I have a 90 GXE. Low milage and the springs haven't sagged at all. I've put in a FSTB and it tracks much better, but the front end gets very floaty above 75 on any dips. I'm not looking to make it a back road burner, just more stable. The rear struts seem to be OK, but the fronts are lame. Has anyone here just replaced the struts, keeping the original springs, with Tokico or KYB GR-2?

 

I just replaced the struts with tokicos and kept the stock springs. It did make a big difference and handled a lot better, I'm sure it would have been even better if I had new springs put in then too, but I didn't want to spend the money and I didn't want to lower my car then. But yeah, you can get just aftermarket struts with stock springs and it will help your ride.

 

I changed the springs on mine too, but I've done several strut-only jobs on my sister's cars.. it makes a HUGE difference between worn and new struts.

you won't have the slot-car cornering like you would had you added good springs, but the ride will be much smoother and safer. none of the boat-like feeling you get right now.

If all you want to do is make it handle "correctly" on the highway, Nissan struts or Tokicos are the way to go, IMO. KYB just aren't that great from everything I've heard, and Konis are more performance oriented. it wouldn't be worht the extra money in that case.

hope that helped.

 

ok Matt...but if your on a budget and not keeping the car for over a yr would u say KYB better than monroes??
Dan

 

I searched through the archives of the Sentra SE-R site, and the KYBs seem to hold up better. The KYBs were also though more highly of than Monroes or Gabriels.

Ah, slot cars! I'm old enough that I actually built/raced slot cars back in the 60's.

 

Of those choices, I'd definitely go KYB over Monroe or Gabriel.

check carparts.com for prices on the KYB.. I dunno if they sell them or not, but it's worth a shot.