I went two turns back up. So now i'm at 8 turns.

 

Agreed, I just did this same procedure - remove the coilover from the car, compress it with a spring compressor and it turns very easy. you'll end up damaging either the car or your hands unless you do it the correct way.