George- No, the 599 was the first Ferrari with Magneride shocks. Optional on the California, too.
Gents FYI - the Magnetorheological shocks' design on the 599 (and all Ferrari thereafter as option or standard) was sourced by Ferrari from GM / Cadillac (or Delphi as manufacturer) which originated / patented the design. The shock body carries hydraulic fluid with floating / suspended magnetic particles that via electrical impulses can be instantaneously hardened (stiffened) or softened. Ferrari chose this design rather than use an air type suspension system (similar to the design of the Mercedes-Benz ABC on their passenger cars) because Ferrari's desire for much quicker action / reaction for its sports / GT cars. I would guess that the premature leakage of these magnaride shocks has to do with elastomer and/or thermoplastic seals that may deteriorate due to the combination of exposure to the type of hydraulic fluid used along with activating electrical impulses and exposure to external incompatible contaminants. Having worked myself in aerospace, space and motor racing hydraulic system designs for decades, it is a fact that modern sealing systems still remain to be sometimes a compromise given the variety of factors in which the materials are exposed to. Often, long-term lab testing may show positive results based on a given set of test parameters, but which may not hold up in actual long-term road or real world application!
Hi HK Mondial, PM sent. Perhaps a group buy! My right front has a small leak and am told the fronts are on back order.
Update on my case. We decided to change all four shocks. One of the them feels alright on the hand, three of them are rock hard. After replacement everything works alright. I presume that the one that moves is actually the one that is broken and the three other was adjusted hard by the control unit. For some reason the control unit couldn't adjust them back to normal, or either give fault code. I have this set of shocks in stock, i am also interested if someone knows how to repair them.
Today I’ve checked mine front suspension cos I hear some noise. Front right shock is out though no leakage. Sometimes **** happens. Wysłane z iPhone za pomocą FerrariChat
I got the bad news yesterday that my left front has a slight leak. I'll drive it for a while until it gets worse.
In addition to my 599 I have a 1971 365gtc4. The C4 comes standard with a rear load leveling shock that is also prone to failure. While they can be repaired ,Koni makes a coil over replacement that works great. I put a set on years ago and have not looked back. Do we have a cost effective conventional 599 replacement that anyone in the community has used with satisfaction? Mike
There is a conventional shock but it won't function with all the electronics in the suspension. Fernando at Competizione & Sportscar says "don't do it".
I just received my shocks from nagengast in Poland. Look like brand new . 1300 euro plus vat Image Unavailable, Please Login
Much anticipation from me as well. Can you give a run down on the install procedure and calibration? I am sure we would all appreciate it. Thanks ,Mike
When i reinstalled the shocks it said suspension control system error. I forgot to disconnect the battery before the removal. But the next day everything was fine again. The only thing i m gonna do is letting someone alline every shock so there is the same weight on every wheel. Should be fixed then. It was about a 5 hour job
Hello Motorama, Thanks for your help to propose a cheap solution for the leaking shock. Do you still have the active damping system with your regenerated shocks in place?