Okay, I've been meaning to ask this question: Are most of the people on the .Org scared of modding? If so, why do it? Every other post I've read this year has been something negative about the modifications people have done to their car. Whether it be suspension, engine, exhaust, or forced induction, there is always a complaint. The biggest one I hear is about springs. Of course we all want to get rid of that ugly stock ride height, but we are all unwilling to sacrifice a little bit of ride quality to get it. For all of the people questioning the ride quality of certain springs... They are all soft. I can say that with good faith because I used to ride on extremely stiff coilovers before switching to Sprints. Sprints are an excellent spring that tends to get a bad rap from people with no experience with them. I've ridden/driven in every possible spring an strut combo available and do not have a biased opinion at all. They all feel the same. With the right struts, they all feel sporty...in a BMW sort of way. Setting your AGXs on the low side does not make your ride softer, it just increases your spring oscillations resulting in horrible control and that nasty bouncy feeling associated with all lowered cars. The purpose of adjustable struts is to adjust them to the spring rates you have, not to your liking. If you want soft, go back to stock. Modding is not for you. Expect noise to come from your suspension after you first change it. Unless you change everything at the same time (entire suspension), you're going to get noise. No matter what kind of adjustable coilover setup you have, noise will be there. Be happy that your intake makes a weird whistling noise. If it were something wrong, it would make a loud screeching noise and your car would not run. If you put on a performance exhaust system, expect lots of noise. You'll get used to it. If you can't handle it, go back to stock. Modding is not for you. Putting on a full exhaust and keeping your stock muffler defeats the purpose. Straight through or 2 chambered mufflers do add power...more than you think. Not everything tested (dynoed) on the internet works the way it should and can be made better. Don't be afraid to try new mods on the market. The honda boys have been doing it for years, and look where they're at. If we keep shutting down possible mods, we will never get to their status. VB mods do nothing for you. Transmission coolers are what saves your transmission. No matter what anyone tells you, adding forced induction and taking out a fan is not okay. Be creative in modding and do your own thing. We don't need to go to a large Maxima meet and see the same exact car we see everyday in our own driveways. If there is something that you want to do to your Maxima that is not available, why don't you try to make it available? Also, in the midst of all of this modding, try to keep up with your regular maintenance so that your car doesn't break down on you. The first thing you'll blame then is the mods.

* These are just a few things I had to get out. This is not directed toward anyone in particular except for the people experiencing common problems with their cars after modding. I'm just trying to inform and educate people so that they know what they are getting into. With that said...Happy modding!

 

Very well put...of course I shouldn't be talking. I think everyone should read this...

 

good write. i agree totally..but it is natural to complain a little bit.. we are paying good money to get mods.. sometimes the mods arnt what we expect them to be. after a couple hours of labor and complications its natural to be a little grumpy if you dont get what you want. people also post alot about how much they love their new mods. is just the negative posts seem to stick in your head more often. guess we have a tendency to remember the bad and forget the good. my 2 cents.. awesome write though..everyone should read this.

 

Yeah thanks to all who have read this. I just wanted to lay out the fact that if you are going to mod your car, Expect problems. You are changing the design to your liking. Engineers of the car have already gone through this to make the car the way is was stock. When you start changing things, its like starting over for problems. I'm not telling anyone not to mod. I have one of the more modified Maxima's on this board. I've also had my fair share of problems. Don't let it discourage you. Just know that if you modify, you are going to have to sacrifice certain things to get the results you want. If you aren't willing to do that, don't modify your car. There is no such thing as "halfway modified".

 

I ain't scared to mod...I'm just broke

I haven't had any "problems" with any of the mods I've done. Some of them haven't turned out to be what I wanted, but they all functioned as they were designed to do.

I've never had any strange suspension noises (and I'm on my 4th spring setup). I've never had any funny sounds or smells from my Y-pipe. I've never had any unprovoked CELs. Balancing my tires has always gotten rid of the shaking.

I've spent more time just taking my car apart to see what makes it tick than the VAST majority of other ORG members. Somehow my car is not pain in the a$$.

 

 

I agree with the overall thing you're saying, especially about the suspension stuff (I made a similar comment before...if you're choice is between buying a Cadillac and putting H&R/AGX on your car, you're obviously going to be disappointed). But at the same time...things like the intake whistle...I don't think that most people are complaining about the whistle, it's just a wierd noise and people are afraid of leaks. I checked my installation a couple times (even took the whole intake apart again) but I wanted to make sure.

Also suspension noise, but this applies to a lot of other mods too: a lot of these speed shops give me a bad vibe. That's why I paid a ridiculously huge amount of money to get a Nissan tech to install my H&R/AGX combo. However, I have *no* unusual noises coming from my suspension. I don't think the tech even put the recommended extra isolators on the top and bottoms of the springs (still haven't had time to get under the car and check everything out). My point is that I think a *lot* of problems that people experience come from improper installations.

I don't know much about engine and suspension stuff as most people here. However, I do know a fair amount about detailing from reading and experimenting over the years. The amount of misinformation and just straight up BS on here about detailing stuff is shocking. That makes me wonder how much misinfo there is about other mods and stuff. Don't get me wrong...this place is a *sick* resource on information about this stuff, but the point is that people need to be more careful about who they are trusting. Before you make decisions read opinions and experiences from different people and try to listen to those who have a basis for their opinion, and aren't just saying stuff because they did one mod or one brand of mod. Read posts about a mod you are considering for a while before you do it and you're less likely to be disappointed. POsts about mods seem to go in cycles here. Like the y-pipe thing. There was a lot of hype for awhile, then once people started installing them, some people complained that they didn't feel as much difference as they were expecting. I'm not saying that feeling was justified or not, but that's the kind of thing you might want to ehar about before doing the mod yourself.

In any case, like I said, I do agree with the general idea of what you said. The stuff I said here, especially about the y and suspension stuff, is mostly aimed at people who mod conservatively and don't have the green to be changing things out and having the car off the road for a few days.

 

There's no such thing as a true bolt on. Almost any modification will take a little creative engineering.

Good Luck!

 

well said, i look forward to next months write up. just as an example i just had eibach and kyb agx's put on my max. from some of the comments on the org, i was worried the experience may be like getting myself roped and dragged down a road full of pot holes. Surpringly enough the car is a dream come true.. and the eibach's were even lower than i had thought ..3 finger gaps front and rear ..again ..THIS POST RULEZ !!

 

this thread should be kept on top of the 4th gen forum.

 

 

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................................... just kidding

 

I am watching Michael and Kit right now!! hehe. Michael just met Kit...must be the first episode or something?!?!?!

 

True. very true. I think all springs are all about the same too, unless you get coilovers.

 

what do you have against the vb?

 

Nightrider, I dislike misinformation also, but your post has it in some places.

All aftermarket springs DO NOT ride the same. I've run three different sets of springs (Suspension Techiques, Intrax, H&R) and the ride is very different between the springs. The Suspension Techniques rode fairly stiff, but their harshness never really increased over bumps. The Intrax were pretty decent on smooth roads, but they got crazy over rutted surfaces. The H&Rs ride nearly like stock on smooth roads and are slightly harsh going over normal road inperfections. The H&Rs are definately a better spring in my experience (been modding Maximas for 5 years now). I've ridden in a Maxima with Sprint/AGX and the ride is much like Suspension Techiques on smooth surfaces and when you hit a bump it's like the Intrax. I don't know how people stand this setup. This Maxima was also riding on sawblades. I'm on 17s.

The VB upgrade DOES do something. It shifts the gears quicker which is better for the auto's longevity. Heat is the #1 killer of automatics and slow shifts generate a ton of heat. You don't want the auto to SLAM into each gear, but you want the shift to be firm and precise. The higher the load, the firmer and quicker the shift should be. The VB does this. It's possible to shed .1 with a VB because of the auto's slow 1-2 shift.

Using the stock muffler with a "full exhaust" does NOT defeat the purpose. I'm cranking out more power than most guys with similiar mods plus they're running aftermarket mufflers. The truth is the Maxima's 2.2" exhaust and chambered muffler isn't a huge restriction on NA car. The biggest restriction in the exhaust is the Y-pipe, everything downstream is worth a couple HP here and there. You'll be lucky to pic up 4hp with straight-thru exhaust.


Dave

 

some mods i would say is bad for the car....intake for example really wears down the engine

 

what do you have against intakes?

 

for the most part ... good info for the masses...but you gotta pay to play.

 

I only stated that they ride the same to me.

Shifting gears quicker is not better for the auto's longevity. It shocks the transmission. You are right that heat is the #1 killer on autos. A VB mod increases vein pressure in the transmission which in turn increases heat. A transmission cooler is used to bring the heat back down. It has been proven that a cooler alone will extend transmission longevity by 50%. For increased loads, many transmission shops will tell you to add a tranny cooler. Many have already shown that the VB mod has done nothing for them at the track. I think its a waste of $400.

Thats 4 max hp. There is more useable power through out the band with a nicely tuned exhaust. However, if your preferences are to keep things as quiet as possible, just know that you'll be sacrificing a lot of useable power. The purpose of the post was to inform everyone that for every action, there's a reaction and that you have to expect unwanted things when you choose to mod.


Dave [/B][/QUOTE]

 

They don't ride the same to me. Lowering a car is heavily dependent on what the user is willing to put up with. All I can really suggest is that someone do a lot of research before lowering.

I guess I don't quite understand what is exactly tweaked on the VB, but it was always my understanding that it's much like a shift kit (ie it increases fluid pressure). Having the gears shift slow means the clutches and bands in the auto slip to give you a smooth shift. This slipping increases heat. The VB firms up the shift and reduces the heat of the clutch slippage. I've never heard of the VB causing any tranny failures so I don't quite see why you say the VB increases heat. I do agree that a tranny cooler is a excellent mod, for any auto.

I've never seen any dyno proof suggesting that a 2.5" catback with straight thru muffler elevates the powerband substanially. If possible, please direct to some dyno proof. A Maxima owner in the KC club has a 96 SE 5 speed with a y-pipe, intake, and custom catback with a straight thru muffler. On the same dyno as I run, he put down 178fwhp and 192fwtq. When I had the same setup with a STOCK MUFFLER, my Maxima made 176fwhp and 193fwtq. There's no where on the dyno graphs where there was any real difference between his car and mine. I use to have a HKS muffler with a 2.4" B-pipe. When I got rid of my HKS muffler and went back to stock, I noticed absolutely no change in trap speed or ET and believe me, I go to the track a lot and take notes. Quiet doesn't mean necessarily mean worse performance. I will admit that loud definately gives the sensation of going faster.



Dave

 

i agree definitely and modding IS for me

 

Yeah word.

 

I just got my maxima (which is my first car) and I am plannin gon modding it somewhat, probably won't lower it, but will replace the rims, y pipe, and a catback exhaust. How bad for your engine is an intake

 

I've been distant with the forum for a while now. Some of the rudeness, and smartass, kept me away. I had car problems, and while none of them were officially solved, I at least know that I am in good company. Anyway, I was more than happy to read every one of these posts. Its good to see things set straight, and I wish the best for every max owner out there.
happy motering

 

i think that should be elligle for a pulitzer prize very nice write-up.

 

ahem, 95'


you know, you can't really expect much from a guy who said he kept up with an R1 then pulled on it past 110mph

 

read these post and prove how you can say a vb mod does NOTHING for your transmission.

Here are just a few threads on VB modification.

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....light=%2Avb%2A – read the 12th post down written by dmBk

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....light=%2Avb%2A

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....light=%2Avb%2A – check out the 7th post down written by Jime

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....light=%2Avb%2A

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?threadid=72447 – check out the 6th post down written by Clee130

can you prove that the car wont RUN or that it would make a screeching noise if the intake is messed up. I think you should edit your post and take out all the senseless BS.

once again you cant prove that if you mod just one part or a few in the suspension you will end up with noise EVERY time. blah blah blah

please look at the post where you said you have had almost every combo of suspension set up and they all ride the same.

 

 

I completely forgot his NA auto Maxima has the power to pull a bike capable 130mph+ in the 1/4 mile.


Dave

 

I agree on most of your points except for the VB mod.

 

me?

 

soon2b: I was co-signing to your statement no pun intended

 

So how bad is intake really for your engine?

 

thats good because i didn't want to have to bust a cap



















j/k

 

I'm being quoted... brings a tear to my eye

 

Search is a beautiful thing.

 

Reminds me of an old girlfriend of mine!