I don't understand why I need KYB AGX struts for lowering. I dont plan on adjusting
 

I don't really understand why I need the KYB AGX struts for lowering my car. I do understand that the stock struts will wear out fast, but I do not plan on adjusting the struts, so why are KYB AGX struts my only choice? Is there something less expensive that I can go with? $350-400 is a lot of money!

well i thought this too. and i should just get the GR2's. theyre kyb. theyre proven. im not going to adjust or roadrace.

but then i was sold on the concept that theyre probably a better strut and years down the road if you feel them starting to loose up you can always make it stiffer and itll be like new. well, if you know what i mean.
whereas if you get a nonadjustable , when it starts to soften , thats that. itll only cost you a bit more

yo silse.. is your car not lowered in your sig pic? It looks like it's unlowered with wheels and ground effects, im putting a ground effects kit on (stillen/ionic) but i have stock tires/wheels, just wondering how it will look. doesn't look to bad from your pic.. a lil 4 by 4 ish.. but one step at a time, so i dont really care, i could always ride on stock struts, then replace them when i blow my stock ones right? there's nothing that could go mechanically wrong by riding on blown struts besides an uncomftorable ride, am i right? thanks guys
bob

AdMax98 has GR2s and is happy with them. I can't recall what kind of springs he has though.

Also, say I get a 2 inch drop.. but no struts yet (lack of funds.) How long would my stock sruts approximatley last? Will it help the life of the stock struts if i remove my sub box.. everything in my trunk.. and don't carry any passengers in the back? How long should i be able to ride before i blow my stock struts? thanks a lot
bob

A 2" drop will result in a fair bit of stress on oem shocks. How long they last will depend heavily on how bumpy & rutted out the roads you travel are. Lessening the load they bear (not carrying passengers all the time, etc) might help a wee bit. But the weight of the car being "carried" on your rear shocks is proportionately more so that's the major factor (weightwise).

Also, KYB warranties their struts/shocks to a maximum drop of 1.5". & they have ways of telling if your drop was more than 1.5" even if you don't tell them the spring drop was on your ride. (Don't ask me how though).

Hmmm... I see your point.

Gives me something to think about.

So, if I do decide to go with the GR-2's I should be fine, though, right?

It will look like this. Sometimes I catch it at an odd angle and it really looks bad unlowered, but I just couldn't wait to get the kit! I love the way it looks, even on a 4x4 with stock rims.

It doesn't look bad at all in my opinion, but back to my concern. Will it cause any mechanical problems if i ride around on blown stock oem struts for a lil while? thanks
bob

His car is definetely lowered in the pic.. theres not much wheelgap compared to stock maximas..

IMO you should lower your car before getting a kit, makes a bigger improvement cosmetically... Although JeffersonM's car looks pretty good too ( I think its the color :D )

Can anyone help me? Im sorry for repeating in this thread and I feel like a broken record, i just want to know if i can go ahead and lower with springs and the stock struts, without anything mechanically going wrong?
bob

You can lower with stock struts. But don't count on them lasting very long. Save the $$$ and the install one time. GR-2 is the way to go if don't need adj.

How long have KYB GR-2s been around? Maybe a year? How do people know if they will last with lowered springs?

My understanding was:
- GR2s are stock replacements, with some improved quality over OEM.
- AGX are performance shocks/struts with adjustability.
But I could be wrong.

don't forget tokico blues...

I can't say how long the GR-2 has been out but I can say that I have them on for over a year and no issues.

If you get H&Rs or Eibachs, GR-2s will hold up just fine if all you do is drive normal. If you get anything lower then you must go with the AGXs or Koni's. Lowering springs give the struts a hard workout because of the higher rate of the spring. With a low drop (below 1.5"), the struts are compromised severely. I've got H&Rs with Koni's in the front and AGX in the rear. I wouldn't have it any other way. With the adjustable struts, you can adjust rebound firmness. This is great when you want to have you car really taunt or soft. Also, struts loose their rebound capability in the summer therefore you can adjust the struts to a firmer setting to compensate. In the winter, the exact opposite happens. I've run GR-2s in the rears and I destroyed them in 1 year when running Intrax springs (2.0" drop in the rear).

IMO, spend the extra $100 and get the AGX setup. You'll love the adjustability during the seasons and the ability to change the ride. Plus the AGX can take a ton of abuse.

And no, stock struts on lowering springs is no good. They will be toast in a matter of months.


Dave

The same debate went on in my mind...
 

so I just waited another month or two and bought the AGX/Ebach set up. It has made world of a difference:
1. The settings are easy as Click/Click
2. I can change the Stiffness depending on the tires that I have on.
3. I can change the settings depending on who is going to be in the car, family, friends, or just me.
4. I can change the settings if I want to take the Offramp at a high speed...get those stupid tailgaters off my back...as they swerve off because they think they can hug the road with their stock set up.
5. My buddy has the GR2s and he really regrets not getting the AGXs
6. you Can see the RED AGXs from the outside.
:)

So what is the best setting to have the AGX struts on for just daily driving? (I'll be putting on Maxspeed springs, just ordered them last night)

KYB recommends both the GR-2 and AGX for use with Eibachs. Select the strut you need based on your desire for adjustability.