328 Suspension restoration | FerrariChat

328 Suspension restoration

Discussion in '308/328' started by NW328GTS, Mar 11, 2013.

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  1. NW328GTS

    NW328GTS Formula 3

    Nov 16, 2009
    2,191
    Washington
    Full Name:
    Hal
    #1 NW328GTS, Mar 11, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I finally collected all the parts, its up on the lift and I am about to kickoff restoring/rebuilding the suspension on my 1987 328 GTS. All the 25 year old suspension bushings are tired and cracked.

    The to do list:

    Replace all the suspension bushings on all 4 corners.

    Replace all the shock bushings (I still have the stock Koni shocks)

    New rotors, brake pads and new brake hoses all the way around. Cleanup and repaint the calipers.

    Pull and rebuild/relube the drive axles/shafts and replace all the CV boots

    Hopefully I wont get too much scope creep. I already noticed I have to pull some of the lower belly pans and clean up some rock dings etc.

    I will be taking lots of photos etc. so I don't get lost and I can post as I go if anyone is interested. I also can share the parts sources I used to collect all the parts.

    Hal
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  2. Joshman0531

    Joshman0531 Formula Junior
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    Jan 19, 2012
    866
    Tennessee
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    Joshua Seidenberg
    I having mine done as well. However, I don't have a lift and I am having mine converted to adjustable coil overs. It's awesome you're doing it!
     
  3. howl

    howl Formula Junior

    Apr 10, 2011
    505
    Chicago/Boca
    Full Name:
    Tom
    I had mine (a 1989) done 2 years ago - had my Konis rebuilt too. Was a little stiff for first couple of hundred miles. Then, like a new car. I had not realized how much the suspension had deteriorated. Quickly brought back memories of how the car drove when I first go it in 1999. Good luck and enjoy.
     
  4. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
    London
    I did mine 2 years ago. Well worth doing. I had some creaks and knocks from the front and these were all gone.

    Its worth having the springs, swaybars and wishbones powder coated.

    Also worth dismantling both front hubs and repacking the bearings. These are vary expensive to replace! In fact I had to replace one of mine as it had turned blue from overheating owing to lack of grease.

    I also had the hub carriers shotblasted but thats somewhat over the top in hindsight and does mean completely dismantling them and removing the bearings.
     
  5. B-26

    B-26 Formula Junior

    Jan 9, 2009
    301
    Glen Mills PA
    Full Name:
    Jay
    YES ! Please document your project.
     
  6. Joshman0531

    Joshman0531 Formula Junior
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    Jan 19, 2012
    866
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    Joshua Seidenberg
    I think that most new buyers purchase on looks and "all original" when they don't realize these are 27+ year old cars. Spring rates are not the same on any of the shocks if still original and the ride certainly isn't the same.

    I'm doing mine as preventative maintenance and a better ride. I think the smart owner doesn't wait till s*&^ breaks.
     
  7. guygowrie

    guygowrie Formula 3

    Sep 19, 2011
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    ct
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    guy s
    #7 guygowrie, Mar 12, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I'm slowly getting through my GT4 too while on jackstands, so spending a lot of time grunting on the garage floor. Rears are back together but not torqued. I cleaned and painted the arms with POR chassis black. I soaked them for a few days in a parts cleaner first as they were filthy. Powdercoating is nicer if you have a good coater locally but mine look fine.

    As the shocks + springs wouldnt match the looks of the arms I removed the shocks and cleaned them, resprayed the tops and tails of the konis and hand painted the springs after rubbing them down. The result is pretty neat.

    Bushes were shot and I used a Superformance standard hardness kit. I also got all new fasteners from Fastradio (contributor here) just so I had the right number of the right quality fasteners at hand, and small dowel pins that were missing from some a-arms from TRutlands.

    A local Midas shop removed the old bushings and put the new ones in for me as I dont have a welder or press.

    Fronts including steering rack is next.

    I sure am envious of your MaxxJak..
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  8. roalda

    roalda Formula Junior

    Oct 2, 2007
    593
    Wiltshire England
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    Roy
    #8 roalda, Mar 12, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  9. guygowrie

    guygowrie Formula 3

    Sep 19, 2011
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    guy s
    a question about powdercoating - can you replace and tack weld the new OEM style bushes before powdercoating (preferable), or do you need to remove the bushings, get the arms blasted and coated then re-bush and tack weld, requiring some grinding off of the powdercoating and some touch up with normal paint?

    Just wondering if the heat of the coating process will affect the new bushes.
     
  10. NW328GTS

    NW328GTS Formula 3

    Nov 16, 2009
    2,191
    Washington
    Full Name:
    Hal
    Pulled the front suspension back to the frame on the front last night. Everything is actually in pretty good shape for 25 years old. Went pretty quickly actually, only took a few hours.

    Tonight I will start pressing out the bushings and start the clean up and post some photos.

    I am also using the Superformance standard hardness kits from Ferrari parts Superformance ferrari dino ferrari v6 ferrari v12 specialists 308 246 206 fiat dino 355 328 along with new shock and steering rack bushings.

    I do like the lift, saves my back and its a lot easier to work at, especially from underneath on a seat or my knees rather than laying on my back. Best $2,000 I ever spent.
     
  11. roalda

    roalda Formula Junior

    Oct 2, 2007
    593
    Wiltshire England
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    Roy
    #11 roalda, Mar 13, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I had the wishbones powdercoated minus the bushes.
    I then fitted the new bushes and had a friend tig weld them, it melted a very small area of coating.
    Regards
    Roy
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  12. fastradio

    fastradio F1 Rookie
    BANNED Professional Ferrari Technician

    Apr 26, 2006
    3,664
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    David Feinberg
    Guy, you're way too modest. Your shocks and springs look great! Nice work, indeed.
     
  13. guygowrie

    guygowrie Formula 3

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    #13 guygowrie, Mar 13, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thank you, close inspection does not reveal perfection but its a vast improvement, and a good exercise getting them out and back in (another fear wall conquered..)

    For the springs I just rough sanded, then painted with rustoleum gloss black using a cheap foam brush, setting the Koni's on paint tins and rotating them. Mindless work but it came out ok.

    Duplicolor Orange engine enamel for the shock heads and tails. Left for a week or 2 to harden then wrapped shop wrags and taped for installation of the shocks and a-arms to prevent chipping.

    sorry for the hijack.
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  14. Iain

    Iain F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2005
    3,320
    UK
    As Andy said, on a 328 its definitly worth dismantling & repacking the front wheel bearings with new grease. The price of replacements is eye-watering & after 20+ years the grease in mine wasn't in great shape - but I got to them in time.


    As a question with this kind of thing (because I too am going to be getting to it over the next year or two), is there deteriation in the performance of the suspension springs over 20+ years & 40+K miles? Is it worth considering replacing them or just really not necessary?
     
  15. NW328GTS

    NW328GTS Formula 3

    Nov 16, 2009
    2,191
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    Hal
    #15 NW328GTS, Mar 13, 2013
    Last edited: Mar 13, 2013
    Springs really shouldn't take a set. They are made of better steel than that. I am going to pull the springs off my shocks though to clean them up and I'll measure the free length to see if they did just for kicks
     
  16. Joshman0531

    Joshman0531 Formula Junior
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    Jan 19, 2012
    866
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    Joshua Seidenberg
    When I started looking in to rebuilding my shocks, the recommendation to change the springs was suggested because the spring rate would've surely changed over 27 years. Not sure why it wouldn't. That's quite a long period of time of driving and supporting weight.

    I replaced mine with 250s in the front and 300s in the rear from hypercoil.
     
  17. roalda

    roalda Formula Junior

    Oct 2, 2007
    593
    Wiltshire England
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    Roy
    #17 roalda, Mar 14, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Agreed repack with grease, most of mine was on the hub back plate!
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  18. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
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    #18 andyww, Mar 14, 2013
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Thats exactly what mine looked like, a big wodge of untouched grease on the backplate and none in the bearing, the result being the bearing had turned blue from overheating.

    Note the Mondial WSM states the 6 self-locking bolts should be replaced with new. The fact these are NLA doesnt exactly help. I used medium strength Loctite threadlock on them.
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  19. roalda

    roalda Formula Junior

    Oct 2, 2007
    593
    Wiltshire England
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    Roy
    Oh crap, I just replaced the bolts with nothing on them:-/
    I also put a blob of grease on the back plate to replace the original, I don't know why really just thought it might suppress some vibration???
     
  20. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
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    I would not worry unduly, maybe just check they are still torqued up after a while. Torque figure is 32 lb ft.
     
  21. Iain

    Iain F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2005
    3,320
    UK
    Ahem, yeah, I probably should check those & loctite them too! Are you sure about the 32 lbft? Seems a lot for a bolt with a 13mm head...

    I also stuck a blob of grease on the backplate - the WSM specifically says to do it, no idea why.

    I used Redline CV2 in mine (mostly because I had some handy!)
     
  22. Iain

    Iain F1 Rookie

    Jan 21, 2005
    3,320
    UK
    Interesting - do we know what the original spec was (and was it different between Non ABS & ABS cars? & EU & US cars? )
     
  23. roalda

    roalda Formula Junior

    Oct 2, 2007
    593
    Wiltshire England
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    Roy
    I guess it will have to come apart again:-[
    I can't remember what the torque was but it was less than half that i think?
     
  24. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
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    #24 andyww, Mar 14, 2013
    Last edited: Mar 14, 2013
    The manual says 4.5 Kgm which according to a converter is 32 lb ft but yes this does seem high for the size of bolt. The manuals are not always correct...
    The 348 manual says 3.8 Kgm which is 27 lb ft. Testarossa 4.5 Kgm. These all use the same bearings.

    Looking at the parts book the ABS cars have different bolts from non-ABS. Its possible that the Mondial figure refers to the non-ABS which might be shorter and the 348 figure refers to ABS.

    Seem to recall this has been discussed before.
     
  25. oceanview328

    oceanview328 Karting

    Dec 7, 2012
    214
    Charleston, SC
    Full Name:
    Ed
    Does anybody make polygraphite bushings (the ones that don't squeak)?
     

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