Alright, I read a bunch about suspensions on here through searches.

I just wanted to clarify that what I want is going to be accomplished by the purchases I have decided on.

Basically, I have a worn GXE suspension now, with 123,000 miles on it.

I want a suspension that is like the SE suspension or slightly better. I don’t need or want an autocross car, if I did, I wouldn’t use my Max for it (simply personal preference). I would also like a small drop to compensate a little for the 4x4 stock height. Ride quality does not have to be “couch-like” but I don’t want my fillings coming loose either.

So a small drop, with a good compromise between better handling and ride quality would be ideal.

It looks like the Maxspeeds and KYB GR2s accomplish that at a pretty fair price.

The drawbacks for me are the uneven front drop, and the few posts I read about the GR2s not holding up to the slight drop given by the Maxspeeds.

Could anyone confirm, deny, or elaborate on any of these points for me please? Mainly the GR2s holding up to the drop...

 

i dunno about the GR2's ... personally i'd go with agx's

 

What a useless reply.

He asked for experiences and data. Not unqualified opinions...

 

I would say for what you are looking for GR2's would be fine and H&R springs would be the best bet for SE feel.

 

If the GR2s will work fine with the drop without compromising too much longevity than I would like to try the Maxspeeds first.

I can get a good deal on the combo and I will be out less money (and some time invested) if I don’t like them. If the Maxspeeds do not work out than I can sell them cheap and buy the H&Rs.

Do you think that I will get a stiffer ride from the Maxspeeds, or do you not think they will give me the handling increase that I am after?

Thanks for the reply.

 

This should answer all your questions.

Thanks,
MikeSuspension Questions Answered

 

dropping your car, even a half inch, will improve your handling
because the car's center of gravity will be lower (closer to the
ground)...so, regardless of what springs you use, if you drop the
car, the handling will improve.

As for ride quality, that's a different story.

Good luck!
FLO_BOY

 

Um, not quite:

 

Actually that post is contradictory to some of the stuff I read in other posts which is why I am asking about the combo.

The only difference it tells me about the H&Rs and the Maxspeeds is that I will be spending 200 more dollars on the H&Rs, and that they are closer to the SE ride (H&Rs "closest to the stock SE spring", and the Maxspeeds are "almost like they were [the] stock SE spring").

It also says that the GR2s are a good Strut/Shock set with a small drop... where I have heard others say that it will not hold up to a drop.

That post is what brought me to my conclusion as to what I want... other posts in a search brought me to the point of asking for clarification.

Basically, I am just looking for enough intelligent responses that say "There is no substantiating evidence that the GR2s won't hold up to a drop... you should be good." and my decision is made. Or enough responses to deter me.

 

OK, I sit corrected...
mzmtg --> can you please elaborate on your points, this is new to me.

Thanks!
FLO_BOY

 

My point was that lower does not automatically equal better. The roll center issue that a described is one point. Also, (and this is especially true with the Maxima) lowering gives up suspension travel. This can have drastic effects on handling.

 

wouldn't suspension travel affect ride quality, and not specifically
handling? OK OK, they are ALMOST the same thing, but, my impression
was that handling improves with the drop, but ride quality gets worse
because the amount of travel afforded to the struts/springs is less.

For example if the road was bumpy, and you had a drop then the car
would not be able to ride evenly (that is, not bumpy) because the
amount of travel for the suspension is smaller. However, if you had
the stock suspension the ride would be more even because the "longer"
suspension can handle the deeper bumps.

make sense? my head hurts
FLO_BOY

 

The GR2's will be fine with one of those drops.. I mean I know you can use the H&R with stock shocks.. Im sure they will be able to handle the Maxspeeds without a problem.. Now something like sprints are a different story..

 

Exactly what I was looking for, thank you sir...

 

I think you will be fine. Maxpseeds are relatively soft lowering springs. On my 96 GXE, even with AGX struts, the ride quality is still very compliant. Given that the Maxspeeds do not overly lower your car and are not very stiff like the Eibachs, I believe the GR2s will have no problems dampening the Maxspeed spring.

Remember to cut the front and rear bumpstops to gain back some suspension travel. This is very important in maitaining ride quality and handling as you want to keep as much suspension travel as possible.

Alternatively, I recommend the KYB dustboots. The bumpstops on these dustboots are already shortened. They appear to be more durable than the stock ones. Also, you will read some posts indicating these bumpstops do not fit correctly. IMO, they fit fine. The rears are a perfect fit. The fronts do not snap into the top of the mount, but they fit fine too.

 

Suspension travel, ride quality, and handling are all directly related. There are so many variables that I doubt anything short of a 101 class on the board by a professor would bring us all up to speed on what we need to know to design the perfect suspension for the Max.

Camber Curve, Caster Angle, Scrub Radius, and Bump Steer are probably the biggest variables... unfortunately, I know more about how to get a truck to handle what I abuse it with than a car... so I am not sure how to apply them to taking turns fast while providing comfort. I am usually interested in suspension articulation/travel, and to some extent how the scrub radius will affect the life of my bearings and outer drivetrain parts.

So, lowering a car half an inch "can" improve handling... but you really need a combination of the right parts all the way around to realize that improvement, or in the worst case, prevent negative attributes of lowering a vehicle to overwhelm the benefits.

 

I've had the Maxspeed/GR2 setup for about 2 months now without any problems. Rides nice and smooth for the most part.

The only time it's harsh is when I go over a big bump. Probably because I've been too lazy to trim the OEM bumpstops.

 

When the wheel runs out of suspension travel (or if the springs/shocks are overly stiff), when the car hits a large bump, it bounces the tire off the ground. When this happens, the tire leaves contact with the road, and even though the car feels extremely firm on the road it will not produce the lap times of a car that can keep it's tires planted on the tarmac.

Stiffer isn't always better. If it were, race cars wouln't run springs and shocks at all.

Good Luck!

 

what do you guys think about running B+G springs with GR2's? I have the AGXs right now, and I know they are really durable and everything, but the ride quality is a little harsh for my tastes. Maybe its the roads where I live.

Do you think GR2's will be able to handle the 1.6 inch drop of the B+G springs? I would love to keep my drop but have slightly softer ride. Thanks

 

The Maxspeeds offer a 1.7" in the front and 1.3 or 1.4" in the rear... if the GR2s can handle that (as the collective has led me to believe) then they should work just as well for yours with a 1.6". The stiffness of the springs would be the main difference then... if the B&Gs are a lot stiffer than they might eat up the GR2s but if they are comparable then "no problemo mon".

 

I'm guessing you installed B+G springs and the AGX shocks... only to find the car rides too harshly.

The shocks are adjustable... So if they are on 'full soft' and the car still rides too rough, you'll need to look at the springs.

If you've already got the AGX shocks, I surely would trade them for GR2's... as the AGX's are just adjustable GR2's, really. if you look at www.kyb.com and check out the specs of both, they check out about the same, except for the adjustability BUT, that's just from reading. I haven't physically compared them side to side.

I'd say what you need, are softer springs.

Good Luck!

 

hmm so are you saying that on the softest setting, the AGXs are about the same stiffness as GR2s? I went to the KYB website, but couldnt find any specs. Could someone elaborate on this?

 

I meant to say I would not trade the AGX's for GR2's, as the AGX's just seem like an adjustable version of the GR2.

Good Luck!