3200 suspension control arms

breakeronly

Junior Member
Messages
90
This is great Greg! Do you think the rim where the ball joint thread in is strong enough to take the load? The lower control arm on the rear has different geometry, if the same position is drilled through it will leave only little metal connected to the main body. Any work around?

Glad you like it Timkee, we are fairly confident at this stage that the thread on the male insert is strong enough, as is the rebored and threaded arm, it has not shown any signs of weakness over the miles it has travelled so far on our test car, as regards the rear lower control arm we have not even started on that process, as we want to make sure we master the fronts first, but who knows where we go next.
 

conaero

Forum Owner
Messages
34,593
I have a pair of 3200 front lower wishbones if you want them, do I get them back with the new ball joints in after testing?
 

breakeronly

Junior Member
Messages
90
I have a pair of 3200 front lower wishbones if you want them, do I get them back with the new ball joints in after testing?

Thanks for your very generous offer Matt, but there is no way I can guarantee you would ever see them again after testing, so I will decline, but many thanks
 

breakeronly

Junior Member
Messages
90
Update

Just an update

Things are progressing and looking good, stress test has been performed and came through with flying colours, still looking for some front lower control arms guys

Modified Wishbone Stress Distribution - With Cap Top.jpg


Standard Wishbone Stress Distribution with Plate Top.jpg


Modified Wishbone Stress Distribution - With Cap Bottom.jpg
 

jluis

Member
Messages
1,703
Went to MOT today and, as feared, play was detected in one of the wheels which is probably what is causing my steering to shake while braking.
I will take of the wheel later to confirm but with 52.000km on stock wishbones, the most likely culprit will be the ball joint.
Has there been any update on the replacement ball joint that was being developed by Greg?
 

Barry Poulter

New Member
Messages
4
Hi Guys,
You are doing a great job experimenting for quality, endurance and costs.
I am looking for Rear Lower Lever Assembly L/H for my GT3200.
Would appreciate your assistance please.
Barry
 

FIFTY

Member
Messages
3,100
I really hope that there is an ultimate arm ball joint solution one day

Dean - sorry if this comes accross as obnoxious but thread resurrection is not going to magic the control arms into stock.

For the front lower and rear upper there are currently only 3 options that I know of as they are NLA at the factory

  1. Good used (not great option)
  2. Send them to Australia for them to inject the ball joint with resin- not an option if the ball joint has play in it
  3. Send them to a company in Slovenia who can apparently rebuild them. I don't know anyone who has tried it in the Maserati community but a YouTuber called Jayemmoncars sent his Lamborghini arms to them that are a similar design and they rebuilt them. https://www.vps-eu.com/shop
The front upper the arm has a replaceable ball joint

The rear lower is the same as options 1, 2 & 3 plus an option 4 which is that Eurospares manufacture/stock rear lower pattern arms.

Hopefully someone like Eurospares with the money and resources will step in to sort this out for the community like they have done with the lower rears. I doubt a private individual can get it off the ground unless they have a huge amount of cash to front it. I am trying to get a pattern gearknob engineered for the 4200GT and it's looking like at least £3500 worth of investment to get a small batch of samples made - would hate to think the costs of backwards engineering these control arms and then the indemnity insurance that comes with it (what if one snaps while you are driving at 100mph, who are you going to take to court?)

Oh I forgot to mention you never know Maserati might decide to start making parts for these old tipos but I think pigs are more likely to fly before that happens.
 
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Lozzer

Member
Messages
2,280
Dean - sorry if this comes accross as obnoxious but thread resurrection is not going to magic the control arms into stock.

For the front lower and rear upper there are currently only 3 options that I know of as they are NLA at the factory

  1. Good used (not great option)
  2. Send them to Australia for them to inject the ball joint with resin- not an option if the ball joint has play in it
  3. Send them to a company in Slovenia who can apparently rebuild them. I don't know anyone who has tried it in the Maserati community but a YouTuber called Jayemmoncars sent his Lamborghini arms to them that are a similar design and they rebuilt them. https://www.vps-eu.com/shop
The front upper the arm has a replaceable ball joint

The rear lower is the same as options 1, 2 & 3 plus an option 4 which is that Eurospares manufacture/stock rear lower pattern arms.

Hopefully someone like Eurospares with the money and resources will step in to sort this out for the community like they have done with the lower rears. I doubt a private individual can get it off the ground unless they have a huge amount of cash to front it. I am trying to get a pattern gearknob engineered for the 4200GT and it's looking like at least £3500 worth of investment to get a small batch of samples made - would hate to think the costs of backwards engineering these control arms and then the indemnity insurance that comes with it (what if one snaps while you are driving at 100mph, who are you going to take to court?)

Oh I forgot to mention you never know Maserati might decide to start making parts for these old tipos but I think pigs are more likely to fly before that happens.
Have to agree, non availability really is starting to become a real problem, so much so you'd have to be mad to buy a car with unavailable perishables.
 

breakeronly

Junior Member
Messages
90
Hi,
No we did not progress after finding out the cost, and the process with insurance in case anything did fail, was going to be a nightmare. Not a risk worth taking we felt.
 
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