Ferrari F50 Suspension

The length of the locating arms was chosen to keep track and camber changes to a minimum. The front and rear suspension had wishbones and reaction arms that act on spring and damper by way of a push-rod system. The dampers were specially developed by Bilstein. To guarantee the setup and maximum precision in wheel movement over the ground, all the joints linking the suspension to the chassis were rigid, as they are on racing cars. On the rear axle, the suspension arms were fixed to an intermediate element between the engine and the gearbox which acts as an oil tank, as it does in Formula 1. The length of the arms improved the contact between the wheels and the ground, considerably reducing sweep and improving roadholding. The hub carriers were made of a special hot-forged aluminum alloy, which increases rigidity and significantly reduces weight.

The front track was wider than the rear to promote understeer. The spring and damper control mechanism was linked to an electronic damper control system, managed by ECU based on lateral acceleration, the steering angle and longitudinal acceleration. Great care went into the definition of performance in terms of soft and hard handling. The damping control software processed the information received from a series of sensors mounted in the car. This resulted in the best damping in all conditions to optimize contact between wheel and ground, reducing the variations in ground load. Variations due to acceleration were also controlled by the system that reduced bodyshell movement to stabilize the aerodynamic efficiency and guarantee directional stability. Damping was also varied according to speed, independently of this system, making for greater comfort and improving performance at higher speeds.

Cast entirely in aluminum alloy, the steering box of the F50 was the fruit of many years' cooperation with TRW. Racing achieved its most extraordinary progress in the field of braking. The F50 offered the braking of a racing car with a system designed in cooperation with Brembo to incorporate four cast iron discs splined directly on the aluminum hub. The calipers were in alumimium with four large ground cylinders, like those used on Formula 1. The braking system was sized so that it would not need servo-assistance or ABS. Cooling was guaranteed by dynamic air intakes front and rear.

The rear wheel assembly, including Titanium hubs, incorporated a Ferrari Formula 1 patent. This system reduces the number and weight of components, and allows extension of the axle shaft reducing power absorption.

The F50's single-piece Speedline wheels were made of a special magnesium alloy with single-nut central attachment. The choice of a size of 18"x81/2" at the front and 18"x13" at the rear, was dictated by the choice of large brake discs and low profile tires. Goodyear designed a special racing-based "Fiorano" tire specifically for the F50 in 245/35ZR18 front, 355/30ZR18 rear.