86MaxWag

Greetings,

It's a bit early but Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

My name is Ernie. I recently acquired a 1986 Maxima Wagon - production date 9/85. It's in very nice shape mechanically as well as the interior condition. I searched these past few weeks trying to purchase a set of lowering springs for the car to no avail.

I contacted directly Eibach, ST, and someone who had direct contact with Intrax and H&R and was told the springs for the 2nd Gen have been discontinued and no longer available for quite some time.

In my research, I was able to juxtapose only the Maxima front strut assemblies not the springs from a 1985 thru 2000. They all measured the same in height, though the spring perch lips differ from the different years the spring perch diameter is the same and the brake line bracket is in a different location though only about an 1".

Also in my search, I read that someone used the 3rd Gen lowering springs but as I went to the wrecking yard and compared the suspension between the 2nd and 3rd gen Maxima, the 3rd gen rear spring is more than an inch smaller in diameter than the rear spring of the 2nd Gen.

So, my inquiry is this please, would anyone know of a spring swap from another vehicle that would not only fit properly but lower the car as well or perhaps the same spring diameter and height and I could order the lowering springs of that particular vehicle? Somewhat along the lines of how the Mustang front brake rotors are readily adaptable to the maxima? Makes me wonder how someone discovered that?!?! It a fantastic discovery just the same.

I do not want to spend the money for having custom coilovers made and after looking at the spring design, cutting the spring is not an option for me.

I'm hoping that by this time someone discovered a comparable spring that would work to lower the 2nd Gen Max!

Any assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks you for your time.

Ernie

maximo018

iTrader: (6)

2nd and 3rd gen suspension are the same. I have sprint springs on my 3rd gen. As hand in hand with lowering springs you will need aftermarket shocks (cartridges for the rear "dampner in tube design"). Thats where it gets even harder. Another would be Progress for springs and kyb for shocks. Thats all thats left out there for us.

thetorp

i am going to be using sleeves on my max until I can do coil overs

86MaxWag

Hi maximo,

If you'll pardon me, but I measured the front and rear springs between the 2nd and 3rd gen, and the 2nd gen rear spring OD measured approx (I'm trying to remember, it's been a few weeks) 6-3/8" OD while the 3rd gen rear spring OD was something like 5-3/4".

Do you have a 2nd gen that you are running 3rd gen lowering springs? if so, that is the info I'm looking for but for my own verification I'm gonna head back to the wrecking yard to re-confirm this.

I'm only asking because if I can get a set of aftermarket lowering springs from the 3rd gen that would work with my 2nd gen - I would be really happy!

As for shocks, I've acquired SACHS front strut assemblies and SACHS rear strut cartridges. I'm just waiting to acquire lowering springs before the install.

Thanks again maximo.

Ernie

86MaxWag

By the way, rear sway bar design is the same except that the 3rd gen "arms/levers" are longer than the 2nd gen by over an inch but I'll recheck that when I hit the wrecking yard again. Have to wait for the rain to stop.

Thanks.

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

2nd and 3rd are similar but different.....I always thought they were the same until I looked at the St part numbers for the 3rdand 2nd Gen Maxima back a few years ago...the swaybars are setup identically design wise.... Hopefully someone can find a sport spring setup for the 2nd Gen family.....

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

Check out this listing....It's accurate but outdated...but searchung by p/n could possibly find these babies somewhere out there:

http://www.cyberauto.com/NissanMaxima.txt

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

There's a company that makes custom lowered coil springs: http://forums.maxima.org/1st-2nd-gen...l-springs.html