Anyone ever look into getting a bigger front sway bar?

 

A larger front sway bar alone, while decreasing body roll, would drastically increase understeer. The Maxima understeers enough already.

 

But couldnt you do more to even that out in by modifying the rear?

 

i agree with him. yea the car understeers, but i still think the front rolls too much. Get some nice tires, a rear sway bar and a front sway bar and i think it would handle much better then just a rear sway bar alone. O and get progress springs so the rear sits up a little higher and helps get rid of understeer...

 

When I have 3 people on the back seat, my max tends push down a bit (obviously from the weight) on the rear of the car, which it creates a bit of off balance of the car. Do you think the progress springs would solve the problem?


I have FTSB & RSB already

 

Even with the rear sway bar, on the stiffest setting, my car pushes like there's no tomorrow. Putting in a bigger front sway bar will only increase the understeer. I've heard of some people (non Maxima) autocrossing who unhook the front sway bar so the car's understeer is greatly reduced (with the price of more body roll).

Sway bars are used to decrease body roll while keeping the ride cushy. If you have stiff enough springs (with shocks valved to match) you theoretically don't need sway bars (mostly in the rear). I could be wrong, but I don't think anyone manufactures a replacement/upgraded front sway for the 4th gen.

If you really need to settle down the front, stiff (very stiff) springs are in order (you can choose your own spring rates at Ground Control), along with adjustable shocks (Koni, KYB, etc). Also, camber plates will help reduce understeer. The caveat is that the ride will severely deteriorate. Oh, another thing is to play with tire pressue. Makes a difference in handling.

 

I agree with Slim. Look into stiffer front springs instead. For $200-$300 you could probably have somebody fab a larger diam/stiffer bar for you. But what are you really trying to do. Just reduce roll? Make the car handle better? Turn sharper?

P.S. My front bar is completely removed sitting in a parts pile.

 

You could buy polyurethane endlink and mid-bar bushings for the front bar if your car is a GXE or GLE. I believe the SE already has polyurethane. The tighter bushings allow the front bar to work more efficiently.

I would suggest starting with the mid-bar bushings first. My car is set up this way. It allows the bar to be more active in lower speed turns and more linearly progressive in its effects as cornering speeds increase.

The end link bushings won't have a very large effect unless the mid-bar bushings are also replaced, so that is why I suggest simply starting with the mid-bar. Cornering forces can't be transferred from either end very well unless the center is mounted rigidly.


The front camber angle can significantly affect the balance of the car. Anything from -.5 to -1.0 degrees should be fine.

Stiffening the rear will have some effects in reducing front end body roll as well. If the outside rear suspension doesn't compress downward as much in a turn, it means the inside front suspension won't extend upward as much in a turn.

 

One of the biggest problems the Max has is a very flimsy chassis. Adding sway bars will help a bit (I know the Addco I have did) along with a FSTB but the biggest improvement we can make to the handling are subframe connectors. They are the only suspension mod besides the FSTB, RSTB that addresses this flex problem directly, and they are relatively cheap from Warpspeed. I have read some posts were the RSB was removed after installing the SFCs and the car rode and handled better without it.

 

Yeah the SFCs would be pretty much the only thing i dont have for my suspension. I am considering them.

 

FYI SEs don't have poly bushings. I like my poly FSB bushings, but they don't really result in better handling especially for autox/track use. They do make the car feel more solid, and you can feel more through the steering wheel. The downside is slightly increashed NVH and more torque steer and bump steer when they happen.
-hype

 

Good to know. I am surprised that the stiffer bushings wouldnt increase steering response due to the decrese in flex.

 

 

Quoted Message:
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Originally posted by 96BLUMAX
Good to know.

 

Just wanted to clarify. I know I didn't specifically state the steering response was better, but it is. I haven't really noticed the understeer too much, but if you push the car it's there.
-hype

 

Ok got ya. I think one good way to get rid of the understeer is with a smaller steering wheel. It makes the handling seem completley different.

 

Actually, the chassis is pretty rigid. If you jack up one corner, you can almost get it up on one wheel. Compared to my M3, if you jack up the corner, the other three stay down. However, when the M3 (with stock suspension and stock 15's) goes through the same corners, the body roll is minimal compared to the Maxima (H&R's, AGX's, FSTB, RSTB, Stillen RSB on stiffest setting, with Potenza 225/55ZR16's). A lot of it has to do with suspension design and mounting points.

**Forgot to mention that it also has a lot do with weight distribution.

 

Yeah Nissan screwed us until the 04 max with rear independent.

 

Funny thing is how Nissan pushed the "Multi-link Beam" in the 4th gen's as if it was some revolutionary new design or whatever and pushed it as a top feature. Come the 6th Gen and they are doing using the whole "Independant Rear Suspension" line... Although Nissan must be commended for sticking a Beam Axel in the back of its premium "Sports Sedan" car and effectively marketing it.

 

Don't know about the 4-gens but the 3-gens have ST front/rear bars available. I use the ST front bar and the Addco(thicker) rear bar. It handles great. Yes in theory, the front bar will increase understeer but it also greatly reduces the front end dive that our fwd cars have. Instead of going super stiff springs/shocks, a thicker bar would give better handling w/o the penalty of a stiffer ride. I "think" progress makes some. I'd seriously look into this

 

What?! Understeer has nothing to do with the steering wheel. I hope you're joking.