Struts in '93GXE
10-23-2000, 01:18 PM
#1
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I am not sure if I have a strut or spring problem, or both...someone PLEASE help me out. My '93 GXE has kind of a "floaty" ride, and has a hard time hugging corners (tires squeak, etc). If I push down hard on one corner of the car while it's sitting still, and it doesn't bounce more than once...which makes me doubt a strut problem. Do I have soft springs? I called the Nissan dealer that I usually go to in Mpls. MN, and they want $1065.00 to do struts on front and cartridges on back. Thanks in advance for any suggestions and remarks!!!!
'93 GXE...ABS, no shock adjustment.
'93 GXE...ABS, no shock adjustment.
10-23-2000, 01:35 PM
#2
That dealer is screwing you blind!!
I'm 99.9% sure you jsut need to replace your struts. my car didn't fail the "bounce test" either, but it also drove like a boat. I lowered mine at the same time (replaced the stock springs), but that shouldn't be a cause of the bouncing. these stock struts only last 70-0k miles at most. most 93 Maximas are getting close to 100k miles on them.
Most of the ones I see around town all float and bouce on the highway because the struts are worn.
As for replacements adn prices, KYB, Nissan OEM, or Tokico are the brands I'd recommend. KYB or Nissan are great for a stock suspension.. If you plan on lowering the car also or want better struts, I'd recommend the Tokicos.
You can buy the Tokicos from carparts.com for about $350. KYB are a little less than that. I don't know what prices are on OEM replacement stuff.
As for labor, most shops will charge $150-200 to replace the struts.. if you're good with tools and have some air tools and spring compressors, you pretty easily can do it in an afternoon yourself.
No way should that stuff add up to $1100 from a dealer!!
Shoot, take that $1100, drive to oklahoma, give me half of it and I'll replace your struts and you will still have the other half for a decent 3-4 day vacation!
I'm 99.9% sure you jsut need to replace your struts. my car didn't fail the "bounce test" either, but it also drove like a boat. I lowered mine at the same time (replaced the stock springs), but that shouldn't be a cause of the bouncing. these stock struts only last 70-0k miles at most. most 93 Maximas are getting close to 100k miles on them.
Most of the ones I see around town all float and bouce on the highway because the struts are worn.
As for replacements adn prices, KYB, Nissan OEM, or Tokico are the brands I'd recommend. KYB or Nissan are great for a stock suspension.. If you plan on lowering the car also or want better struts, I'd recommend the Tokicos.
You can buy the Tokicos from carparts.com for about $350. KYB are a little less than that. I don't know what prices are on OEM replacement stuff.
As for labor, most shops will charge $150-200 to replace the struts.. if you're good with tools and have some air tools and spring compressors, you pretty easily can do it in an afternoon yourself.
No way should that stuff add up to $1100 from a dealer!!
Shoot, take that $1100, drive to oklahoma, give me half of it and I'll replace your struts and you will still have the other half for a decent 3-4 day vacation!
10-23-2000, 01:41 PM
#3
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Sorry for not being real clear...the dealer price of $1065.00 included parts and labor.(maybe you already knew that). I have the spring compressor clamps. Do you think I could do the job without air tools? Would it be worth doing the springs as long as I got them out? Thanks for the advise!
10-23-2000, 01:53 PM
#4
If you have basic tools and a spring compressor
You should not have too much trouble. Air tools not needed really. Since this work is farily time consuming, if you are thinking of sport springs, you should just too it all at one time. BTW. **** the dealers!
Originally posted by Isaacm
Sorry for not being real clear...the dealer price of $1065.00 included parts and labor.(maybe you already knew that). I have the spring compressor clamps. Do you think I could do the job without air tools? Would it be worth doing the springs as long as I got them out? Thanks for the advise!
Sorry for not being real clear...the dealer price of $1065.00 included parts and labor.(maybe you already knew that). I have the spring compressor clamps. Do you think I could do the job without air tools? Would it be worth doing the springs as long as I got them out? Thanks for the advise!
10-23-2000, 01:55 PM
#5
You were clear the first time. $1065 even WITH labor is still a ridiculous price!
figure $75/strut for labor (more than fair, since it only takes a good mechanic about 20 min to change each front strut).. that's $300 total for labor. $500 for parts is more than enough.. that makes $800 for parts and labor.. your shop is trying to charge almost $300 over that.. that's ridiculous!
last time I looked, front Tokico struts were about $130 each and rears were $65 each (cartridges)
that's $390 for parts.
If you've got spring compressors, and large tools, there's nothing stopping you from doing the job as long as you've got the muscles to break loose the bolts. it took me a 2ft cheater bar on some parts.
the air tools make compressing the springs much easier, but they're by no means necessary.
if you're willing to take on the job, I'd suggest picking up some kind of service manual, whether it's a Haynes, Chiltons, or an actual Nissan service manual. they should all have strut replacemend procedures in them.
As for your springs, if you're looking for an increase in performance, now is the time to do it. you've got to tear down the struts anyway, so you might as wel put new springs on them. it will take about 5-10 min extra for the entire total job.
there are a few different brands of aftermarket springs.. Eibach are the most popular.. they will give you the best handling, but are stiffer than the rest. they have about a 1.2" drop. approx $225.
suspension technuqies offer about a 1.5" drop and are softer . they are close to stock stiffness on the springs from what I've heard. approx $200.
Intrax are about $200 and offer a 1.75" drop. I don't know about ride on these.
sprint offer a 2" drop. also abou $200/set, but I don't know where to find them online. I called a dealer here in town about a year ago and they had some for that price.
figure $75/strut for labor (more than fair, since it only takes a good mechanic about 20 min to change each front strut).. that's $300 total for labor. $500 for parts is more than enough.. that makes $800 for parts and labor.. your shop is trying to charge almost $300 over that.. that's ridiculous!
last time I looked, front Tokico struts were about $130 each and rears were $65 each (cartridges)
that's $390 for parts.
If you've got spring compressors, and large tools, there's nothing stopping you from doing the job as long as you've got the muscles to break loose the bolts. it took me a 2ft cheater bar on some parts.
the air tools make compressing the springs much easier, but they're by no means necessary.
if you're willing to take on the job, I'd suggest picking up some kind of service manual, whether it's a Haynes, Chiltons, or an actual Nissan service manual. they should all have strut replacemend procedures in them.
As for your springs, if you're looking for an increase in performance, now is the time to do it. you've got to tear down the struts anyway, so you might as wel put new springs on them. it will take about 5-10 min extra for the entire total job.
there are a few different brands of aftermarket springs.. Eibach are the most popular.. they will give you the best handling, but are stiffer than the rest. they have about a 1.2" drop. approx $225.
suspension technuqies offer about a 1.5" drop and are softer . they are close to stock stiffness on the springs from what I've heard. approx $200.
Intrax are about $200 and offer a 1.75" drop. I don't know about ride on these.
sprint offer a 2" drop. also abou $200/set, but I don't know where to find them online. I called a dealer here in town about a year ago and they had some for that price.
10-23-2000, 04:40 PM
#6
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Posts: 648
Most MAx's ride like a boat with stock suspesion anyway. There is nothing wrong with the suspension. If you want it stiffer just replace the shocks and springs. But you dont have to change anything unless you want the performance.
92GXE, touring wing, 18” racing wheels, Port&Polished intake, custom intake, custom yellow interior, racing seats, back seats taken out and replaced with subs and amps, NOS kit, Suspension tech. Lowering springs, custom grille, soon to be custom painted and have the whole engine rebuilt for big shot NOS and custom SC and tranny converted to 5-speed.
92GXE, touring wing, 18” racing wheels, Port&Polished intake, custom intake, custom yellow interior, racing seats, back seats taken out and replaced with subs and amps, NOS kit, Suspension tech. Lowering springs, custom grille, soon to be custom painted and have the whole engine rebuilt for big shot NOS and custom SC and tranny converted to 5-speed.
10-23-2000, 06:59 PM
#7
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My 90GXE handled just like yours. I replaced the front struts this weekend, myself, with KYBs. They will make the car handle better than new (they probably dampen more than the SE struts which are stiffer than the GXE struts), and maintain a good ride quality. One thing to remember about these cars is that the front springs a constant spring weight and the rears are progressive wound. This is done because of the variable load in the back (lots of stuff in the trunk). When the car is unladen the rear springs don't compress much so no floaty feel.
It would be better to change all the struts, but the rears require more disassembly than the fronts and don't effect things as much.
If you want to change to stiffer springs at the same time, things are more complicated. The stiffer springs work the struts harder, and it seems like only the Konis hold up well.
Changing the front struts, for the first, takes about 3 hours. A 1/2" drive 14" long breaker bar was all I needed for the lower mounting bolts, and I'm a broken down old wreck. One tip I have for the spring compressor is to make sure you span 4 coils of the spring. Otherwise you won't be able to compress the spring enough. This may require a bit of hammering to slide the pieces, that grab the spring, into the ends of the spring where the pitch tightens up. Whatever you do, remember to get new strut boots and the car will need an alignment when your done.
It would be better to change all the struts, but the rears require more disassembly than the fronts and don't effect things as much.
If you want to change to stiffer springs at the same time, things are more complicated. The stiffer springs work the struts harder, and it seems like only the Konis hold up well.
Changing the front struts, for the first, takes about 3 hours. A 1/2" drive 14" long breaker bar was all I needed for the lower mounting bolts, and I'm a broken down old wreck. One tip I have for the spring compressor is to make sure you span 4 coils of the spring. Otherwise you won't be able to compress the spring enough. This may require a bit of hammering to slide the pieces, that grab the spring, into the ends of the spring where the pitch tightens up. Whatever you do, remember to get new strut boots and the car will need an alignment when your done.
10-23-2000, 07:54 PM
#8
a couple things to add to brubenstein's post up there..
all very good info, but the springs don't require "hammering" to get the compressors in.. just stick them on a lower coil, then "wind" them up the coil until they won't go any farther. then hook the bottom of the compressor onto the lower coil of the spring and crank away!
be sure to stick both compressors on before "winding" them on..
just a little trick I've learned from doing this several times.
BTW, I didn't think the OEM rear springs were progressive wound? I thought they were linear..
I know my Eibachs are progressive wound, but I didn't think the stocks were.. the coils were evenly spaced all the way up- even on the SE struts I took apart last weekend.. ???
all very good info, but the springs don't require "hammering" to get the compressors in.. just stick them on a lower coil, then "wind" them up the coil until they won't go any farther. then hook the bottom of the compressor onto the lower coil of the spring and crank away!
be sure to stick both compressors on before "winding" them on..
just a little trick I've learned from doing this several times.
BTW, I didn't think the OEM rear springs were progressive wound? I thought they were linear..
I know my Eibachs are progressive wound, but I didn't think the stocks were.. the coils were evenly spaced all the way up- even on the SE struts I took apart last weekend.. ???
10-23-2000, 08:48 PM
#9
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I meant slide them around. I just needed the brass hammer to do it.
You could be right about the rear springs. I didn't pull the rear struts. (The 91 Stanza, which has about the same suspension has straight wound springs in the rear.) Pushing down on the back end it felt like progressives. The 2nd gen rears were progressive with straight wound fronts. I'm going to have to get my hands on the factory service manual to check the spring specs.
You could be right about the rear springs. I didn't pull the rear struts. (The 91 Stanza, which has about the same suspension has straight wound springs in the rear.) Pushing down on the back end it felt like progressives. The 2nd gen rears were progressive with straight wound fronts. I'm going to have to get my hands on the factory service manual to check the spring specs.
10-24-2000, 09:11 AM
#10
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Posts: 219
Thanks for all the advise! Next weekend (after payday) I'm going to put in new struts and cartridges. I don't think I'm going to do anything with the springs...if the 4DSC gets too low to the ground, I can't move in the snow, I'll get hung up way too easy. I'll let you know how it turns out and total cost and labor hours.
10-24-2000, 09:18 AM
#11
Originally posted by chris92gxe
Most MAx's ride like a boat with stock suspesion anyway. There is nothing wrong with the suspension. If you want it stiffer just replace the shocks and springs. But you dont have to change anything unless you want the performance.
Most MAx's ride like a boat with stock suspesion anyway. There is nothing wrong with the suspension. If you want it stiffer just replace the shocks and springs. But you dont have to change anything unless you want the performance.
Dan
10-24-2000, 10:52 AM
#12
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I got a few prices today on struts and cartidges. Everybody that I talked to at the retail stores didn't know a whole lot about the struts, or technical info, and they only had one style available at each location. Let me know what you think...and which ones I should go with, or none of these listed. (Do you guys buy yours off the internet?)
Gabriel...$63.99 ea strut, $37.99 ea cartridge
Monroe...$82.99 ea strut, $48.49 ea cartidge
Nissan(from dealer)...$89.99 ea strut, $68.99 ea cartridge
Gabriel...$63.99 ea strut, $37.99 ea cartridge
Monroe...$82.99 ea strut, $48.49 ea cartidge
Nissan(from dealer)...$89.99 ea strut, $68.99 ea cartridge
10-24-2000, 11:12 AM
#13
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Posts: 2,807
Originally posted by Isaacm
I got a few prices today on struts and cartidges. Everybody that I talked to at the retail stores didn't know a whole lot about the struts, or technical info, and they only had one style available at each location. Let me know what you think...and which ones I should go with, or none of these listed. (Do you guys buy yours off the internet?)
Gabriel...$63.99 ea strut, $37.99 ea cartridge
Monroe...$82.99 ea strut, $48.49 ea cartidge
Nissan(from dealer)...$89.99 ea strut, $68.99 ea cartridge
I got a few prices today on struts and cartidges. Everybody that I talked to at the retail stores didn't know a whole lot about the struts, or technical info, and they only had one style available at each location. Let me know what you think...and which ones I should go with, or none of these listed. (Do you guys buy yours off the internet?)
Gabriel...$63.99 ea strut, $37.99 ea cartridge
Monroe...$82.99 ea strut, $48.49 ea cartidge
Nissan(from dealer)...$89.99 ea strut, $68.99 ea cartridge
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