stock suspension/ safety question, pelase help!!
01-02-2004, 07:34 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2000
Posts: 191
stock suspension/ safety question, pelase help!!
hello all,
i am leaving for vaction tommorow morning and will be going 2000 miles round trip. i have a 91 nissan max SE. now for my question. the right front fender is resting about 2 inches from the top of the tire, looks like it would look on a lowered car. the rest are normal. is this a blown/bad shock? or maybe a broken spring?? is it safe to drive it at least half the trip? i dont really have time to fix it until i get there but i will postpone my trip if i have to. thanks for all your advise!
zack
i am leaving for vaction tommorow morning and will be going 2000 miles round trip. i have a 91 nissan max SE. now for my question. the right front fender is resting about 2 inches from the top of the tire, looks like it would look on a lowered car. the rest are normal. is this a blown/bad shock? or maybe a broken spring?? is it safe to drive it at least half the trip? i dont really have time to fix it until i get there but i will postpone my trip if i have to. thanks for all your advise!
zack
01-03-2004, 01:54 PM
#2
You can easily check if it is a broken spring, just look under the well.
I'm anticipating a bad shock. But to check, push on that side and see how it reacts. If there are NOT performance shocks, but are stock/regular shocks it should give good bouncing; soft, strong, and noiseless.
Just compare that side with the other side. If there is huge difference, then you need to replace that one bad strut. ~$80-$100 and about 1 hour of mechanic labor.
I suggest changing as early as possible. If that shock completly gives out (i.e. lose all of it's ability to suspend that side) your car will start depending on the spring. I don't think the spring can completely suspend the car so evertime you go over roadway that makes your car bounce, that side will start bottoming out, which can start damage to your strut tower.
Strut tower damage won't let you decide when to postpone your trip.
Drive safe.
I'm anticipating a bad shock. But to check, push on that side and see how it reacts. If there are NOT performance shocks, but are stock/regular shocks it should give good bouncing; soft, strong, and noiseless.
Just compare that side with the other side. If there is huge difference, then you need to replace that one bad strut. ~$80-$100 and about 1 hour of mechanic labor.
I suggest changing as early as possible. If that shock completly gives out (i.e. lose all of it's ability to suspend that side) your car will start depending on the spring. I don't think the spring can completely suspend the car so evertime you go over roadway that makes your car bounce, that side will start bottoming out, which can start damage to your strut tower.
Strut tower damage won't let you decide when to postpone your trip.
Drive safe.
Originally Posted by rambo91145
hello all,
i am leaving for vaction tommorow morning and will be going 2000 miles round trip. i have a 91 nissan max SE. now for my question. the right front fender is resting about 2 inches from the top of the tire, looks like it would look on a lowered car. the rest are normal. is this a blown/bad shock? or maybe a broken spring?? is it safe to drive it at least half the trip? i dont really have time to fix it until i get there but i will postpone my trip if i have to. thanks for all your advise!
zack
i am leaving for vaction tommorow morning and will be going 2000 miles round trip. i have a 91 nissan max SE. now for my question. the right front fender is resting about 2 inches from the top of the tire, looks like it would look on a lowered car. the rest are normal. is this a blown/bad shock? or maybe a broken spring?? is it safe to drive it at least half the trip? i dont really have time to fix it until i get there but i will postpone my trip if i have to. thanks for all your advise!
zack
01-03-2004, 06:33 PM
#3
Originally Posted by super32
You can easily check if it is a broken spring, just look under the well.
I'm anticipating a bad shock. But to check, push on that side and see how it reacts. If there are NOT performance shocks, but are stock/regular shocks it should give good bouncing; soft, strong, and noiseless.
Just compare that side with the other side. If there is huge difference, then you need to replace that one bad strut. ~$80-$100 and about 1 hour of mechanic labor.
I suggest changing as early as possible. If that shock completly gives out (i.e. lose all of it's ability to suspend that side) your car will start depending on the spring. I don't think the spring can completely suspend the car so evertime you go over roadway that makes your car bounce, that side will start bottoming out, which can start damage to your strut tower.
Strut tower damage won't let you decide when to postpone your trip.
Drive safe.
I'm anticipating a bad shock. But to check, push on that side and see how it reacts. If there are NOT performance shocks, but are stock/regular shocks it should give good bouncing; soft, strong, and noiseless.
Just compare that side with the other side. If there is huge difference, then you need to replace that one bad strut. ~$80-$100 and about 1 hour of mechanic labor.
I suggest changing as early as possible. If that shock completly gives out (i.e. lose all of it's ability to suspend that side) your car will start depending on the spring. I don't think the spring can completely suspend the car so evertime you go over roadway that makes your car bounce, that side will start bottoming out, which can start damage to your strut tower.
Strut tower damage won't let you decide when to postpone your trip.
Drive safe.
Your spring can very easily support the weight of the car, that is it's purpose!
The strut is there to limit the bouncing so that your tires remain in contact with the road.
Worn struts will cause handling and braking problems well before you "feel" that they are worn.
Struts are a SAFETY item not a comfort item contrary to popular belief.
01-04-2004, 02:39 AM
#4
Donating Maxima.org Member
Join Date: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,941
If you have one corner of your car sitting lower than the others, I would say it is either a sagging or broken spring, or some other worn/broken related part, maybe like a strut mount (?). Hopefully it's not some structural problem.
I'm pretty sure that no matter how blown your strut is, it's not going to change the ride height.
I'm pretty sure that no matter how blown your strut is, it's not going to change the ride height.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
The Frye
7th Generation Maxima (2009-2015)
6
09-02-2021 11:03 AM
pktaske
6th Generation Classifieds (2004-2008)
1
05-06-2016 07:49 AM
pktaske
6th Generation Maxima (2004-2008)
0
09-04-2015 08:40 AM