[marcw]

Hello,

I would like to have my suspension adjusted on my '04 skyhook equiped coupe to lower the car a bit. The service dept.(Maserati Beverly Hills) didn't seem too have any idea of how to do this.

Is there someone in Southern California who can do this kind of work? I've read that it's a fairly simple adjustment. The car looks great but a bit high off the wheels compared to other GT cars.

Thanks,
Marc

 

[didichen]

Ask your Maserati Dealer again. If your car is sky-hook equipped they should easily be able to do it.

My Maserati Dealer in Miami did it without a problem (it's also sky-hooked equipped). They did have to do an alignment afterwards though.

Below some pics after the car was lowered.

Cheers,

Dietrich

 

[WDMinnow]

Dietrich-

I know that others here (maybe it was you!) have commented that lowering the suspension did not improve handling in corners. What has your experience been?

Also, if it doesn't improve handling, why would anyone want it done? For looks?

D.Min

 

[garyst1024]

I live in SoCal and had my car lowered by screwing down threaded coilovers. The gap in the rear was 1" more than the front. I lowered it by screwing it down 1" in the rear so the gap was even. It looked better but the car "sailed" under hard acceleration. I then lowered the front by 1/2" and it handled much better. I could probably lower it a little more but the front already scrapes occasionally. I had mine done in Anaheim at HW Motorsports on Harbor Blvd. They do it all the time and do a great job. It only takes about an hour per side. Here are some pics www.maseraticc.com

 

[Sarasota]

Lowering Spyder

What did you do about alignment after lowering the car? The local dealer wants $1,000 which includes re-aligning the front and back. Nothing is currently off with the car's alignment but they say this is necessary when lowering.

 

[garyst1024]

It does need to be aligned after lowering but if you lower it only an inch, it can be adjusted easily. I had mine lowered at HW motorsport and included dialing in/checking the alignment. The front did not need to be adjusted (they checked it) since it was only lowered 1/2".
The lowering is a simple process as long as you have the right tool to screw down the locking nuts and I wouldn't take it to the dealership since they cost too much to do a simple job. HW did a great job and it only took about 2 hours to do both the front and back.

 

[Sarasota]

Interesting. I actually bought the car in LaJolla - which I believe is the same people who own the Orange County dealership - and had it immediately shipped to Florida. I had a 911 GT3 on order but my wife feel in love with the Maserati when she saw it in the showroom.

The Ferrari Club of America has a gathering at Sebring this weekend and last time, a number of Maseratis participated. Hopefully, someone has had the work done at an independent shop. Ferrari/Maserati of Central Florida has been great but unfortunately, they want the $1k for lowering.

 

[garyst1024]

Funny, I live in Southern California and bought my Maserati from Miami and had it shipped to the west coast. I was trying to buy a 355 but my wife thought I would look like I was in mid-life crisis. She also loves the Maserati because it is more subtle/classy. I decided on the Maserati because it has Ferrari performance (engine and F1), under warranty, cheaper maintenance, a back seat, and a trunk. The only thing missing was the exterior flare of a Ferrari. I have been working on trying to dress up mine a touch (Wheels, pipes, suspension, ...).

Update... Totaled the Maserati and now have a 355.

 

[rmclachlan]

What does lowering the suspension do to the ride and handling. Is it purely cosmetic or is there a downside.

 

[garyst1024]

I only lowered mine 1" in back and 1/2" in front even though others have lowered it 2 full inches. Can't speak to what happens when it is lowered that much but others say it handles better. With mine, there wasn't a downside, it handles about the same (maybe a slight improvement) and the ride is just a touch tighter but not unbearable (barely noticeable) especially since I use mine as a daily driver. I think it might handle a touch better if I lowered the front another 1/2" but I don't plan to do it since it occasionally scrapes in driveways. I thought the original handling was fine but I didn't like the gap in the wheelwells on the stock 18" rims. It looks much better now (see my pictures on www.maseraticc.com).