replacing suspension bushings | FerrariChat

replacing suspension bushings

Discussion in '308/328' started by Basal Skull, Jan 26, 2015.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

Page 1 of 2
  1. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #1 Basal Skull, Jan 26, 2015
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    Car didn't feel as steady as I thought it should at speed. I have smart strings for alignment/scales/hubstands but my bushings weren't looking very good and didn't think there was any point doing an alignment with poor bushings, so decided to replace.

    Read a lot, thanx to all those who have posted about this previously. Decided to go with the weld in super performance 'hard' bushings both front/back and sway bar bushings. Someone mentioned that the welded stock bushings are 'bonded' and the bushings move through twisting of the rubber (vs moving between the bushing and metal), and to torque once suspension is loaded. The rubber acts as a suspension (load bearing) piece. Thought might as well use bushings that were designed for the car (vs just changing the bushing innards).

    I was going to use my hubstands that I use for my other cars but, darn, they don't fit the Ferrari wheel bolt pattern. It was going to be hard to torque the bushings with the suspension loaded (even with my scissor lift). So instead of loading the suspension, I measured the angle of the A-arms with the suspension loaded using my magnetic level and just recreated the angle prior to torquing (with the car in the air). The lower A-arms I removed with the forks and could recreate the angle between the A-arm with the forks prior to torquing. I was able to remove the shocks/get to the upper fastener from below and didn't need to do anything from above (did not have to move the expansion tank and air box). Used a selection of sockets and my vise to press out and in the bushings, need some big sockets...

    I thought about washing and painting the arms but I couldn't bring myself to take the time to scrub them, so just cleaned up and painted the area close to the welds. Painted the ends of the shocks.

    I like yellow paint to mark the bolts/bushings - can occasionally check to make sure my welds are holding up... (although I guess yellow paint's not a stock thing - but I did seem to find some traces of yellow paint on bolts in certain places).

    All done, waiting for new tires and will test drive probably next weekend.

    (btw I don't like the shims required to change alignment, what a pain. I have to buy an assortment of shims...)
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. carl888

    carl888 F1 Veteran
    Owner Silver Subscribed

    Oct 31, 2003
    6,491
    Melbourne, Australia
    Full Name:
    Carl
    #2 carl888, Jan 26, 2015
    Looks like a nice job you're doing there, congratulations. Don't forget to check carefully the DU bushes in the rear hubs. Many people seem to overlook those but every car I've seen that's had worn inners (The rubber ones) has had shagged outers in the hubs.
     
  3. andyww

    andyww F1 Rookie

    Feb 7, 2011
    2,775
    London
    #3 andyww, Jan 26, 2015
    I usually just put a jack under the hub and jack it up until the car starts to lift off the stands then tighten the bolts.
     
  4. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #4 Basal Skull, Jan 26, 2015
    Thanx
    I cleaned them up and regreased, there was some areas of rust on but seemed pretty tight, hopefully they will be okay for now.

    Thanx for the tip, that was an option I considered but torquing with the Arms up at a measured angle seemed easer and safer, hopefully okay/ultimately the same effect.
     
  5. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #5 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 19, 2020
    Round two...
    The 328 is no longer with me if you've seen my previous posts. I have a 1977 308 gtb on original bushings, shocks 'rebuilt' at one point apparently. But the car bottoms out and bobs a bit. So replace bushings/shocks/springs. This time I have a press a friend gave me when he was upgrading, man a press makes things a lot easier. Tightened the bushings with the suspension loaded on jack stands this time. Thought I'd share some pics. This is a cleaner car :)
     
  6. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #6 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
  7. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #7 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
  8. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #8 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
    Du_Man likes this.
  9. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #9 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
    bertrand328, Brian Harper and JuLiTrO like this.
  10. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #10 Basal Skull, Jul 19, 2020
    Gonna drive it a bit before checking the alignment but tracks straight and the camber seems still within spec. Ride height feels higher - forgot to measure ride height before I started so can't compare..
    Feels good so far but need more seat time.
    Oh and I went with Superformance hard bushings like last time and their uprated springs.
     
  11. Andy 308GTB

    Andy 308GTB F1 Rookie
    Lifetime Rossa

    Jun 2, 2004
    2,627
    Essex, UK
    Full Name:
    Andy M
    #11 Andy 308GTB, Jul 20, 2020
    When I rebuilt my suspension some years ago, there was no telling if Superformance springs would change the nose high stance that these cars tend to have.
    It would be interesting to find out the ride height with the Superformance springs. Or see more photos of the car side on.
    I went for adjustable suspension in the end to remove all doubt.
     
  12. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #12 Basal Skull, Jul 20, 2020
    Ok I’ll take more pics and measure the ride height and will post. I wanted to keep relatively stock ish and thought I’d avoid the adjustability. Been there done that, lost liners/lips and bent fenders on my other cars!


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  13. 328GTB

    328GTB Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 4, 2002
    305
    Texas, USA
    Full Name:
    Carmine
    #13 328GTB, Jul 20, 2020
    It's my understanding that ride height is controlled by the loaded spring length.

    When I rebuilt my suspension on the 328, I had accidentally swapped the springs between front and back and the car sat lop-sided.
     
  14. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

    Dec 21, 2012
    3,086
    SanFrancisco BayArea
    Full Name:
    1983 US 308 GTS QV
    #14 Brian A, Jul 20, 2020
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2020
    Basal Skull likes this.
  15. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #15 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
    Hmm I’ll have to look closer at the old shocks, I assumed they had stock perches - never dawned on me that it may have been lowered previously, and didn’t see any paperwork.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  16. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #16 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
    Oh and thx for the link to your old thread, I’ll take those measurements and report back. I assume your measurements are done without passengers/20kg in the trunk - work manual for alignment state alignment done loaded with passengers and 20kg in the trunk.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  17. Brian A

    Brian A F1 Rookie

    Dec 21, 2012
    3,086
    SanFrancisco BayArea
    Full Name:
    1983 US 308 GTS QV
    #17 Brian A, Jul 21, 2020
    I measured with the car completely empty.

    Do you know why the spec calls for weight in the trunk?

    When I had my car professionally aligned after doing the suspension work, I told them to do it with my equivalent body weight in the drivers seat and nothing else (and had a half full gas tank). It seemed sensible to me, but I may not have been aware of all the considerations in the alignment process.
     
  18. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #18 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  19. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #19 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  20. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #20 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  21. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #21 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  22. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #22 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  23. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #23 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
    The wheel arch measurement from tires I guess would depend also on tires/rims
    14x 7.5 rims 205 /70 vr 14 XWX tires


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
  24. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #24 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
  25. Basal Skull

    Basal Skull Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 26, 2010
    425
    Vancouver BC
    #25 Basal Skull, Jul 21, 2020
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page