Bmr4life

All 4 of my struts are worn and I know that when you get aftermarket struts, you have to get aftermarket springs. I like the firmness of the SE suspesion and would like it to be at least that firm if not a little bit firmer. As far as ride height goes, i would like it to be no more than 1.5" lower because I have a stereo in the trunk and I would like to get a body kit in the future and don't want to scrap it on the ground all the time.

so what set up should i get? thank you

icheban26

i've the same question regardin the struts n springs... n from the little research i did on this forum, i'm thinkin for struts u should go w/either KYB AGX(adjustable) or KYB GR2. both of them will give u a firmer ride than your current SE setup. as far as springs, i haven't look into this but i'm thinkin H&R since u don't want a slammed look.

i mite be wrong...

polishpunk68

Eibach springs would be good too I think

KYB GR2 if you're on a budget, otherwise get AGX

happyricefob

iTrader: (7)

KYB AGX + Maxspeed
KYB AGX + Eibach
KYB GR2 + Maxspeed
KYB GR2 + Eibach

jamaxin

I think H&R and KYB GR2 will be your best combo. You will have a firmer ride without sacrificing too much comfort. That's what I use.

icheban26

r sprint springs any good??? i have found a member with sprint n kyb agx setup n it looks great. have anyone tired this combo that can give me some insight???

drewm

http://drewm.dyndns.org/~drew/maxfaq...MaximaHandling

Bmr4life

again, thx for all the replies guys and thanks for the link drewn. I had acutally been to your site before but had lost the link. you've got a lot of helpful info there, great site.

I just have to see how much I can get the AGX shocks for, if I can't afford them, i'll just go for the GR2s. Are there such things as front and rear struts or are they the same?

Dave B

There have many complaints about the AGXs riding very stiff regardless of their setting. I have Koni's in the front and AGX in the rear and the Koni's definately have a much better feel. I'm seriously considering going to Koni's in the rear even though adjusting their rebound is a pain (they much be removed). If you want the best ride, go with Koni's all around and H&R springs. Unfortunately this is also a very pricey setup.

Keep in mind that ALL aftermarket springs will add harshness and extra rattles here and there. For the ultimate ride and handling setup, consider getting subframe connectors (SFCs). The difference in ride quality, handling, and feel in the 4th gen Maxima is jaw dropping.


Dave

icheban26

i think the AGX goes for around $380? n for the GR2 there is a group deal goin on rite now that sells it for $255 shipped (front n rear).

Bmr4life

hey guys, is there a such thing a pair of front struts or rear structs, like can front struts be used in the rear and vice versa? Just wondering because i know there are springs for the front and springs for the rear.

jamaxin

Where did you find the GR2 going for $255.00?

ch13f

You might wanna look into Tokico Illuminas, they are supposedly softer than AGXs since you can adjust the compression and rebound, not just rebound as with the KYB AGXs. Or just KYB GR-2s, they'd be a lot cheaper. Eibach springs might be a little harsh, Maxspeed would probably be your best bet.

icheban26

http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....hreadid=221397

Bmr4life

LOL, can someone please answer this question.

drewm

Nope you can't trade them, they are different. Even front right and front left should be different.

Bmr4life

thx

another Q, is it ok to replace just the rear struts and springs with AF stuff and leave the fronts stock for now?

phenryiv1

iTrader: (19)

You do not want to be running different springs front and rear- it throws off the car's balance big-time. You could do the struts on the rear, then later on the front, and then go back later to do springs, but unless you do the work yourself, you will end up payiong someone mad cash to do the install twice. It is simple to do it yourself if you have the right tools.

Consider H&Rs. Check out my cardomain page to see what the H&R drop looks like. BTW- for comparison porposes I have 225/50/16 tires. My struts (affect ride but not height) are Tokico HPs (also called "Blues").

Bmr4life

thx, thats just about how much drop I want. What part of VA are you in?

n2oMike

MaxSpeed springs and AGX shocks. I just did this, and the handling is awesome. The ride is definitely more firm, but not umcomfortable. The MaxSpeed springs are inexpensive, and the stance after the drop is right on. They aren't too low, and the rear doesn't sag.

I've teamed them with 2k1 16" SE wheels, and the look is classy. I've got a three finger gap up front, and a 3-1/2 finger gap in the rear.

Good Luck!

Bmr4life

i'm not sure if that will look the same on mine because of my stereo. It adds about 100lbs in the back. Will I still have the same gaps or would the rear sag? And if it does sag, can I add some kind of spacer to raise it up a little? thanks

n2oMike

100lbs won't cause a significant sag... especially if the weight isn't in the rearmost part of the trunk. Stick with something along the order of MaxSpeed springs and 16" or 17" wheels for maximum practicality and good looks. Cars may slightly cooler slammed to the bumpstops on 19" wheels, but the bent rims, expensive tires and crappy ride that go along with them really sucks.

Maximas look really good with a moderate drop with cool looking 16" or 17" wheels. They also keep all their road manners with this setup... which is something that cannot be said for the more extreme drops and wheels out there.

Moderation (and tasteful, classic style) can be your friend... especially when it come to real daily life in your car, as well as trade-in time.

Good Luck!

sidewinder740

When you get struts, if you are trying to maintain ride confort, stay away from KYB's AGX or GR-2. They are horribly crappy at absorbing any kind of road imperfection and can get very hard and rough in the winter. Definately go for Tokico Illuminas or KONI's.

As far as springs go: Eibach, H&R, and Maxspeed are all good for moderate drops. The Eibachs would give you the best handling and the H&R's would give you the softest ride. The Maxspeeds are good budget springs considering you can get them for $100 new off Ebay.

Bmr4life

KYB's are bad? I thought thats what almost everyone was using here? I really won't be doing any cold winter driving since I'm down south (school in ATL). Can anyone else agree with this?

drewm

KYBs ride harsher than other shocks, nobody can really conclude why yet. They just seem to ride potholes and bumps harder than Konis or Illuminas.

Bmr4life

dang, that sucks. Can't I set the AGX real soft or something cause I was just looking at your site again and there really are no other affordable options.

n2oMike

AGX's are very stiff in compression. Adjusting does very little to nothing for this. It mainly adjusts rebound.

Tokico Illumina's are a more expensive, and probably higher quality shock... but you usually get what you pay for.

I recently installed AGX's, and like the sporty ride.

Good Luck!

drewm

That's the thing you're not suppose to do. Shocks are to be adjusted "for the spring, not for the ride" Turning down a shock only makes your ride more bouncy and more likely to hit the bumpstops which leads to your camber and spring rate changing rapidly during a corner which leads to spinning out and hitting a tree.
http://drewm.dyndns.org/~drew/maxfaq...p?MaximaShocks


Since I have the Konis I'd say I can comment on them. My best guess is that the Konis take "impact bumps" a lot better, like the shock was better designed to get softer for hard impacts, yet still stay hard for spring oscillation absorbtion. Which is also another good reason why Koni decided to fix the compression settings and only adjust the rebound, so you can have a soft compression but stiff rebound which would still control the spring.

The AGXs probably just stay stiff because they weren't designed to soften up for the "impact bumps"