New suspension for an old dog?

[Marwood]

I reckon the suspension on my GS is getting a bit tired. Are there any recommendations for replacing the Skyhook system? After 5 years I can honestly say the non-bump absorbing OE suspension is the only thing I hate about the car. I don't want to go lower, stiffen it up for track work or any of that....just want to be able to get down a British B road without bouncing into hedgerows and go over minor bumps without it feeling like I've hit an IED. Advice welcomed.

 

[mjheathcote]

Fit 18" wheels.

 

[Vampyrebat]

Fit 18" wheels.

Good call!

 

[rockits]

Or replace the stock setup with air

 

[safrane]

Get some cheap 3200 18" wheels and try them first... if its still no better you will not have wasted much and can still sell them on.

 

[safrane]

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[mjheathcote]

..... or borrow a set of 18“ from a local member to try.
Jack em both up side by side and swop them over.
Would also be interesting to see how the 4200 rides on the GS wheels as a comparison also.

 

[rockits]

..... or borrow a set of 18“ from a local member to try.
Jack em both up side by side and swop them over.
Would also be interesting to see how the 4200 rides on the GS wheels as a comparison also.

I can tell you it's hard but aren't all GS and 4200's hard anyway from the factory? Not harsh but hard. I find there is a difference.

 

[jasst]

KW coilovers, think this is what @TimR has done

 

[TimR]

Just making the observation because its interesting- my car without a rear ARB was very soft....( 4200- 2006 ). Although you could also describe it as wallowy, wandery & wayward...and whilst we're on "w"s, quite worrying at times too...!

The contrast between sport and non sport modes was very obvious however...

Once I had fitted the FD ARB kit, I swear I could hardly tell the difference between the two tuning positions...

I reckon downsizing the rims would make an appreciable difference....

 

[midlifecrisis]

You might find a few hairline cracks in the wishbones when you're fiddling around the suspension. Be prepared to factor this in.
There's plenty of third party suspension suppliers out there plus bush manufacturers. Don't overlook bushes!
SportsItalia changed the bushes on my GT Sport and then set up the alignment, the result was now a transformed car.

 

[jayblue]

One thing that attracted me to the GS was the Evo review in which they stated the following - "Short-cutting back to the circuit so as not to be late for the afternoon exercises, photographer Shepherd finds some wicked little roads, and I mean wicked in the traditional sense - horrendous, narrow, writhing, part-subsided asphalt. Despite our hurry, the GranSport never loses its cool. At the pace we're maintaining I could imagine a Mini bouncing like a pogo stick and a Jaguar XJR running short of answers, while an Aston DB9 would be all at sea. It's not the sort of drive you'd expect a GT to relish but the GranSport is quite unfazed by it all."

Sadly at times if this is to be believed I can only assume the driver of the Mini has already bounced over the roadside hedge. In sport mode the GS may be engaging but you certainly know when the road surface becomes anything less than perfect.

 

[Zep]

I changed my bushes on my GS, it improved the ride in my view as it became less crashy.

 

[GTVGEOFF]

Only had my GS a few weeks and agree the ride can be harsh on bad surfaces, certainly in my car the difference between standard and sports is noticeable.
I put most of the hard ride down to the 19" wheels, there is very little rubber between the road and rims, although they look cool. Putting 18" wheel on would only add an extra half inch of rubber, so I doubt it would improve the ride by much.
Would like to hear from anyone who has tried it.
But I can say the please driving this car gives out weighs this character

 

[cheshiremaserati]

I can't see how replacing the GS 19" Trofeo wheels for a set of 18" wheels (from a 3200 or any other car can make it better. If Maserati had intended the GS to have 18" wheels, that's how they would have manufactured it. Have all bushes and dampers checked and replace anything that is worn beyond limit if required.

I think you should use it in non-sports mode - it makes an appreciable difference - the ride is softer. I am not a fan of driving all the time in Sports mode. I wouldn't go around tampering with ride - the car is set up for a style of ride in Sports and non-Sports mode.
The Skyhook system is not easy to start playing around with. You could have expensive experimenting with not much or no improvement in ride quality.

 

[midlifecrisis]

The GS and 4200 are old cars now, bushes will be worn, springs saggy and dampers tired. a little refresh will work wonders. As I said earlier there's no harm in rebuilding dampers, replacing springs and bushes. They are companies out there that do this sort of thing

A quick search and I found these guys https://www.bgmotorsport.co.uk/suspension-servicing/

 

[cheshiremaserati]

The GS and 4200 are old cars now, bushes will be worn, springs saggy and dampers tired. a little refresh will work wonders. As I said earlier there's no harm in rebuilding dampers, replacing springs and bushes. They are companies out there that do this sort of thing

A quick search and I found these guys https://www.bgmotorsport.co.uk/suspension-servicing/

If you want a thorough checkover, these guys at Center Gravity are very good - chassis and suspension work is all they do.
www.centergravity.co.uk

Dont worry about reference to Porsche. They do a lot of Porsche set ups (including my turbo fast road set up). But they also do other cars - Lotus, Maserati Ferrari, Bentley GT etc. Chris and Pete are superb at what they do. As specialists only on chassis and suspension set ups, the volume they do makes them excellent on this kind of work. They approach it with physics basics and a thorough process examining each oart of the drive train and ensure optimal set up individually and how they behave collectively.

 

[GTVGEOFF]

I can't see how replacing the GS 19" Trofeo wheels for a set of 18" wheels (from a 3200 or any other car can make it better. If Maserati had intended the GS to have 18" wheels, that's how they would have manufactured it. Have all bushes and dampers checked and replace anything that is worn beyond limit if required.

I think you should use it in non-sports mode - it makes an appreciable difference - the ride is softer. I am not a fan of driving all the time in Sports mode. I wouldn't go around tampering with ride - the car is set up for a style of ride in Sports and non-Sports mode.
The Skyhook system is not easy to start playing around with. You could have expensive experimenting with not much or no improvement in ride quality.

Absolutely agree, driving in sport does improve the gear change speed a little but the ride is more compliant in standard so tend to leave it in that setting when driving in normal conditions.
See your car is the same model and colour as mine, good choice.

 

[safrane]

I love thw snappy gear change and the blip of throttle as well as the exhaust note in sport... as you say in rhe UK on poor roads it can be crashing.

If only you could isolate the suspension without an SD3 or pulling fuses with the accompanying warning lights.

I had a 2005 4200 before the GS and a 2004MY one before that and thier 18" wheels made the ride far softer.

 

[TimR]

Which was my point when saying an uprated ARB isolated alot of movement in my car's chassis from the dampers and springs, changing entirely the character of the ride ( and handling ) to the point that the differences between the modes became quite subtle; the truth is that the dampers are changed significantly in Sport.
So it is that I believe that 1/2" of sidewall rubber could make alot of difference to the ride if you make the right tyre choice...Its also true to say GS Skyhook firware is a developed version of the 4200 AIUI

My car is a manual...The GS is a different proposition.
Im not sure Id be rushing to throw out the baby with the bathwater here....

Have to agree that your dampers and springs are all likely to need work.
Replacing the bushes is a nice idea....Im yet to be convinced its as easy as some seem to think...
Some of the wish bones ( like the ones on my MY2006) are distinctly skinny around the bush housings...Clumsy pressing could make for an expensive rebuild. Cracking here has already been alluded to above. They often look pretty tardy but Im not sure how much internal degradation can be inferred from this...?! That said, they are there, and also years and thousands of miles old...so there's that !