93 Max SE 5 SPD 150K miles needs 4 new struts.
I have a 93 Max SE 5 SPD with 150K miles that I bought new back in the day. It has the DOHC 225 HP (VE engine) with V rated Toyo tires. It does not have ABS brakes. I have never replaced the struts and it is time, car still runs and rides good on flat roads but bounces over the bumps and skips over bumps on turns. The rest of the car with the exception of the paint and a few door dings is in good shape and very well maintained. I have kept it all stock. I like the slightly stiffer ride of the SE suspension, compared to other GXE and GLE Max of the same year or gen that I have driven. Any advice on what brand struts to use other than dealer that will give as good or better ride and keep the sporty feel of the SE suspension? Can you believe Dealer wants $1300+Tax+first born son to replace four struts, ($800 parts, $500 labor)? Do you know any shops in the Tampa area that will do a fairly priced job on Max SE struts? I do not have the time, the skill or the tools to do it myself. Do you know if the Nissan Struts are actually made by Nissan or made by a 3rd party? Thanks in advance for you help and advice on this members.

 

It's actually neighbourhood of $200 parts and 3-4 hour labour in your garage. Read the stickies.

I am riding KYB GR2 from the member Internetautomart. They are a bit stiffer than I'd like them to be, but overall I am quite happy.

You do not need any skills at all to do it, and the tools are basic: 15, 17, 19 mm open end wrenches, adjusting plyers, jack with two stands and a spring compressor, that bolts onto the springs. You rent it.

 

The stock horsepower of the ve engine is 190hp at the wheels..

 

The back are fairly easy. The stock springs in the front of my 90 are a pain in the neck to reassemble because I can never get enough compression of them to reassemble without fight or a second set of spring compressors. I just installed GR2s but the car is still sitting on jack stands to finish swapping axles.

 

GR2's stiffer than you would like? WTF? They are stock equivalent...

 

Maybe that means that stockers are too stiff for me too? I dunno, I thought they were stiffer than stock.

 

at the crank is the rating

Struts are one of the begining steps in auto repair.

 

Ooops.. I meant to say at the crank..I should be banned..

 

Ok you're banned

 

Thanks...

 

your Welcome

 

there is also no GLE model 3rd gen.

 

excuse me? the back are rebuildable struts (yipee) and they also require you remove the entire back seat to gain access, also the strut is part of the knuckle and you have some big honkey looking bolts to remove..there is no way the rear is "easier" than the front

 

The rear to me (91 GXE) took more time since I had to remove the back seat and disassemble the brake lines. Therefore, I also need bleeding the brake system.
The front are nasty since my the springs would not copressed enough with just two compressing studs. I ended up get another set and use four sompressing studs.

 

i dont think there is much at all of a difference in doing the fronts verses the rears. they both take time and the backs actually suck trying to get that gland nut off.

 

There's more to take a part in the back which doesn't bother me but getting that damn front spring back on is a total pain. Lowering springs go on easy but the stocker is a so damn tall that I've never been able to grap enough coils with the one set of compressors to get the spring back on. Yeah, the rear gland nut was a pain too. Nothing a big honkin pipe wrench and hammer couldn't fix...

 

The rears are more compilcated, as the parallel links have to come off and if you have a GXE the rear brakes need to come apart.

 

the rears are also a huge mess, with them being in an oil batch

 

FYI It is possible to do the rear without disconnecting brake lines, and a bunch of other stuff. Just take the bolt out of the trailing arm at the wheel end, pull seat forward enough to get to the 3 bolts at the top of the mount. Unbolt the clamps that hold the brake line to the body, but don't disconnect it. Once it's on jackstands, you can push the whole assembly down, and bring the strut to the outside of the fender. Compress the spring. Remove strut mount. Get a big crescent or channel locks and loosen the gland nut. Pull out the strut cartridge (have plenty of oil dry on floor). Put the new cartridge, and pour in some 30W oil. Be sure to check when you put the gland nut back on, as you might need to add shims under the nut (should come with new cartridges). Reassemble. I did mine in about 2 hours.

The front: Jack it up, remove wheel. Remove the 2 strut-to-knuckle bolts. Remove the 3 bolts under the hood for the strut mount. Remove the strut. Compress the spring. Remove top nut on strut. Put spring on new strut. Reassemble.

The front springs are kind of a PITA until you figure out the best spot to put the compressor on. I put mine as high and low as i could get them on the coil, then took a plastic dead-blow hammer and "persuaded" them between the last round of the spring and the strut. It's the best way I have found to do it. Just do your best not to nick, gouge, or scratch the spring. The fronts took about 2 hours.

Be sure to check your strut mounts and bearings on the top of the strut. If they are worn, they might squeak or rattle. Then go take it to be aligned. Good luck.

 

150K?? You need to get out more.

I too have a 93 SE 5spd- 225K miles. I just finished putting struts in yesterday. I went with the Tokicos. The original rears were noticably bad... I did them first a week ago and expected that they would show up the original fronts to be bad compared to the new (non-OEM) rears. Surprisingly, they seemed pretty good (if that gives you any comparison between original and Tokico) but I replaced them anyway because supposedly the Tokicos have a different valving than the OEM units... and I wanted never to think of them again. I'm still getting used to a stable vehicle again... It's firm enough- as it used to be- and the way I wanted it to be- like or close to stock (as I remember it anyway).

Yes. It was $300 today for labor ("by the book") on ball joints, outer tie rods and rack boots (I brought the parts) at a tire/service retailer. I can only imagine what the dealer wants. I'd have done the ball joints, but I snapped a 1/2" breaker bar and a 1/2" ratchet trying to get a shaft nut loose (dreaming of a compressor and impact gun). Needed an alignment anyway so... Guessing: figure an hour a piece for the fronts, 1.5 or 2 each for the rears. At $100/hour +/- at the dealer... sounds in the ball park for your estimate. If you do the fronts, you will need an alignment. Maybe you need one anyway.

Too bad you don't have the time/skill. The fronts were actually easier overall than the rears (yes the springs were harder than the rears)... less to disassemble/reassemble. but it really wasn't too bad.

Nissan doesn't actually make the struts... not sure who. Tokico does make OEM struts for some Nissans/Infinitis and others. When they sell in the aftermarket, supposedly they create them to their specification rather than to the OEM spec.

Other thoughts: The KYBs cost less and are supposedly OEM replacement. The Konis cost more (they're adjustable if you're interested) but will require more labor in front. I don't know how well either ride or last. The Tokicos that my brother and I put in his Q45 a couple years back still seem pretty decent. Couldn't tell you about Monroes, but I bet others here would "poo poo" that idea.

Your strut mounts may be OK but should be checked (mine looked OK but replaced them anyway... had one go on a Celica once). Same with the strut bearing in the front (again, mine OK but replaced anyway) They will definitely need new boots (bellows, whatever).

Have the ball joints checked... may be OK. I bet your tie rod rubbers are open or dry-rotted if they are original. replace tie rods then. Check the rack boots(bellows). If you do replace tie rods, replace the rack boots regardless.

 

Well said JC, however, why use 1/2 inch drive stuff when 3/4 inch drive is so much more fun? I happened to run across a full set of Craftsman 3/4 drive sockets (3/4"-3" and 17mm-50mm, i think) with a cheater bar, ratchet, and extensions for $150. Best investment for tools I have ever made. And you don't really ever have to worry about breaking them.

 

Well, I suppose in every life there comes a time... You just don't know until you know.

I have a set of axle nut sockets in 1/2" and never needed anything heavier than 1/2" until now. I'll take a look... have to replace my broken Craftsman ratchet.