3500GT new bushes in front suspension

As the visible parts of the rubber suspension bushes look rather deteriorated, I decided to fit new polyurethan bushes. The front suspension of the 3500GT is very similar to that of the Jaguar Mk2, on which car I have already changed the bushes with reasonable effort.
I ordered and received from SUPERFLEX the kit suitable for Mk2 and 3500GT.
The replacement of the bushes on the upper wishbone went quite well, but now I encounter a problem on the lower wishbone: on the 3500GT you cannot slide out the fulcrum shaft as on the Mk2:
- there seems to be a setscrew on the fixed part to hold the shaft? Have not yet tried to remove it because it has a head for a normal screwdriver.. The Mk2 has no such screw. Does anyone know what it is for?
- more seriously: once the shaft would be free, one cannot slide it out. To the rear there is (the exhaust and) a the wall of the body. To the front there is not enough space either, unless one removes the radiators. Is there any trick to avoid this?

As I said above, the visible part of the old rubber bushes was quite brittle. But when I removed (with difficulties) the non-visible part, I found the rubber there in good condition. With other words, I have changed the upper bushes for esthetic reasons...! I do therefore hesitate very much to go into big work to change the lower ones. It would be much simpler to slide a small ring/tube over the visible part of the rubber to hide it....

Wilfried

 

You need to remove the slot head set screw. The shaft will slide and clear the body. I do not recall if it clears on the front or the rear. There are times the shaft will rust in place and not slide.

Ivan

 

Wilfried, after removing the set screws, I believe both of mine went out the front. I do not have the original radiator installed in my car. It did not look like mine would slide out without removing the radiator, but they did.
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Ivan,
I am sure that one cannot remove it to the rear because of the body. So you must have removed it front: Did you have the radiator in place when you removed the shaft?

Wilfried

 

I did the suspension after removing the engine therefore the radiator was out.

Ivan

 

The set-screw makes a lot of sense: The fulcrum shaft can't waer a groove, making it extremely difficult to extract it when needed.
Funny to see what Jaguar-influence (and parts) have crept into Maserati. We had already found that the Indy uses Mk2 front suspension, and the synchronizing tool for the Webers as described and depicted in the Khamsin owners manual looks suspiciously like the original S.U. tool I have in my trolley.

 

Wilfried, that would be Alford and Adler. The U.K. based automotive firm that engineered and built supension, brake and steering components for many auto manufacturers. They manufactured the suspension for the 3500 GT. Many components are shared with the Jag, but they are not exactly the same. Ball joints and bushings are interchangeable to the best of my knowledge. But I believe the durometer of the bushings is different from Jag. to Maserati.


Ciao and best!

~Trev

 

Any progress Wilfried?

 

Yes, in the sense that I have made the decision to replace only the upper rubber bushes. I am now nearly finished with the right side: here also, the rubber inside the old bushed is still perfect. I had difficulties to drill it out! Also, to press the new polyurethan bushes in is not so easy. You have to heat them up to a temperature where you cannot hold them anymore (I never put on gloves) and then press them in rapidly, efore the metal of the wishbone cooles them down.
Wilfried

 

I remember inserting the new bushings was a challenge. I put a slight bevel on the leading edge of the rubber bushings to get them started. My friend that was helping me with them showed me a trick that was amazing....he used dishwashing soap to lubricate them and they practically jumped in. Good luck Wilfried.

 

The bushes are all in now: as you say it is quite a challenge. The last one just did not want to go in, it always slipped out somewhere. Just before the last (and successful trial) I had decided that I will make a little "tool" to avoid the bush to take an asymmetrical shape: a short steel ring that just slips over the leading board of the bush. As the bush went in (probably because of my threatening to squizze it into a tool) I did not bother further. By the way, with the bushes there came some white cream, no need for soap.
Wilfried

 

Hi Wilfred

Yes they used the same inner bush parts on the Khamsin.

Did you greases the lower pin befpre you put it back?

Also what was the part number of the kit you used?

Cheers
Graeme

 

This was also true for Iso, Bizzarrini, Monterverdi, early lamborghini and Jenson to name a few.

Some parts on Iso look very similar to Jaguar, but when you disassemble them you see small differences in shims and such.

 

From a cost point of view this makes sense, of course, and at least if you run into damage, a Jag part could likely be made to work. There's still plenty of that around.

Btw, does anyone have the dimensions of the Maserati-bushes? A lot of the after-market Jaguar bushes are made here in Cape Town, if the dimensions are the same, they would probably turn out very economical.

 

Hello Graeme,
The upper bush kit from SUPERFLEX is called "SF1199 BLK SS F" and cost £ 32.65
It fits perfectly in my 3500GT.
The lower bush kit is called "SF0286KSS F" Lower Inner W/Bone Kit 8B 4T Jaguar default black and costs £51.75. I cannot assure that they fit, because I have not mounted them (problem of getting the axle out). But they look as if they would fit.
Wilfried

 

Does anyone have some photos and or dimensions of a early 3500GT driveline as fitted to a car with a 4 speed ZF transmission?
I would be very appreciative to have this information.
Ciao,
FGM

 

Please do not put your same question on several different threads. Also, your question has nothing to do with bushes. You are possibly interrupting a dialog.
Why don't you start a new thread if you have a question that does not fit into any existing thread.
Wilfried

 

Good point, sorry I will consider myself reprimanded, and will in the future take yours and Herr Baumer's sage advice.
Many thanks,
ciao,
FGM

 

This may be an old thread but I was trawling through it and came across Lavaux's query about the manifacturerof the 3500 suspension system. They were called Alford and Alder, a factory in Hemel Hempstead, England, who primarily made steering assemblies. The factory closed in 1969.

I have a transcription in English of the presentation made at the AISA conference in 2000 by Giulio Alfieri about the history of the 3500 and how he came to source parts from the UK and other countries (due to punitive tax laws in Italy). Anyone interested??

K McC

 

I am interested in a copy. Would be glad to post it on my website so it is available for others to download. Please email at [email protected]

Ivan

 

I would be VERY interested in having a copy emailed to me at [email protected]
Ciao,
FGM

 

Please count me in also.
Many Thanks, RF
[email protected]

 

Yes, I am interested!
Wilfried

 

Gents,

My apologies. I had vainly checked this thread repeatedly and rather despondently because no-one seemed to have replied to my offer. Then today I realise I was at the bottom of the page and a page 2 exists with replies from the end of April. As the Americans say, dumb.

I have emailed the rather wonderful interview with Giulio Alfieri to all except Wilfried, for whom I can't find an email address. W: mine is as per my ID so please feel free to contact me if you wish your email address to remain private.

Regards

Kevin McC