I upgraded with the Novitec kit. Eliminating the factory calipers and rotors is guaranteed to eliminate the squealing brakes.
Really? In most cases putting anti-seize on the backing plate of the pad to reduce any vibration between the piston and the backing plate has done the trick for me. Philip
A pad change to Porterfields will usually do the trick. If anybody likes squealing brakes, I have a set of FHP pads you can try. They really squeal until bedded properly, then only occasionally.
Alex- They are Pagid Orange 4-4 racing pads. Stopping power was the main criteria, not noise. Once thoroughly bedded, the squeal tended to mostly go away. Only the fronts squeal. My rear FHP brakes are still on with 21,500 miles on the pads and they never squeal.
Terry, Is the only difference (in terms of braking) between the FHP and the "normal" 550 the brake pads? Perhaps they weren't bedded correctly, but my fronts sound - as someone else here put it - like a subway train stopping. Thanks again, Alex
Alex- You may have FHP on your car if they squeal that much. Measure the diameter of the rear anti-roll bar. FHP has a 21 mm bar that measures 21.5 mm with paint. Normal is 17 mm. Or look at the tag on the rear spring. FHP springs are 175887.
Terry, It appears I was unintentionally opaque. My car was definitely optioned with FHP; my question was more around the aspect of brake squeal - in terms of the brake system, is the only difference between an FHP car and non-FHP car the pads? I would trade slightly diminished stopping power for no squeal...
Alex- Affirmative. Even though they have different part numbers, the FHP calipers are essentially identical to the normal calipers. Yours likely squeal as much as they do because they were never properly bedded. Mine rarely squealed. First month I owned her, not a squeal and I thought someone had changed to different pads. First time they squealed brought a smile to my face. Here are the bedding instructions, but you almost need a track to do them as written. The Porterfields Ricambi sells will cure the squeal without much sacrifice in braking power. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Terry, Again, you are a fount of information on these cars. I will likely switch to the Porterfields since I drive it around town a lot. Alex
Alex- Many happy owners with Porterfields. They do not have front wear wires, but not really a disadvantage on Ferraris because few are daily drivers. OEM rears do not have wear wires, either.
I have the same problem. If anyone asks, I'll say until the car hits 150mph they're not hot enough. How much is the upgrade to porterfields?
Sean- Horribly expensive, $269 for a set for four wheels. Ferrari Parts : 550 Brake Pad Kit : Ricambi America
