Self leveling suspension replacement

Koni sells a adjustable threaded coil over set up designed to replace the load levelers. Parts are about $1,500 if I recall - they are on my old 365gt #13141. Work well. They are available from any Koni dealer and the original load leveler part # should be superceeded by this new part # - so easy to find. Other alternative is to buy rancho air shocks (~$200), paint them orange, and pump them up with a compressor until the rear is level / where you want it. Not as correct, but also seems to work fine.

Alex

 

On my 1969 365gt 2+2 (#13141) it was a 100% pure drop in replacement.

A

 

Has anyone had the opportunity to look closely at the shock mounting for the self contained self levelers and the later later ones with the external hydraulic pump? If so are the mounting points the same? Like judge4re, I don't haul dishwashers or anything heavier than an overnight bag, car cleaning stuff and a car cover. In this case I think simplier is better.


Al

 

Can the load levelers be similarly replaced on a 400?

 

My underdstanding is yes (Koni says yes). That said, I have not done it on my 400i (system still works).

Alex

 

Thanks. You just saved me the money that I'm sure will go to something else like, let's see...oh, on this car the possibilities are endless, aren't they? I've actually got my clock working. I may hot wire around the ignition box. My body shop man, who refers to himself on his business card as the 'Whispering Giant,' has a bumper extension (the trim piece between the front tire and the bumper, that took me 2 months to find. It looks horrible and has provoked from the Whispering Giant these words, 'This is going to be a challenge.' We all know what that means.

 

Although I am sure you know this, for those who don't, it is TOTALLY NORMAL for the car to sit way down in the back over time when not running - the system is not designed to maintain pressure when the motor is not running.

A

 

I actually cut open a set of leveler shocks from a late 400i. There is really just about nothing in there. Just a simple piston with a ring and with 2 sets of reed valves. The main shaft seal ( the part that leaks ) is a rather poor rubber design. I think I can replace it with a spring-loaded teflon U-cup seal pack.

Off to te McMaster Carr website

 

Judge:

The car should sit "level". Whether or not this produces a gap on the rear tire depends on how much your front springs have sagged over the years. Your car does look a little too low in the back, ie. it has a little rearward rake. That said, if it is pumping up at all (and it seems that it is) then this problem is an adjustment, and not the self leveling system itself. If you look under the car, their is what appears to be a small, horizontally mounted shock attached to the rear sway bar. This is how the system knows where "level" is. If you look at it, the adjustment process is fairly obvious - it is also in the WSM. Anyway, once you adjust it you have essentially "told" the car where "level" is - in your case a little higher in the rear than it is now.

A

 

The rear rises about 40 mm, (1 9/16), in about a minute after starting the engine. When doing a PPI I propose to measure before and after.

 

I am resurrecting this thread because I have been doing homework on this issue.
the only product currently out there that performs the same self-leveling function that our original Konis performed is called "Nivomat" by ZF Sachs (German company w/ north american headquarters in Kentucky). we had a dialog going w/ the tech folks at ZF, but that has stalled. They can't seem to answer the question - do you have a product that is roughly 13" (eyelet to eyelet) compressed and roughly 18" compressed? ZF Sachs provides Nivomats for a wide variety of cars like Suburbans, Tahoes, certain Volvos, Jaguar xj6s, etc. I can't seem to find anyone that can/will give me a list of Nivomat products w/ their dimensional, load and mounting specs.

I have also found shock sites that advertise "Monroe Nivomat", so I have contacted Monroe's tech support people w/ the same question.

If anyone here has anymore info on Nivomat, such as a product catalog, please contact me.

 

If these are the product that Jaguar used, stay away! I've converted dozens of cars to conventional type shocks because of all the problems with the self-leveling system.

 

I agree. The problem with the old self levelling systems and even the newer ones (as in the Lambo) is picking the car up on shock, and not adjusting/correcting ride height by spring instead.

Going with a non-shock levelling system is the best option IMHO.

 

2NA and gdbsti, websearches on the Nivomat product pull up website links (mostly volvo owner sites) that are dedicated to REMOVING Nivomats and replacing w/ a more robust product!

my latest thought is to go w/ this Monroe product:
http://www.monroe.com/products/mp_detail.asp?cat=0&detail=Max%20Air

fill the tank to 2/3 full, inflate to the desired ride height, and leave it alone (oh, and paint them orange!)

any thoughts?

 

That looks better than stock but I would prefer a coil-over type system similar to what you'd find on a race car or street rod. Bearing the cars weight on a compressed spring rather than an air shock.

 

Update
i am not so happy with what I will call non-original solution #1. I got a pair of Monroe "Air-max" shocks; there were three model #s of that type that had the right mountings top and bottom and compressed-to-uncompressed dimension for the 365GT2+2. I ran the air lines into the trunk to the air valve which i mounted next to the spare tire. After pumping up to the max recommended 90psi, I am still a little tail-low. And the ride is very unforgiving and stiff; i can drive over a dime and feel it. I am all for a firm suspension, but this is ridiculous.

I looked at all the Rancho coil-over shocks and none of them is even close to having the right compressed-to-non-compressed dimension. If anyone has done the coil-over solution, what brand/model # did you use?

 

A number of folks have used QA1 shocks to replace the self contained self levelers. Could be used on a 400i, you would just have to deal with the cam driven pump. I have never had one off but I believe there is a part that connects the pump to the cam that could probably be removed and everything put back together to look normal. Attached is a photo I've found of the QA1 shock mounted on a GTC/4.

Al
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I just installed and tested the rebuilt hydraulic load levelers in my 400i.
They work ! The car levels itself properly as soon as I start it up and does not leak down or leave little "presents" on the garage floor anymore
'bout damn time !

 

Where did you get them rebuilt?

 

Tho at P.T. Engineering in Santa Ana, CA rebuit them.
(714) 850-1266


He made all new seal blocks for them with aerospace style TEFLON shaft seals and wipers. I don't think these are going to leak again for a very long time. So far, i've let it sit for 3 days without starting it. And it hasn't sunk back down at all. This might actually be a nice system, when it's working

Give him a call. He'll talk yor ear off about how he did it. And how they Koni tried to make it impossible

 

There are some ads on ebay and elsewhere for the $1500 Koni conversion, but they indicate that the conversion only fits on cars up to '83. What changed on the '84's? My '84 (still working well) has the hydraulic pump, leveler and the hydraulic shocks plus conventional looking shock.

Were the pre-'84's different?
Ken