Hey guys I work at a car parts wharehouse and am going to buy new struts for my 92 Max. My question is if I buy and install Eibach springs (I think they lower veh about an inch-well you all know) do I need different or shorter travel struts? All they have in the catalog at work is what fits at stock height so they can't answer that question. I am thinking KYB GR-2 because that is a version they sell at The Tire Rack and we carry those. Also do you guys have a preference for any suspension component brands or sellers?

Thanks in advance for any advice or links given. Is there a way to search in only the 3rd Gen forum?

 

koni red 5 point adjustables but cutting will be required best struts on maximas

 

thanks. I was looking at and wish I could get those. But I need tires too, so I might as well lose the sawblade rims at the same time, you know it never ends. I need to maximize what funds I have and I can get 4 KYBs for the price of one Koni.

Sorry I guess I don't really need to know what is the best just what KYBs will fit.

 

i have the kyb gr2's and ebiach springs on my car. best cheap drop. the kyb's seem to handle the springs fine. and the drop is 1.2 inch i think. its been 2 years on mine and no problems

 

You don't happen the have the KYB part # from the invoice or box do you? Other than that I am still trying to get an answer to my original question.

Basically does anybody know if the same struts would be used for stock springs & Eibach springs?

 

GR2 series 235051 Front Right (Exc.Electronically Adj. Susp.)
GR2 series 235052 Front Left (Exc.Electronically Adj. Susp.)
GR2 series 365079 Rear Left CARTRIDGE (Exc.Electronically Adj. Susp.)
GR2 series 365079 Rear Right CARTRIDGE (Exc.Electronically Adj. Susp.)



You do not need a shorter travel strut...Nobody makes a shorter travel strut for the 3rd gen...

Edit: Info from KYB website.....

http://www.kybshocksonline.com/Searc...x?AAIA=1211320

 

I personally prefer the Tokico Blues over the GR-2, but others will argue the opposite.

If you can afford them, the Konis are by far the best, but they're also twice the price.
My order of recommendation:
1. Koni
2. Tokico
3. KYB

 

^^^^^^^^^^^^^


I also chose toks over kyb's,IIRC tokico's are a little stiffer than kyb's,not sure on that though...

 

That is NOT KYB's Website.
http://kyb.com/catalog/ is KYB's actual website

 

I know that was not their actual site,but i did research the pdf download on kyb's site and cross matched them with the website i posted,they are the same...I just prefer not give someone a website with a pdf file to download..


A little **** today brian?

 

do the struts themselves affect the possibility of a drum-to-disc conversion, or would I still have to buy SE strut assembly and put the konis/kyb/tok/whatever-i-get in there or what? Suspensions are egyptian to me.

 

All struts on 89-94 maximas are the same,except the adjustable sonar suspension models.[very rare] and i am quite sure you can just remove the electronic stuff on the sonar models,then just use regular struts...


GXE/SE makes no difference at all when it comes to struts on these cars..

 

So I can just get a set of calipers and a backing plate, and bolt it straight up to the thing my Drums are right now? Sounds too easy... And then I'll maybe get to work on some other things to try and ease the pain of having a maroon-colored interior. But I think I'll need a second job first, to support my Maxima habit.

 

no...do some research because how to change struts and also how to do the disk brake conversion has been covered and there are write ups out there.

The reason it doesnt matter is because the rear strut is just an insert. The entire rear strut assy is one piece and there is a cap at the top. You take the cap off...pull the old strut out (it will not be an inclosed strut like the new inserts) and put the new inserts in.

 

No,the spindle/hub assembly on the drum brakes are completely different,so you need to have the se rear strut housing/hub assembly...What i was refering to was the strut part #'s are identical from SE/GXE except for the sonar suspension..

 

not ****, I just don't like links to commercial websites that pose like they are the manufacturer.
and that company is THE worst about it

 

have you compared them when they are stripped all the way down?
I have as of yet to see the 2 bare housings side by side.

 

Well i'm sure kyb doesn't mind,a sale is a sale..




No,i personally haven't seen them side by side,but i think i've seen it somewhere on here in a past thread about the spindle/hub assembly being different...


I may do a search to find out for sure what the real issue is...

 

if you find anything let me know, I wasn't able to in my previous searches.
and the part # in FAST is the same for both housings If I'm reading it correctly.

 

Matt explains the issue in this thread...The pic links no longer work though...

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=38381

 

Also,here are some pics from matt,and a write up...

http://mattblehm.com/faq/rear_disc_c...n/Dcp01044.jpg

http://mattblehm.com/faq/rear_disc_c...n/Dcp01042.jpg

http://mattblehm.com/faq/rear_disc_conversion.html

 

Maybe I'll let some cash build up, go and buy everything I want on the car (5spd, strut bar, springs, shocks, CAI, hyperground, exhaust stuff as deemed necessary... the spacers will go in early) and just put it in, and totally transform my car in one fowl swoop. Or maybe i'll put the tranny in early, and then do the rest all at one time. But if I have to move the hubs and shtuff out of the way, I may as well unhook/upgrade the springs and struts while I've got it all apart..

 

Anyone have advice as far as where's the best place to buy some new tokico blues? I'm going to need some soon, just curious.

 

Hey, thanks a lot.

You all have my blessing now to hijack this post and ask whatever questions come to you. Don't mind me. Continue on.

 

yeah, see, that's what got me, is because in that picture and also in the 1994 FSM it only shows one kind of strut assembly, and then explosion lines for both drum and disc setups. That leads the reader to think you can just swap the drum brake parts out and disc brake parts in, and not need a new strut/axle/hub setup. It's so misleading.

 

Chill out newb...Your question was already taken care of. Since we're talking struts here, which you've expressed your intention to buy some did you not? What's so bad about finding the best deal on them? I'll post here all I want I don't need your blessing.

 

I have a couple theories.
1. later models used the same housings, earlier ones were different
2. Nissan superseded the to one part #

 

When you use FAST, it won't show a different drawing for disc/drum because the strut assembly is listed in sec 431, NOT sec 430 (pictured above) where the brake assemblies are shown.

When you get to the rear axle section (431), it asks you what production date and brake setup you have, and the part numbers change based on that.
the 55302K part code is just a generic part code for "rear strut assy".

When you click on that and move to the next screen, it actually has SIX different rear strut assys based on ABS/non, discs/drums, AND production date.
Only ONE of them is superceded by another part number, which is the 0791+ GXE with ABS... which already has discs on it. so there is no 'same strut' between cars with discs and drums.


Cliff's Notes: ALL rear strut assemblies are different between discs and drums, no matter what year the car was made. No superseded part numbers incorporated both disc and drum due to the brake geometry.

 

In all the posts I have read about a lowered car and struts (as I am searching myself and were looking to get KYB GR-2's), I have read that the KYB's have a problem handling the lower riding car and thus blow out more often than others such as tokico or koni's do.

Is that true??? Or is it just that since he is wanting to a minor drop, that the KYB's should be able to handle it???

Just seems this thread has contradicted the others, or I myself have been confused as to what all the other threads were getting at.

 

You're correct to a point.

remember that 3rd gen struts != 4th and 5th gen struts. the VQ guys have a much different set of problems with theirs.

the Big issue with the KYBs is their lack of damping ability. when you put stiffer springs on the car, like Eibach and Sprint, they need to have a significantly stiffer shock than the stock springs require. They in fact are only a small percentage stiffer than the factory SE struts, when the springs are nearly twice as strong.

The Tokico have a higher damping rate, and the Koni are adjustable from Cadillac soft to bone-jarring stiff.

All of them can be damaged by a car that has no bumpstops and allows itself to bottom out the suspension by lowering it too much and cutting the bumpstops.

 

Sorry, lil humungus not to jump in on your tread but Matt did you get the messages I sent you?

 

I wasn't being sarcastic. I was just trying to say thanks for the info and that I don't mind whatever direction this thread goes. I even tried to retitle it in case anybody else was wondering about how to do a disc conversion, but I guess I can't rename the main thread.

In my new job I've found many other people that have a 3rd gen and in talking to them have found none of them have close to the specific knowledge that is on here. It's weird too because some of them are journeyman mechanics and aren't familiar with VTC grounding. Basically I am saying I have no faith in anywhere else for questions, so I would have to be a fool to purposely try to talk smack here and ruin this database.

Anyways, no biggie, continue on. Again if anybody has any favorite or inexpensive parts dealers feel free to list them. Or if somebody wants to hit a tangent go ahead, I'll read that too, I don't mind. Its all good.

 

So a minor drop (like Eibach @ 1.2") is okay to use KYB's with all else stock (bump stops, etc.) but if you go 2" or 2.2" like Sprints, etc. and cut your bump stops, then you could have problems.....?????

 

hrmmm... no final answer???

 

Craig B had Eibachs and KYBs for several years without problems.

 

I've also had KYB's and Eibachs as well for years without problems. But I won't deny it can be a little bone-jarring at times.

 

I have sprints blues(Real harsh)
Kyb GR2's
40,000 miles and counting, no problems.

 

hrmmm... so is the ride for everyone harsh because of the springs or the kyb's?

if springs - which would be a little softer than harsh???

 

for someone with search capabilities you sure are asking a lot of questions on a subject that has been covered a million times...you can find out answers faster and with a far more broad range if you do a little research.

I found the ride of the KYB/Eibach pretty nice actually but I like a firmer ride (from owning Camaros etc.).

 

The reason I'm asking here is because I've searched and it seems most of the information I found was contradictory to what is in this thread, so I am just clarifying what I'm hearing - thats all... not trying to annoy with questions and all and the fact that this is still going to be a family car with a little flare instead of just a sweet ride for a younger dude...

but thanks for the patience and answers....