[308 GTB]

I just replaced my 550's stock 17 mm rear anti-sway bar with the HGTC 19.5 mm bar sourced for me by Mike at Ricambi. From just the casual 15 mile drive home from the shop in Sport Mode, I can tell I'll be very pleased. The car steers more precisely and feels better balanced.

Thank you Terry for that bit of advice you gave me a couple of years ago. I should have done this then!

Barry

[tazandjan]

Barry- Next the FHP Hydraulic Steering ECU or, for 550s only, an FHP Shock Absorber ECU. Plug and play.

Glad you were happy with the bar. Big improvement for not much money.

[308 GTB]

The FHP Shock Absorber ECU (175949) would be the next addition, Terry.

[rmfurzeland]

Barry,
Glad to hear your are happy with this upgrade, may I ask why you (or Taz) choose this size bar rather than the 21mm offered with the FHP package?

Was fitting straightforward? I presume different rubber bushings were needed but you kept the original u-shaped bracket and end tie bars?
Thanks,
Ron

PS I have a qood price quote on the 21mm bar and plan to fit in January

[tazandjan]

Ron- You were lucky to find one and I would close the deal now before it disappears. They have been NLA for quite a while now. All you need are the two bushings and the bar. Everything else is the same. The bushings are still widely available. Time to pick up a pair for my car before they disappear, too.

[rmfurzeland]

Dear all,
Firstly, Merry Christmas to you all, just finished watching the DVD Enzo, great stuff.
Anyway, is the 21mm a better option than the 19.5mm?
Thanks,
Ron

[tazandjan]

Ron- Given the choice, most owners would have chosen the 21 mm bar if they had been available. The larger bar cuts understeer more at a slight penalty in ride.

[KonaDog06]

Ron, I'll back up Taz's comments saying that most of us would have preferred the 21mm bar. However, the 19.5 HGTC bar works out very nice as an improvement on the stock springs and even more so now with FHP springs. If you are staying with the stock (non fhp) springs the HGTC bar may be a good compromise.
Either way, should you have a source for a FHP 21mm bar and can get it at a fair price, don't let it go. Several of us including myself would be interested in obtaining one if they are still around. So, you probably wouldn't have much trouble moving it if you chose not to use it. The HGTC bar currently list between $400 to $500. I would recommend that you have the FHP bar diameter measured first to be sure that it is the 21mm piece.
Below is just one of the threads you can read for more info on the subject.

"Handling, FHP and the 575"
Handling, FHP and the 575

Bill
FL

[rmfurzeland]

Bill,
Thanks for the link, I had not caught this thread with my advanced search.
I will go for the 21mm and double check the diameter, it was going to be shipped from Italy,
Thanks to all for the advice,
Ron

[rmfurzeland]

One extra question, can I drill out the 17mm bushings to make them have a 21mm hole or is there more to the bushing than a bit of rubber? Two bushings are $230 so not a trivial amount,maybe the bushings can be obtained from an alternative source?
Regards,
Ron

[KonaDog06]

Originally Posted by rmfurzeland

One extra question, can I drill out the 17mm bushings to make them have a 21mm hole or is there more to the bushing than a bit of rubber? Two bushings are $230 so not a trivial amount,maybe the bushings can be obtained from an alternative source?
Regards,
Ron

Certainly understand the question.
There may be something out there that will work. The question is how well.
I don’t think drilling the original or a similar bushing out can be done accurately enough without experience, special jigs, and tools. If it’s not done right it will defeat the gains you were looking for by adding the bar in the first place.
After my disclaimer, if you are determined not to pay the ridiculous money for two pieces of rubber, I’d be tempted to buy the hgtc 19mm bushing and carefully hone it to fit. Think my tool of choice would be a sanding roll and a die grinder with a very light touch. Or a dremel tool maybe. I would error on the side of being too tight versus loose.
The other choice would be to take your original down to local auto parts store and ask them if they would let you look through their sway bar bushing inventory to see if something compares at least in size. Usually they will work with you. Problem here is, if you are lucky enough to find something you won’t know how the consistency (hardness) of the rubber compares.
Let us know what you come up with.

Bill
FL

[tazandjan]

Ron- I would wait until you get the bar before buying the bushings. Some of the parts catalogs say the 21 mm bar has been superceded by the 19.5 mm bar, so no telling what you will get.

[rmfurzeland]

Thanks guys, good points about getting a good fit and consistency of hardness. Also the original supplier for 21mm turned out to be just a 19.5mm when I double checked the dimension last week (Taz must be psychic). I am glad we are in agreement about the exorbitant price, funny enough the 19.5mm bushings are much cheaper just $21 each.

If the the functon of the bushing is just to support the middle of the bar and allow slight sideways motion then I wonder if softness/hardness matter much?

I think I will wait to see which bar actually arrives (21 or 19.5mm) then maybe ask a machine shopi if they can hone out the 17mm holed bushing to say bar diameter minus 0.1mm or so.

Let me try a Google search on "honing out rubber"
Thanks,
Ron

[tazandjan]

Ron- If you can find a Forstner bit the correct size, it should do the job. Secure the bushing to the drill press table with a clamped plate, with a hole in the plate center for the bit, and that should keep it stable enough.

My bet is you will need the 19.5 mm bushings, and they are cheap. I need to pick up a set of the 21 mm bushings in case they become NLA. They are used on several Ferrari models.

The rubber bushings need to be fairly stiff with just enough compliance to keep down noise. They actually do take some loads during hard cornering.

[Ferraridriver]

You should be able to find something here.
Universal Sway Bar Bushings | Energy Suspension Parts

[rmfurzeland]

Ferraridriver,
excellent source, 21mm for $13. Made of polyurethane not rubber so should last longer but be a bit harder, I guess one should use the greasable version to avoid squeaks?
Taz, good tip about the Forstner and metal plate, starting from a 19.5mm.
Now I have 2 good options.
Thanks,
Ron

[KonaDog06]

Originally Posted by Ferraridriver

You should be able to find something here.
Universal Sway Bar Bushings | Energy Suspension Parts

Dave, good lead. Thank you I enjoy these.
Bill

[tazandjan]

Ron- Just remember there are two diameters on the bushings, the hole through which they fit, and the outside diameter.

[rmfurzeland]

Taz,
You mean the outside 'diameter' or D shape that snuggles into the U shaped bracket, right?
Thanks,
Ron

[Atul]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Barry- Next the FHP Hydraulic Steering ECU or, for 550s only, an FHP Shock Absorber ECU. Plug and play.

Glad you were happy with the bar. Big improvement for not much money.

Taz - do you mean that the 550 already has the "Hydraulic steering ECU". I'm presuming so.

All - any sources for the FHP Shock Absorber ECU would be greatly appreciated. And also for the 19.5" HGTC anti-sway bar. These look like excellent upgrades to make.

Thanks,

-- Atul