After about 25 years of rebuilding the Houdaille shock for the Maserati and Ferrari I occasionally get asked if I have spare or old stock Houdaille shocks. More often than not the answer is no. There is no pleasure in telling a customer that you can not fulfill a request. I make new Houdaille shocks for…
The Houdaille shock was intended to be a disposable and replaceable part of your suspension. After 70 years in existence these shocks have become very rare to find. Ferrari and Maserati used these shock for only about 10 years and they were only available to buy new a short time after ceasing to use them around…
Not only have I been restoring Houdaille shocks for 25 years, I have also been restoring and maintaining Ferrari and other high end cars of the 1950/60s. A machinist by trade, I restore specialized equipment [tractors and turn of the century generators] and rare cars. Restoring Houdaille shocks was never meant to be a business…
Many times I get asked would the American version Houdaille fit on my Ferrari or Maserati ? The answer is yes but it will not perform the same. If you are familiar, early Ford products such as the Ford Model A use a Houdaille shock. I am unsure of the relationship between the versions but…
Shocks take a beating. They rust. They degrade and if not positioned or assembled properly they can damage your vehicle. The Houdaille shock has rubber components that will degrade over time. The rubber components include the main shaft seal and the silent block bushing at the end of the arm. Usually when the shock leaks,…
A Houdaille shock is meant to be mounted in a specific place on your Ferrari or Maserati. A lever type shock such as the Houdaille has a finite travel. Usually this travel zone is more then the suspension travel zone. Suspension systems of 1950s have what is called a bump stop or travel stop. These…
If you are not the original owner of your classic Ferrari or Maserati then do you know how many shops may have had their hands on your car? I ask this question because over the last 25 years of restoring Houdaille shocks I have seen much mishandling of these shocks. Because of the universal design of the Houdaille…
Unless you are in tune with how the car originally should have felt you may never know if they are working correctly or if damage is occurring. The importance of a working Houdaille is paramount for safety and performance. At the time these shocks were state of the art mechanical wonders that the Italian and…