i plan on purchasing springs for my car, either maxspeed, or sprints.
my question is... would it not be smart to get springs if i dont plan on upgrading my struts or shocks. i dont really have the money for other stuff, maybe a while down the road, but for a year or so , how will just springs with FSTB, and RSB be without the extra goodies?? bad ride, bad for suspension?? any advice would be apreciated.

thanks, don

 

Don -- seeing as you're a "Maximaniac", I will spare you the broken-record player of SEARCH SEARCH SEARCH!!!!

running lower springs on your stock stuts/shocks is VERY VERY BAD...
your shocks/struts will die MUCH MUCH earlier then normal...

Do what I did --> buy the springs...and WAIT until you can do it RIGHT.

my $0.02,
FLO_BOY

 

well, no it's not good to run stock struts with lowering springs. Very very bad, that is a little much.

Yes the struts will blow fairly soon depending on how many miles you already have on them. They may last a few weeks or a few months.

The bigger concern I see is having to do the labor twice, because you will want to upgrade your struts eventually. If you don't mind working on your car, hell you may like it. Then go ahead and put on the springs and enjoy the drop for a few months untill you have the $$ for struts. If you planned on paying a shop to do it then do it all at once.

If you do decide to put them on stock struts then just don't be too terriblely aggressive when taking turns, especially in bumpy ones.

You are not going to hurt you car by using stock or blown struts for a while, it just won't be avery comfortable ride.

 

I have had my sprint springs with my stock struts for like a year now. My stock struts have held up pretty good unitl now, one of the front struts has started leaking. So I'm going to to replace all struts with adjustable ones.

 

Riding on blown struts can also cause ruin your strut mounts. If you dont mind replacing struts, and strut mounts(40 bucks a piece from the dealer) then go with the springs now and just do the labor again when you can afford it. The ride will get rough and you will not be getting the full performance from you springs.

 

It's not a matter of blowing your struts.

OEM struts and shocks are valved to match the OEM spring rates. There designed that way so the car gives a very smooth ride.

A performance spring has a much greater force to it and the OEM equipment cannot properly dampen that force. The ride suffers and so will your handling.

It may seem to ride OK on nice smooth pavment, but when the road gets choppy, so will your ride. The ability to keep the wheel planted firmly on the ground and the car stable is next to impossible with performance springs coupled with OEM dampers. Especially the soft Nissan equipment, there just not designed for it.

I lowered a Ford Lightning a few months back. That truck came with Bilsteins from the factory. The Bilsteins worked very well with the springs I put in that truck. You almost couldn't tell the truck was modified. Our shocks aren't 1/2 the quality or performance rating of a Bilstein, and thats why you really shouldn't use Nissan OEM shocks and struts with performance springs. Had our cars come equipped with some nice dampers, things would be different.

 

if you go with the maxspeeds i think your stock struts will be able to hold out for a while if they are in good condition..i hear its close to stock SE springs with a drop. im not reccommending you do it but if you are going to use stock struts go with maxspeeds or h & r's. the sprints are hella stiff and lowers it alot. your car may look pretty but i think it will ride like crapp and your struts will blow with the quickness. thats my 2 cents..