3200GT rear lower control arms issue

[madmanmart]

Attached is a picture showing the fork and original wishbone on my 3200. As you can see from the photo the gap between wishbone and fork bracket is very tight so if the pattern wishbones are a lot thicker and you have brackets which has the strengthening plate welded in with a gap then the pattern wishbones might not fit without modification. It will as others have suggested depend on each individual case, mine is an early 2000 reg car model 1023 it would be nice to see if Maserati modified the fork bracket on later cars, perhaps someone with a 2001 car could take a photo.

Rex BView attachment 33250View attachment 33250

Here you go, 02 plate car.

 

[onlinesys]

Thanks again gents. Eurospares only have 2 forks in stock so I have to check with the local stealer
Will check with garage if modification of existing forks is possible
Garage also talked to local stealer that the control arm supplied by Maserati
Also be modified with better materials and design not sure if it is true or not

 

[onlinesys]

Checked modification of existing fork is not possible so really need to order the forks from Eurospares to sort out the problem

 

[philw696]

Here you go, 02 plate car.

If your suspension is looking like these pics guys you need to get some serious restoration work done to avoid further damage.
I for one do not miss the UK winter weather and the damage it does to motor vehicles.
Phil.

 

[zagatoes30]

If your suspension is looking like these pics guys you need to get some serious restoration work done to avoid further damage.
I for one do not miss the UK winter weather and the damage it does to motor vehicles.
Phil.

What he said, that was what my QP IV looked like before we went through it and sorted it all out.

 

[highlander]

I was about to order a pair of pattern rear lowers since the ball joint is gone on one side but guess I'd better have a look at my forks first to see if there will be a fitting issue........for sure, getting the OEM bones is financially out of the question just now so hope my forks will take the pattern bones.

 

[madmanmart]

What he said, that was what my QP IV looked like before we went through it and sorted it all out.

Don't worry, those pics were from a scrapper.

 

[Contigo]

If your suspension is looking like these pics guys you need to get some serious restoration work done to avoid further damage.
I for one do not miss the UK winter weather and the damage it does to motor vehicles.
Phil.

I would put a wager on that most 3200 and 4200 from late 90's early 2000's all look like this around the rear subframe especially. All the one's I have seen have looked pretty much identical to Marts above. Even the 4200 I recently sold which was a 2003 car had the same level of corrosion.

 

[allandwf]

I checked mine often, and even living in Scotland, and using the car all year round, mine was a lot cleaner. It lived in a draughty wooden garage, but a lot to be said for that. Those pictures look like it's been parked up on grass or something.

 

[davy83]

i try to clean and treat any steel every time work is done on any part of the car, but i would tend to agree the level of corrosion in those pictures is both normal and probably ok. Personally if i was changing out the arms i would remove the forks and at least treat them or better still powder coating, and i would also brush up and treat the sub frame, i am planning to remove the rear subframe and get it powder coated at some point, its on my bucket list, but keeping the brown car eating monster at bay is all you can do with the salt on the roads

I would put a wager on that most 3200 and 4200 from late 90's early 2000's all look like this around the rear subframe especially. All the one's I have seen have looked pretty much identical to Marts above. Even the 4200 I recently sold which was a 2003 car had the same level of corrosion.

 

[davy83]

oh and before i forget, i also spray all of the suspension and underbody with Terotex 350 probably at least twice a year, just with a hand sprayer. I have a pit so its not too hard ot get at the underside, but i can commend it to anyone who just wants a little extra corrosion resistance, its easy to apply and lasts for 6 months i reckon, and it can be removed with a jet washer.

 

[NickP]

Just got my bill for the work I had done to fit new control arms and this describes what they did...

GROUND DOWN NEW ARM TO FIT INTO PICK UPS/CLEAN BOLTS ETC

 

[Contigo]

The problem with spraying us you are trapping corrosion in. You need to remove the surface rust first, then apply a preventer and then use the protection. Something like POR15 works a treat. The other option is to not use the car in the wet or during road salting season.

 

[highlander]

Just got my bill for the work I had done to fit new control arms and this describes what they did...

GROUND DOWN NEW ARM TO FIT INTO PICK UPS/CLEAN BOLTS ETC

Is it just me that finds it just a tad worrying that a suspension part is being ground down to fit?

 

[Zep]

Just got my bill for the work I had done to fit new control arms and this describes what they did...

GROUND DOWN NEW ARM TO FIT INTO PICK UPS/CLEAN BOLTS ETC

Whoa! That's not the sort of thing you should be finding out about from the bill.... Surely they should have asked for instruction.

 

[NickP]

Is it just me that finds it just a tad worrying that a suspension part is being ground down to fit?

I'll let you know if it breaks....

 

[NickP]

Whoa! That's not the sort of thing you should be finding out about from the bill.... Surely they should have asked for instruction.

Well I suspect they saw the difference in the size of the new part, it being cast and there not being a welded join felt that it required fettling to get it to fit. They prepare race cars so I have every faith in what they do would not put me or my family at risk.

 

[highlander]

I'll let you know if it breaks....

Was not a dig Nick but I am worried that grinding down may indeed get it to fit into the forks but at what cost to overall strength? I was planning to order two rear pattern parts from ES to get done in March since one of the ball joints is worn because I could live with the £400 each price tag but if I need to get new forks too just to get the part to fit without grinding the savings begin to disappear into the ether........and I have to ask the question is this why ES suddenly reduced the price of these parts?

 

[Zep]

Well I suspect they saw the difference in the size of the new part, it being cast and there not being a welded join felt that it required fettling to get it to fit. They prepare race cars so I have every faith in what they do would not put me or my family at risk.

They clearly know what they are doing so not suggesting its dangerous, more that you might want to know before hand. They might well have only had to take off a sliver of metal.

 

[NickP]

Was not a dig Nick but I am worried that grinding down may indeed get it to fit into the forks but at what cost to overall strength? I was planning to order two rear pattern parts from ES to get done in March since one of the ball joints is worn because I could live with the £400 each price tag but if I need to get new forks too just to get the part to fit without grinding the savings begin to disappear into the ether........and I have to ask the question is this why ES suddenly reduced the price of these parts?

I'm going to take a look and see how much they ground away to get these to fit. I think with these arms you are either looking at this method or replacing the mounts with larger ones that accept the new arm. Either way they don't fit straight out the box.