Anyone know of replacing the rear shocks on a 400i self levelling system and if so what was used?
Rutlands makes a custom Koni to replace the self leveler for about $1800/pr but you no longer get the self leveling function. Some 365GTC's and /4's used monroe air shocks (shudder). My self levelers still seem to work but I did replace the front set of coils with a stiffer spring. I believe that the 400i has an accumulator that can be replaced by a mercedes part and try searching here for that info. 365gtc forum has some good info on this subject.
I've used the Mercedes accumulators and they work fine. Just need to get (or make) a fitting for the hydraulics and a simple mounting bracket. Their price is right!
Unfortunately, we do have an off the shelf regular replacements for the 84 400i, We have rears for the 83 400 GT automatic without self-levelers. But have no information on whether or not those would cross over to the newer 400i. Does anyone know if the 83 setup will work and explain if it doesn't why not?
See what they have and the price but I would be surprised if they offer the rear shock AND spring set up for the 400GT as I think that's what only Rutlands offers. They should fit though. Forget what the manuals or parts list say, have them confirm that the upper and lower mounting bolts are the same size as whats on your car now. You may have to purchase the mounting bushings too. Overall length is the same from 78 on
AREPA, in Switzerland, has a lot of the tooling and expertise to remanufacture the rear self-levellers on the early 400i. They did mine a couple of years ago, height is perfect, they work well. I have known the owner for years through friends in the rally race game. Reliable, Swiss. I am sending him the ones on my 5-Speed. Website : Accueil | Arepa
They provided the link: http://www.koni-na.com/cat_search.cfm?mt_id=1&my_year=1983&mak_id=15&mod_id=280&submit=Search Can someone verify that the 1983 GT setup will work on a 84
Here is guy I used in AZ. Jeff LeBlond [[email protected]] He is also working on a rebuild for the adjuster in the middle, some have collapsed shafts. Ken
Model years are not the way to identify Ferrari specification changes - a car may have sat for a year before it was first sold, or in the case of a 400, been built overseas, sold, then EPA complied in the US before its first sale. So is the year it has been identified by the year when it was made, first sold overease or first registered in the USA ? The reliable way to work out what will fit your Ferrari is using the chassis number and then looking at the parts book and sevice manual to see what set up is appropriate for your car. If you do a search a links to download both the 400 service manual and the 400 parts book have been posted here ( youll need them to work on the car, and to figure out what goes where). You can also see how the systems are quite different. BTW The crossover point in rear suspension design was chassis 42705 M
Jeff LeBlond's known for being the 'go-to' guy if you're considering rebuilding your hydraulic self-levelers, but I don't know how much longer he'll be doing that I'd be curious of his response to that.
My copy of the workshop manual indicates that s/n 42705 was the first 400i with the hydraulic self leveling suspension. Edit: Oops, I see that you conveyed that information already! WRT to model year, I think that Ferrari generally used the year of manufacture and not the "model year" convention typical in the U.S. but even that can lead to differences in how your vehicle might be classified on registration. For example, my 400i was built in March 1983 (s/n 46153) and I always referred to it as a "1983" but the registration indicated that it was a "1984". Why? Who knows? Maybe because it entered the U.S. in late August, 1983 and that was the beginning of the "1984 Model Year" for the U.S. or possibly because it didn't receive its DOT/EPA exemptions until early in calendar year 1984. It didn't really matter except for waiting one extra year before it was exempt from emissions testing in CT.
I think the most reliable method is to measure what's on your car then compare it to the available parts.
He responded the next day. I'm planning on sending them down to him in a couple of weeks, and I think I'll do the fronts ASAP this next fall.
Allllriiiight!! That's gr8 to hear that he's still rebuilding them. Even though mine still work fine, it almost makes me want to get them rebuilt preemptively so that I know I've got a couple more decades of life out of them.
Bruce I did the interim approach. I had a leak on top of one unit. I found two NOS and replaced the leaky one and his mate on the opposite side. I had both of those rebuilt. So I have two new, two working old ones and two stand-by in cabinet. Ken
He had a shop right at the George Wash. Bridge entrance toll booth for 20+ years, but after his son died he was going to return to Italy. He was 'clearing house'. I had to buy a NOS radiator and pick up both at his shop to save him boxing it up. I later sold radiator on this forum (I think) and got most of total back. Ken
I learned years back the Mercedes Benz large sedans of the same era and earlier used exactly the same shocks. The only thing you need to do, as I was brought to understand, is that you need to remove the Ferrari mounting brackets and tack weld them to the M/B shocks. I hope this is of some help. Jq.