348 handling

I'm sure this will have been asked before but I couldn't find anything in the archives, so .....

I recently bought a '91 348 tb and it's a great car. One thing that concerns me, though, is the handling. In a straight line, even at fairly moderate speeds, the car seems very nervous and twitchy, moving around a lot on anything except very smooth surfaces - and we don't have too many of those! I've driven other Ferraris and they didn't do that.

Can I do something about it, or do I have to learn to live with it?

 

Add rear wheel spacers. 25mm spacers will make a huge difference in the stability of the car at speed.

Call down south to Hill Engineering.

 

They worked miracles on my ex-348

 

You also might want to have a four corner wheel alignment which really helped with my 348.

 

That answers my question! My car DOES have the wheel spacers!
Thanx Gary!

 

Also check your tyre pressures I've found non-factory settings can really upset the balance of the car.

348's are inherently "twitchy" they like to follow the camber of the road and there is a lot of feedback, you have to really let the car free in your hands - soft hands if you know what I mean.

348's will never be the most composed car on british roads, just the way they are but when on a decent piece of A or M roads they start to make a lot more sense.

 

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I should have said that the car does have the spacers and I've been careful to keep the tyres at the recommended pressure. A wheel alignment check seems to be the next step.

I recently drove a 512TR and the difference was dramatic; it handled the bumps and inconsistencies in the road surface beautifully and was much easier to drive (and felt safer) than the 348. I might not be able to get my car to be as good as that, but from your comments I suspect it could be better than it is.

Thanks again.

 

You could have the dampers re-valved by bilstein at £60 each. Had mine done and there is a noticable difference.

Also worth looking at changing the rubber bushes in the susspension. Although the parts alone will cost over £550.

I also had a chat with someone who prepared Ferrari road cars for racing and he said he'd set up my 348 so that it handles better than a 355. Can't have it done until the rubber bushes are replaced, but will report back on the results later this year.

 

I have a very early car...which was nown to have some 'handling quirks'. I have done several things over years that have made the 348 a brilliant handling car. It still needs to be grabbed by the scruff when driven, but it is very forgiving and runs circles around 355s.

Challenge wheels with 285/35 tires in the back. They are wider than stock and have a more aggressive offset.

4 wheel alignment and corner balance.

Viola!!

 

Exactly!

 

I've done 170mph in mine and it was rock solid stable. Absolutely no problems at all.

I'm running standard suspension, 2x 25mm rear spacers, and massively wider 18" wheels/tyres front and rear.

 

I can vouch for that. I was doing 110 when he overtook me.

 

I've driven a few TR's and 348's - and two very different cars for two very different markets. The TR rides much smoother with less feedback than the 348, I couldn't live with a TR myself. I'm assuming the 512 is similiar.

 

It's simple.

What you want to do is take 15 psi of pressure out of your right back tire (if the car is right hand drive) or 15 psi out of the left (if the car is left hand drive) Then what you need to do is, add that 15 psi to the opposite front tire. Then go out and get a keg of beer and put it in the passenger seat. Every time it feels shaky, take a swig from the keg. If after 4 hours of driving, the car is still feeling the same way. Stop change the keg to Vodka and repeat. Do not deviate from this exact plan.


OK, I am joking. My 348 was crazy and sometime scary feeling. I bought the bigger tires and that helped a lot.

 

Only in Texas can you drink and drive!!! I grew up there so I know.

I have a '94 348. Solid bushings may help. 18 in wheels. Mine is very stable over 100 mph. Never reached 170, but at 100 tracks pretty true. The front end seems light when I reach 120.

 

I have a '94 348 spider with 18x8 and 18x10 front and rears, respectively, running 235/40-18 and 295/35-18 tires and it is quite solid. I understand that the late cars have the spacer essentially "built in" to the rears and with the bigger footprint my car has never become unsettled and I do cane it.

Cheers
Kev

 

While you're doing the alignment, you may want to check on the steering rack. The tie-rods/ball joints might be worn & can be dangerous. Happened to both my 348 & TR, they're old cars and new bushes/tyres will do wonders as well. I really recommend all owners to place top priority to check & replace the steering joints, brake system, wheels & suspension on old cars for safety reason.

 

Assuming you have new/ nearly new tires set to proper pressure (old tires can cause this), this is an alignment issue... typically toe setting, though camber and caster can induce this behavior. Also, if the corner weights are off this will happen too.

Best regards,

Rob

 

I have taken my car up to 200km/h(125mph) many times and the car feels very stable at that speed. The front doesnt feel light and the car does not get twitchy at all. It rides as if you are doing 100km/h. My 12/91 348 is as stock as they come. I havent got the 25mm rear spacers. But im looking at getting some to improve handling(maybe not in my case) and also to give the rear a more aggressive look. Mainly for the looks I think. Its weird reading the different experience's/problems other 348 owners have with the twitchiness of the car. Most of the roads I drive on here are just crap.........and I mean crap. They are really old and bumpy and worn out. I have no handling issues at all with my car.

 

I think the handling is unreal in the 348. The roads here(CZ) must be the worst in the world. This one strip I like with many corners have so many bumps and the car is just amazing over it. I really didnt think it would take it all so well. Might video it one day.

On a nice perfect flat road, I had it to 240ish km/h. Felt fine. Had the top off too. Its much better at 240 with the top off then 200. You get a funny sound at 200 and 240 that sound just goes away

 

I also agree. I love mine to death.

 

Spacers were built into the wheel not the suspension. This was on the '93 SS cars only. There was some changes to suspension geometry allowing for more camber at some piont. On the '94 CH the offset wheels were not used due to solid bushings. The 18 in wheels have more offset than the original 17 in.

 

>You get a funny sound at 200 and at 240 that sound just goes away.<

That'll be the wheels leaving the ground!

Thanks everybody for your comments. There's an interesting range of experiences and I'm pleased to have come to a forum with so many helpful members (recommended by the previous owner of my car). I'll have a look at steering joints, bushes, alignment, etc. - and invest in that keg of beer!

 

Has the car recently had new rear tyres but not fronts? My local specialist (KHPC) tells me that all four tyres on a 348 should always be changed together and if only the rears are done and old fronts left on that can result in very nervous handling (I have experienced this myself!). Apparently, this doesn't get resolved as the rears wear down either and the cure has to be four new tyres.

Jonathan

 

What, both of them?!