Who has put FHP Steering ECU on their 550?

Grant- Someone recently upgraded their 575M to FHP, but he also changed out his springs and anti-roll bar so the entire car felt better according to him. The only other person I know who only changed the steering ECU was a 456 owner who tried his original ECU, then a 575M standard ECU, and then the FHP ECU, and he and his mechanics said it made a large difference and improvement over the other ECUs.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

I can think of 6 customers who did the retrofit, in the last 18 months here at Ricambi.

 

Interesting! So does the FHP ECU just have a felt difference in the steering or does it integate with other systems to enhance the whole package? Does it effect what ASR does or the shock dampning?

 

FBB- Just the steering. The FHP steering ECU is the only electronic part in the Fiorano Handling Package.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Actually no... there is also a suspension ECU

 

Daniel- There is no shock ECU mentioned in the FHP bulletin. There are some HGTC parts in the parts catalog mistakenly labeled FHP. What is the part number of the shock ECU to which you are referring? Have we been missing something?

Taz
Terry Phillips
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I might be thinking HGTC.... p/n 210578

 

Daniel- HGTC included the updated FHP springs, rear anti-roll bar, and steering ECU plus 19" wheels, sport exhaust, CCM brakes, new shocks, new shock ECU and a new F1 ECU for F1 shifter cars. It is very easy for me to get these two packages confused. I have to go back and look every time or I get it wrong.

That is the HGTC shock ECU, which will not fit cars before assembly number 52556, when the steering sensor package and new wiring harnesses were introduced.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

So, will just replacing the stock 550 power steering ECU with the FHP steering ECU reduce boost further under certain turning and speed conditions? Will the steering be any more precise? Will changes really be noticeable and, along FBB's train of thought, will any benefit be derived without making changes in alignment, anti-roll bar and shocks/damping (here meaning an additional ECU replacement)? And for the 550, will ASR and Normal/Sport function be affected in any way with just a power steering ECU change? It appears that a very few 550 and several more 575M upgrades have involved the full FHP treatment.

Personally, I'm happy with the differential boost provided by the stock power steering ECU in everday driving. It appears to work well for me at track events at my level. I, too, am now curious as to what effect a simple power steering ECU change will have on a 550. So I guess we're back to Grant's original question and waiting for those who have done only the steering ECU change to chime in with their impressions.

Barry

 

Barry- The steering ECU has no affect on any other suspension components and especially not on ASR and Sport mode. All it does is schedule hydraulic pressure to the power steering. 550, 575M, 575M HGTC, makes no difference, just the steering hydraulic pressure. I actually think it was made standard on the 575M at some point, because it was not specifically spelled out in the HGTC bulletin like it was in the FHP bulletin

If you are happy with your steering, I would not worry about it. If you want to try it, ~$1000 and if you do not think it is worth it, sell it on FerrariAds for $800. Probably plenty of takers at that price.

I can only tell you my 575M FHP steering is wonderful, with as much feel as my 987 Boxster daily beater.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Thank you, Terry. So what I'd like to do now is test drive a late 575M with the 175891 power steering module installed as stock and see how that feels. I always wanted to know how this V-12 shifted with paddles anyway. My only experience with a paddle shifter was my recent 15 minute drive in a California. That was fun!

Barry

 

Barry- Another option is to find a friend with FHP steering and swap his ECU into your 550 and try it. It is a five minute swap and will not hurt the ECU at all.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Or drain some hydraulic steering fluid.

Thanks, Terry. You've answered my questions. I just wanted to be sure that other systems would not be adversely affected by such a swap. It's something to consider.

For track use I've ordered a set of Fikse Profil 5 wheels. I'll be mounting Pirelli P Zero racing slicks. A fellow 550 owner in central Florida has been using this set up for ~ 2 years. We had his wheels at Classic Coach recently for a try-on. I've ordered mine without the polished lip. I'm looking forward to a new experience in my 550.

Barry
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Folks, I've just picked up on this thread and to answer Grant's original question, I recently fitted the HGTC steering ECU on my 550. At the same time, I added uprated anti-roll bars from the HGTC package and upgraded my 18" standard 575 rims to the Novitecs, which come with very wide PZeros. Its difficult to say exactly which components affect the change to the overall feel of car, but what I can say is the steering feel is now similar to the standard 550 at speeds up to about 38 mph, after which the steering feel weights up quite dramatically. This solves one of the major problems, which prompted me to opt for the revised ECU, which is at very high speeds, my 550 steering felt too light and ovely sensitive to the slightest of inputs and changes to road direction, camber, surface and bumps. This may not be such an issue for owners in the US, but in Europe where roads can be very demanding, it meant absolute concentration (a good thing of course), but could be tiring. With lower profile, wider tyres and stiffer ARB's, I felt my car has improved 100% and and I'm very happy with the results. Its just much more planted and stable. Just the occasional transverse bump in a road can sometimes feel it got 'past' the suspension. I'm advised this is probably due to going from 18 to 19" wheels. Given I've had the cars so many years, for me the changes gave the car a whole new lease of life - I to love it even more. Hope this helps.

 

Thank you for your reply. These are some of the answers we're looking for. It looks like you've kept your stock shocks and springs and just upgraded to the HGTC/FHP steering ECU and rear anti-roll bar in addition to the 19" wheels and tires. I like the idea of a bit less power steering boost at speed. It also appears that your new stabilizer bar is compatible with the 550's suspension ECU and would be a good additional upgrade to consider.


Barry

 

Barry- That rear anti-roll bar just about eliminates understeer, so the car is much easier to place with the throttle and balances very nicely. You will like it.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Barry, all correct with one revision - although my dampers are standard I did change my springs for a set supplied by Ferrarifixer. I can highly recommend them, they're firmer, but just as compliant and slightly more supple than stock.

 

Thank you Terry and Desmo550. I'll be going to Classic Coach tomorrow. I'm looking forward to dicussing these upgrades (FHP Power Steering ECU and rear anti-roll bar) with my technician.

Barry

 

Perhaps easier to explain subjectively - what I found is they reduced the tendency for my 550 to sometimes feel slightly floaty or light (now feels more planted and stable, especially through high speed bends) but still gives an equally if not better ride over most surfaces at all speeds. Hope this helps and good luck with your revisions, I'm sure you won't regret them.

 

I also have ferrarifixer's shocks as well as spacers and they made a huge difference in performance and I actually like the ride better.

 

I'm about to order the FHP springs and anti-roll bar for my '98 550. There seems to be two versions, part #175890 (21 mm diameter) or part #210888 (19.5 mm diameter). Can anyone explain to me which one fits the 550, and if both work, what's the difference in handling between the two?

Also, my 550 doesn't seem to have the supple ride which most owners rave about - going over bumpy roads, expansion gaps, or any roads less than perfect, the ride is quite harsh - nothing like my prior ferraris. Any ideas? Should I change the bushes while I'm at it?

Many thanks!

Ben