I bought a 99 Maxima SE Limited on ebay, which, as soon became evident, has been lowered. If it handled better, this would be OK, but it doesn't: It's still soft as a pillow, and, worse, it scrapes the ground all too often. The bottom edge of the front bodywork, the exhaust pipe, and various other points are getting beat up in normal driving.

I need to come up with a plan for fixing this problem. First, I'd like to find out what springs are on the car. If I replace them with other performance springs, I don't want to get the same thing! They are painted a medium to dark blue, with a slight purplish cast. The color appears the same as on the image at http://www.2kracing.com/images/sprint.jpg. There are no identification markings on them anywhere that I can see. Possibly they are these same H&R units?

Where can I get performance springs (i.e. stiffer than stock) that do not lower ride height?

PS: Anybody thinking of putting on short springs just for looks better think twice - sure, the car looks better from the side, but crawl underneath and it's a different picture. If you're going to actually race a car, and not drive it on the street, ride height is a variable you will want to take into account. But if it's handling on the street you really want, a few inches of lowering is just not going to help anything, and it's not good for your car.

Thanks

 

I don't know of any lowered Maxima's that experiance the problem your describing. Most of us on here are lowered, I'm running H&R springs and never scrape anything under my car, even on NYC streets.

Something is very wrong with your suspension setup, perhaps you've got blown struts which would cause the soft, pillow like ride. A Maxima riding on a set of sport lowering springs has a nice firm sprots car ride.

See if you can clean up the springs and look for markings to identify which ones they are. Take a picture of them and post it, perhaps we can figure out what you've got. Then we can recommend a set of replacement struts to give you back the ride control that will eliminate the pillow like ride you currently have. Post a picture of the car, side shot so we can see the wheel to fender gaps, that will also help us tell you what springs you have.

 

I don't have a digital camera, but I went out and measured. At the front, it's 13 7/8" from center of wheel to fender well arch, or about 26" from there to the ground. Also, I ran across some Sprint springs at http://store1.yimg.com/I/hopup1_1833_70953901 that are the exact color of what I have (and yes I have wiped them off and looked for identification).

 

Spring springs have a very low drop up front. The rear tends to sit higher thus giving the vehicle a nice rake twards the front. Some guys cut one or two coils off the rear springs to even out the drop.

What struts are on the car, the originals or aftermarket? You should be able to see if the struts are fairly new just by looking at them. If the original struts are on the car I guarantee you they are completely shot because of the Sprint drop.

If you'd like to get the car up a bit for better ride and handling, sell the Sprint springs and put a set of H&R springs in along with a set of Tokico Illumina front struts and rear shocks. You could probably find a set of OE springs here cheap and return the vehicle to the stock ride height. Keep in mind you do need to replace the front struts and rear shocks no matter what spring you use to get the ride control back.

 

Just to be sure I understand you, are you saying the Sprint brand springs drop more than others? The ones I see advertised say 1.8", which is about what all the others claim, including H&R...

I don't know if the struts are new, like the springs obviously are, or not. On the rear I don't think they are, because they say "Nissan", but on the front, when I pull up the boot - which tears very easily, so probably is original - the strut is painted shiny black, with a very clean and new looking zinc chromated (or at least bright gold colored) cap on it. The shape of the cap is not a simple short cylinder, but rather it has scalloped out places around it (oh for a jpeg!). I don't know if you can tell anything from this description or not.

The car now has 70,000 miles on it. One of the CV joints has started clicking on turns, so I know I'm going to have to act soon. I could put stock springs back on it, but for the labor involved in this job, I'm thinking I should take the opportunity to "improve" while I'm in there. I plan on putting on a strut tower brace too.

You mention H&R springs on Tokico Illuminas: Why not the Tokico HPK or ILK all in one units? What do you think I'd have to pay for some 99 SE Limited take-off springs?

Thnx