sidewinder740

Are the H&Rs really any better than Maxspeeds? Is there any reason for me to fork out the extra $120 for the H&Rs besides the brand name? The drop and handling are the exact same, right?

ZeRo MaX

iTrader: (4)

i want the maxspeeds too.. cheaper for sure.. but i'm wonderin' if i can go with maxspeeds with stock shocks/struts for about 6 monthes.. i don't drive on a lot of potholes and so on.. so is it a good idea to stick with maxspeeds with stock shocks/struts for about half a year until i get money?!?

WizzaMax

iTrader: (9)

I ran the H&R first and had sagging in the back...

changed to the MS and love the drop and performance and the price

Vesaijan

iTrader: (1)

Ditto.

Miguel97GLE

There might be a reason why H&Rs are OEM for BMW. Go with the cheap ones if you want but I know which springs are on my car. If it seems too good to be true...

Dave B

What do you guys mean by sagging? Are you talking about how the H&Rs are slightly lower in the back than the front? That's not sagging, that's the shape of the wheel well. The front wheel wells are bigger. If you want to see "sagging", take a look at Intrax or Sprint. The Intrax are 1" lower in the back than the front and the Sprints are 1" lower in the front than the rear.

I'd have more faith in a German engineered and built springs (H&R) vs some "knock offs". You get what you pay for. My ride with the H&Rs is heavenly.


Dave

sidewinder740

So the drop is the same as H&Rs, but no sagging in the back? That's what I'm looking for.


DaveB...Thanks for your opinion on the H&Rs. But everybody has only had good things to say about Maxspeeds and there have been people that have switched from H&R -> Maxspeed but not vice-versa. Plus I'm a 16-year-old on a tight budget!

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

I considered and still am considering the Maxspeeds but the only thing is, from the pics I've seen.. maximas do not look dropped at all after the springs.. they look like they drop the car about 1"
H&Rs are definately around 1.5... the rear looking lower than the front scares me away from the H&Rs as well. B&Gs are a good choice for nice and even springs but they are lower than both H&Rs and Maxspeeds.. they are about 1.7

Mad Dhan

Geez, what is with this mentaliity that if bmw does it, it must be good?? I mean obviously bmw is gonna contract a german company for major suspension parts, its not like they are gonna get jap stuff.

I have maxspeeds, ride is good, not harsh at all

Anachronism

I am interested in this also and was going to post a thread like this soon. I am more interested in any ride or handling diffences between the two though. The Maxspeed cost is definatly a nice bonus but when I add in the price of struts and install it is not the most important factor. If the H&Rs are better I would rather pay the extra to get them.

I love the way the Maxspeeds drop a little more in the front so the rear does not appear to sag. If everthing else was equal this would push me to the Maxspeeds. I do not want my car to look lowered, with an ~1.5" drop it looks the way it should of from the factory to me.

Are the Maxspeeds a progressive spring like the H&Rs?

hakk97se

I was informed that the Maxspeeds are a direct copy of the H&R's. Same spring rate and everything. That remains to be seen, but I have heard quite a few people saying the maxspeeds drop a little further and a little more evenly. The H&R's certainly have the name and longevity behind them that Maxspeed does not currently have. That being said, I recently purchased Maxspeeds

munji

I'm looking into Maxspeeds also, and was curious to know how many of you are using Maxspeeds with your OEM shocks...... I just wanna know how bad my ride will be with just the springs.....for now.....

Dave B

There's something to be said about German engineering. Go to H&Rs website and they describe exactly how thier springs are made and why they choose to make them the way they do. After you read the information, you come away thinking that H&R really is something special. Is their site just propaganda? Possibly, but I can honestly say the H&Rs are the best springs I've had and couldn't be happier (3rd set of aftermarket springs now). At residential speeds (35-45mph) the car rides soft and is slightly bouncy, yet it doesn't hardly roll into a turn. On the highway, it's pure German all the way. The ride gets slightly firm and the car feels extremely stable the faster you go. In highway sweepers, the car leans slightly, and then it just settles in and sticks. I got my cake and I ate it too.

I have a hard time believing Maxspeed "copied" the H&Rs. Maxspeed would have to know the exact spring rates and progressive rates. The drop may be similiar, but I doubt the overall ride quality and handling is as good, IMO. You get what you pay for.


Dave

HTownMaxSE

Ok.. Let's start another Maxspeed GD. I want one!

iregula

Ryan93SE

iTrader: (1)

hows the ride quality with maxspeed....cause i love the softer ride of the H&Rs

deezo

iTrader: (3)

Dave B: I just bought the AGX/H&R setup and can't wait to get them on.


People you have to understand the dynamics of how the suspension works. If the H&R's feel bouncy in the rear, it means you will need to get a stiffer strut to control the spring. This is why I went for the AGX's. If the strut needs to be stiffer to counter the strength on the spring, then I will make the strut stiffer. Don't expect a S-Class type ride over potholes but what you will get is a car that will handle as if it was on rails.

Mad Dhan

Well i havent had H&Rs before, but i did use to have 92 325 and while i cant really compare them exactly, the ride was different (H&Rs were a bit softer). But the ride was not that much of a difference to make me want to spend the $250(???) for the H&RS as oppose to the $50 i spend in the Maxspeeds(i got a good deal). Do i get what i pay for? maybe so, but i too eats lots of cake after turns .

sidewinder740

What finger-gap do you have front and back w/your Maxspeeds? How fast can you take normal 90-degree turns w/em? Do they feel unstable at high speeds like stock?

syc

have you consider Progress? they are like $130 but maxspeed is cheaper for sure.

Danielsan

My Maxspeeds are sagging in the back. There are even lower than front
Thinking about going with intrax or something else.
Ride is good though...

Mad Dhan

i got a really tight 3 finger gap and i have normal size hands. I have never felt unstable after installing my kyb/maxspeed combo. As for the 90 deg turn i dont really know? i look sometimes but i can remember right now but i know my inital reaction was very good. The problem is with stock springs you feel like you are taking a turn really fast casue of how much the car sways, but when you put a aftermarket setup the lean is considerably gone. So when i take turns at the same speed as before it doesnt feel as if i am going that fast at all. I definitly felt it on the free way.

TurDz

iTrader: (3)

I'd like to give some input and experiences with these springs.

I currently have H&Rs. Usually, I'm very excited to try new products on the market. I love to get my hands on new things, especially if they're selling for a good price. What I love more though is to buy a product that has been proven to deliver. H&R does exactly that. It has been around for so many years for Maximas and has satisfied the majority of the owners. Just the amount of time it has been on the market is enough to make me choose H&R over other springs. It's a tried and true performance spring.

As for Maxspeeds, I've actually watched two installs. During one of them, we had problems seating the spring correctly. Unlike the stock springs, the two ends of the coil didn't oppose in direction. If you want to know what I'm talking about, just check out member "Nismo's" current sig and you'll see what I'm talking about. He also has an old thread about it. I'm actually one of the ones pointing

Just this Tuesday, I watched another install. Once it was done, we lowered the front and former member "Evil Yak" was instructing one of his buddies to continue lowering the car from the jack. He kept saying "lower, lower, lower" and his friend stood up. Evil Yak then said, "keep going, c'mon" and to his surprise, the car was already completely off of the jack.

This just means that initially, Maxspeeds don't look lowered AT ALL. But after seeing WizzaMax's and Mad Dhan's car, I guess they just need lots of time to settle. I've never seen springs settle THAT much though. I just noticed that Danielsan's springs are already sagging. Deezo is right in recommending a stiff strut/shock to control the spring's compression.

I also don't think that Maxspeeds copied H&R's design. IMO I think that the H&Rs are softer, but in a good way. It seems like their spring design is more "progressive" than Maxspeeds. Correct me if I'm wrong, but progressive means that the springs adjusts itself to road conditions. When going over a quick bump or road imperfection, the spring will absorb the shock by softening. During gradual leaning of the car such as on the highway, the spring maintains stiffness. I think I'm just describing the characteristics that Dave B. mentioned.

Anyway it's a little late now. I just hope this does some good in this thread and to those who need information in the future (ahem searching )

Bluebird

iTrader: (4)

I'm pretty sure that when a spring is progressive it means that it gets stiffer further into the suspension travel and remains soft in the initial travel. This way it remains supple on small bumps but still can soak up a big hit. At least this is what it applies to in terms of motocross bike suspension.

TooMAX

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, that's exactly what it means.
"Linear" (straight) rate springs give the same amount of resistance to compression throughout their travel. The force needed to compress a "progressive" rate spring will more closely follow a parabolic curve than a straight line.

TooMAX

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, that's exactly what it means.
"Linear" (straight) rate springs give the same amount of resistance to compression throughout their travel. The force needed to compress a "progressive" rate spring will more closely follow a parabolic curve than a straight line.

TurDz

iTrader: (3)

Good explanation you guys. And IMO, I think H&R makes the best progressive spring.

hakk97se

Hey dude, thanks for your help on the install. The car he was referring to was mine. I had been struggling with whether to get H&R or Sprint's for a long time. When the Maxspeed's came along, I had the opportunity to get them for $85 (total, no tax, no shipping, not needed ). I figured, well, if they are similar to H&R, give it a shot. It's only $85 and if I want to go lower later, it's not that big of a loss.

I agree, right after the switch, on my stock 16" SE rims, it didn't look very lowered. It was, but not much. Every day it's looking a bit lower now just sitting in my driveway. And I have to say, my initial impression of the setup was that it was not that drastic a change in handling. It was definitely a change for the better, but not drastic. So I drove home and left the car for a while. Later that night (about 6 hours later) I took it out to a curvey road.. All I can say is WOW. What a change 6 hours made. I was screeching out around corners, pushing my yoko's near their limits. It was great. It just held on like nothing else.

None of the spring seating noises EvilYak warned me about were there. Totally quiet, totally responsive. And too me, they felt exactly like H&R's. Especially going over bumps on the freeway, they felt very similar in their response. That slight bit of bounce but then quickly negated by the springs and absorbed by the AGX's.

Anyway, my only concern at this point with the Maxspeed over H&R is that they have not been around as long and their longevity has not been prooven. As far as I'm concerned, if they cost me $85 and last two years, screw it, I can always buy more or try something different when they wear out. Also, I think some of the negetive feelings about the Maxspeeds have come because I see tons of cheep-skates trying to use them with stock struts. It's like they think they can buy springs for under $100 and not get a FSTB or RSB or struts and expect to have good handling.

There's my $0.02 - Turdz, you should come for a ride in my car sometime. Also, I wanna feel your SFC's sometime!

xsp00kyx

i'd like to hear some good points about the maxspeeds considering i bought these springs a couple of weeks ago, but never installed because i'm saving up for kyb's. so those people with maxspeeds let me hear your good points haha

Vesaijan

iTrader: (1)

Good price. Comfortable, yet sporty ride and handling. With good shocks will kick butt (unfortunately, I have Tok blues and they suck). Lowering eliminates a lot of fender gap, but without the "Hey look, I slammed my car" look. Did I mention the price?

RL

J Steed

where do you guys buy yer maxspeed springs from?

NYCe MaXiMa

iTrader: (9)

Ok

As for the drop..

I looked at Mad Dhans car.. and no offense to him, but the drop looks to be very small.. I figured if he had H&Rs, it would look lower, since I've seen plenty of 4th gens on H&Rs..

I also saw other members cars with these springs and Maxspeeds always looked higher than the H&Rs..


I am still wondering which ones i should go with.. used H&Rs or new Maxspeeds?

cmac95gxe

iTrader: (1)

I like my H&R's. I just had them put in yesterday so they haven't settled yet.They look good to me

infinit30t

howcome no one mentions B&G? I have heard many good things about their springs and an awesome ride and drop.

Mad Dhan

Did u not see my half-a$$ atempt at a web page??

http://home.socal.rr.com/dhan/Main%5b1%5d.html

Anyway i highly doubt that h&r would have given me a lower drop. I have a gxe 5spd with a stealthbox so i not gonna take a chance with that sagging rear end. Now would it have given me a better ride, of course, but to me it wasnt really that much of a factor to go spend the extra money, The roads are good here. Additionaly if u want lower than maxpseeds your kyb warrenty is gonna be vioded so for me i thought this spring pretty much gave me all i wanted. Good luck whichever springs u get.

athlon omega

iTrader: (4)

I just gotmy AGX/H&R combo installed two days ago. The drop was immediate to my surprise since I heard it may take at least a week before the drop is really noticeable. I replaced a lot of stock components like end -link bushings, rubber seats and seals for the front and rear, and isolator housings. The ride is very nice, of course more stiffer than shock.

Anyway, a day later around 4 in the evening I keep hearing the spring on the front passenger side making a popping or noise like it something is pulling on it. It makes this popping noise almost every time I make a turn. At first I thought it was the CV boot, but I changed that this summer. However, on closer inspection, I saw and heard the spring make noise as my sister rotated the steering wheel to the left and to the right. It even makes this noise in park. I called the guys up at Illusions Motorsports since they did the install and they said that it is normal and that the springs are still settling for like the first 300 miles.

Has anyone else encountered this noise and is it just part of "settling in" or is it something that I should take back for them to be looked at? They said I could bring it back like in a week or two if the problem still persisted. However, I don't want to sustain damage.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

I had B&G's. They are definately a performance oriented spring. They are lower and firmer then H&R's. The spring itself is thicker/beefy. They match the AGX cause there red as well.

B&G springs are great if your looking for a lower look then H&R, they ride nice on smooth roads, but they can toss you around on bumpy roads.

Look up member Lime, she's now riding on my old B&G's and I'm on her H&R's. We swapped about 2 or 3 months back. My car, a loaded automagic SE-L seems to drop much more, especially up front then other cars do because it's heavy and slow. So I don't get the sagging rear look, I actually get a slight rake twards the front.

This sig pic was taken with B&G springs.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Lots of guys get spring noise when they drop their cars. There are many factors that can attribute to what causes the noise. The biggest one are your strut bearings. They should be replaced everytime you change your springs. You also should have new spring isolators installed to help minimize the noise.

Installation is key as well. I've taken apart a few cars that reported noises and found upper spring perches installed wrong. The upper perch must be positioned correctly for the spring to seat correctly. The word OUT must face out or line up with the bottom mounting bracket on your strut. If thats not lined up, your spring will never seat right, coils will continue to rub on each other and there's your popping noise.

It's not going to damage anything per say.. but it's annoying as he11. A good quiet aftermarket suspension setup requires a bit of detail work to get everything lined up and isolated correctly. It's easy to do if you take your time and think it through.

95emeraldgxe

any input on dropzone springs? Those are priced very similarly to maxspeeds.

athlon omega

iTrader: (4)

Thanks. I also replaced the isolators and strut barings as well with new OEM ones from Courtesy Nissan. I hope they installed it correctly. This noise only started a day after they were installed. Does the noise disappear when the springs settle?