Daytona spring/shock question...

Joe:

If you don't already have a Daytona shop manual, you should get one! It has tables of parameters for the front and rear springs.

Rear springs:

Unloaded length: 409 mm (early type) to 420 mm (late type)

Flexibility: 0.036 mm/kg

Length under static load: 240 mm (static load 470 kg early and 500 kg late)

Fronts:

Length: 341 mm

Flexibility: 0.022 mm/kg (note manual really says 022 Kg/mm, but this must be as I wrote it.

Length under static load: 205 mm (Static load 620 kg)

Now the wizards that work on these cars (Bill Badurski, Carobu engineering, etc.) may have other numbers they would recommend, but this is what the shop manual says.

Tom

 

Joe,
how did You arrived to conclusion that Your springs MAY (or may not ? ) need replacing? Did You measured the "ride height" and length of springs under load (full tanks/ 2 passengers) before removing them ? Couple of months ago I serviced front suspension on a car that had severely "drooping" front end. Just by replacing all new spring-to-shock insulators and new eye-let bushings to freshly rebuilt (by Koni N.A.) shocks got the car back to factory specs and proper stance. And I've done this to another Daytona before with similar results.
Also, I'd like to second Tom's suggestion : Get the book.
Timo

 

I've yet to find a Daytona that needed new springs unless it was (1) burned and/or (2) crashed and the springs were involved in either case.

I would use Bruce Ritchie at Performance Shock to rebuild the Konis. Not that you plan to, but for anyone that reads this, I know of two people that sent shocks back to Koni USA in Kentucky for rebuilding and Koni screwed up and had to rebuild them. I've had dozens of several dozens of Koni shocks rebuilt.

Oh, do use Plastikote T-31 Bright Orange on the shocks. That's the paint Koni uses. That came right from Koni in Holland.

Usually when the shocks are rebuilt they come back on full soft. You break them in that way. After they are broken in, then adjust the settings to your preference. That is also from Koni in Holland. That all said, most people just leave them alone. Make sure they don't forget the bump stop.

You'll really enjoy the ride after the shocks are rebuilt.

Steve

 

"Any idea where I can get a copy of the book.

jts"

Joe:

I would try ebay. I regularly find all of the manuals to come up there eventually. There is a translated copy done by Angelo Wallace and sold by his widow. She advertises in the Ferrari Market Letter. I don't know if Ferrari ever published an English version of the manual.

Alternatively Kurt at Ferraribooks.com sells copies. He also sells on ebay.

Tom

 

For some reason I have several extra copies floating around.

Steve

 

Sure, all of the suspension stuff is available from the usual sources, such as Trutlands, GTCarparts, etc.

They are not all that expensive--replace all that stuff.

Tom

 

that the springs virtually never go bad as I'm looking at doing everything else in the suspention of my car I believe. I have rebuilt rear shocks twice and the fronts once.

Thanks for the info guys. I'll stay tuned in.

Stan
'72 15741

 

Joe,

I sent my 288 GTO shocks to them as well. They didn't restore them, just rebuild them. They also send the dyno sheet back and will modify them if you want. I had them modify my shocks to the specs of Ferrari/Koni's updated specs for the GTO. If I remember right, the rebound was different. I've used Koni USA and Bruce Ritchie at Performance Shock at Sears Point since. I prefer Bruce over all three.

Steve