ALSO! are KYB GR-2's good? better than stock? my springs currently look good, and dont sag. would gr2's be better than stock, with stock springs?

 

Stock GLE springs are really really soft. You won't get much out of just getting shocks (unless your stock ones are blown). Haven't heard any reviews of the Tokico HP set but my instinct is that you're better off with that than with just getting shocks. The springs and shocks in that kit are matched to each other to provide the best combo of ride and handling for the price.

Then again, if you think you might be able to get the Illuminas now and then get better springs later, that is definitely the way to go. It'll be WAY better than the HP set.

 

Yes. Definitely better than stock, but also 15% firmer than SE shocks, so your ride will firm up a little.

And -- never forget this -- they aren't nearly as good as Illuminas. Again... if there's a possibility that you can get Illuminas now and then better springs later, don't bother with lesser components.

 

would kyb gr2's and the Tein H-Tech springs be a good match for improved handling+performance? would it be rough, or semi-smooth/firm?

 

Regarding the GR-2s, they are a good OEM replacement. When I needed shocks on my 1992 Max, I did the cheapest thing possible: I put GR-2's on it keeping the stock springs and they rode a little firmer than stock shocks. They did make a big difference on my Max around corners -- but consider that I had 230K on it to begin with.

They rode fairly well for about six months, then they started to lose some of their firmness around corners. Could have been the springs going, but I felt like the shocks lost some of its gas.

Now, back to your situation. I've got 118K on my I30, and I am at the same decision point as you are. My advice to you is DON'T keep your stock springs if you plan on holding onto your car for more than 2 years. If you want to sell you car within the next year, and want to improve its handling for prospective buyers, then, YES, buy the GR-2s and keep the original springs.

However, if you will keep your car for at least 2 more years, you should consider replacing both the springs and shocks. For a budget setup, you could get away with buying a set of GR-2s for about $170 and a set of MAXSPEED springs for around $100 for a total of $270.

If I were you -- and I am in this situation -- I'd opt for the Tokico Illuminas at $378 a set and the Tein H-tech springs for $162. I know that it will cost you an additional $270, but factor the total cost over the total time you own the car.

For example: if you hold onto your car for another 3 years, the cost of this setup is $15/month. If you plan on holding onto your car for not more than another year and you choose to buy just the GR-2s, the cost per month is $14.17.

Do you see what I mean? Think of what are your long-term needs, and figure the cost of owning the suspension over the remaining time you plan to drive the car.

Beyond the cost factor, the combo of new shocks AND springs will give you more driving pleasure than just the shocks alone, and the better the shocks/springs, the better the driving experience.

In any event, the bottom line is "Go cheap" if you plan on selling your car soon, or Don't pinch pennies" if you plan on keeeping it.

 

Thanks for the good advice.

 

so where could i find the Tokico Illuminas for $378 ? The best ive found is on ebay for $420.

 

sorry about the repetitive posts, but these things keep coming to my mind. As far as springs go, are they what "pushes" the wheels to the ground, to keep constant contact with the road? When i go over rough roads, it feels like the wheels just arent in good contact with the road, feels like there isnt a lot of traction and is just unstable like they are bouncing around and dont have good constant contact with the road. Im not looking for any serious drop. All im looking for is a good not bouncy, controlled firm ride. I like the way OEM maxima SE rides.

 

As far as this is concerned It is most definately not your springs. It sounds like your struts have gone with the wind. I would suggest replacing your struts, and while your down there relace your springs too. Now as far as ride comfort in referance to springs. I really cant give you much. I went from eibachs to coilovers to another set of coilovers. So I would take the suggestions from other guys as far as the spring set up is concerned. But I do agree that spend the extra few bucks to get the Illuminas. They are totally worth every penny. If you want more info search this site http://maxmods.dyndns.org/ and you can find lots of good info about after market parts for our car. If you have any other questions pm me or email me.

Bruce

 

I know GR-2s are cheap but where can I find them for $170 ?!?!?!? Is it just for two struts or four ?? thx dr-rjp

Also, I think the basic assumption is that the car owner would do his own installation ...

 

I heard that the Progress springs are more comfortable that the s-techs and provide a lower drop that the H&Rs. Now Im considering in getting those, its like the best of both worlds.

 

Okay, in order....

Go back to the first page of this post to find how to get the Illuminas for $378.

about the GR-2s wearing out relatively quickly on stock springs (they did on my car as well). They'll do even worse with aftermarket springs.

Another at the discussion of how long you're keeping your car. If you get Illuminas, they will probably last for longer than you'll even care about, so if you can get them, get them. Then pick up some springs later if you want better handling.

 

I saw GR-2s for $172...but then I realized that they were for the 89-94 Max. The cheapest I fonud so far is $193 on Adventon.

Now, about the Illuminas. Performance Peddler will match the price of Adventon on the rears, so you can get the set for $396 -- the same price as buying the fronts from them and the rears from Adventon. It is not $378, but $396 since you have to add in shipping on the rears.

I suspect that Performance Peddler also offers GR-2's for under $200.

The major reasons for going with lowering springs as opposed to stock springs is twofold: (1) body lean is virtually eliminated making for much better handling around corners, and (2) the LOOK! Dropping the car only 1-1.5" gives it a sleeker, more aerodynamic look.

The downsides of lowering would be that you are more likely to scrape the bottom of your car if you should hit a deep rut or go over an obstacle in the road; that you have less room to work under your car if you use fixed height ramps to raise the front end, or that you have to jack the car up higher if you use jack stands, or maybe you just do not care for the lowered look.

I bought a pair of ramps last weekend and did my first oil change and transmission flush. The stock I30 sits pretty high off the ground and was pretty easy to work under. The high stance (and soft springs) is also the reason why the I30 sometimes has a very floaty feel. That is what I hope to change with new springs while keeping a smooth ride. I certainly do not need any setup that will jar my jewels. :-)

However, even just putting Illuminas on stock springs is going to give you a much better ride, both in the straightaway and around turns, because the struts/shocks by themselves cause the car to ride a little lower than the OEM setup.

Either way one decides to go (new springs or stock), go Illuminas.

 

OK, one final time.

Here are some example set-ups with their costs:

1. Tokico Illuminas + stock springs = $396

2. Tokico Illuminas + Tokico springs (Vogtland?) = $550 + cost of bumpstops & long-travel mounts

3. Tokico Illuminas + Tein H-Techs = $558 + cost of bumpstops & long-travel mounts

4. Tokico Illuminas + H&R springs = $596 + cost of bumpstops & long-travel mounts.

Question: Are H&R springs worth the $40 extra over the Tein H-Techs?

Question: Is the Tokico suspension kit that is made to work with the Illuminas better, or not as good as the Tein H-tech combo?

Which would you buy?

 

I still think we should be telling people either to get the fronts and rears from those two places or make PerformancePeddler match the free shipping on the rears, for $378 shipped for the set.

Anyway, you missed one setup:

5. Tokico Illuminas + Eibach Pro-Kit = $601 + cost of bumpstops & long-travel mounts


Tein H-Techs are all-out comfort springs with only enough extra stiffness to keep them from smacking the bumpstops more frequently with their 1" lowering. I've heard they feel virtually the same as stock. H&R springs will trade a little bit of comfort for a lower drop and better handling. It all depends on what you want.


Like the H&Rs, the springs in the Tokico kit have a lower drop and are more handling-oriented than the H-Techs, so they trade off some comfort for it. It all depends on preference.


Eibachs/Illuminas with front bumpstops and rear mounts. Best handling without killing comfort.

 

D00f00d:

First of all, quit telling people that the total cost is $378 shipped. It is $396.50 shipped (Adventon charges for shipping). Also, I called Performance Peddler and they said that they would match the price once I sent them the web link to Adventon.

 

For what it's worth, I read about 20 quotes from users on other auto forums that compared H&R vs. Tein H-techs. The consensus preferred the Teins. Also, there were more than a few users who had purchased the Eibach's and later felt that they were too harsh. One such user recently sold his set (like yesterday) on eBay for $93.00!

Something else to consider is how rough roads affect the feel. A number of drivers complain about their setups only after they take them out onto the pothole-ridden streets of their city.

Here again, it is hard to compare one set of driving conditions versus another. Maybe it is a fair question to ask which of these setups will tolerate crappy roads better than others -- from the perspective of both the driver's sanity and the condition of the car's underbelly.

People are correct in saying that it is still very much a subjective decision, and it is a shame that we do not have the capability of test-driving cars with each set-up. Now, there may be Maxima or I30 car clubs lurking somewhere in, or close to, your home town that might give you a ride in their wheels to see what their suspension setup feels like.

Other than that, I don't know what else to suggest, except cross your fingers, close your eyes, order the darn things and never look back!

 

@ dr-rjp's comments. You can hear other opinions to give you a ballpark idea of how something's gonna be, but in the end it's always a gamble. All you can do is to try to find consistencies in what people are saying and slightly improve your chances of getting what you want.

Always remember, reading about a product installed on another car doesn't always tell you what you need to know about how it will fit on your car. Each product is made to modify your car in the way that each manufacturer thinks is best, so they'll work different cars in different ways.

Good example: Eibach Pro-Kit springs for the Acura Integra aren't that much stiffer than stock overall (except at the limit of compression), but I'm sure we all can imagine that on the Maxima they're quite a lot stiffer than stock. Another example: any B13 or B14 Sentra owner who has KYB AGXs will tell you they're the greatest freakin' thing since sliced bread, but most Maxima owners who have had AGXs find them decent at best and harsh and annoying at worst.

 

I stand corrected. The price for the rears went up by $10 on Adventon.com too. PerformancePeddler it is, then.

 

Well, I got egg on my face by saying that PerformancePeddler (PP) would match Adventon's price.

I just spoke with PP and here's the 411 straight from the manager's mouth:

First of all, one of their rep's screwed up when he set the group price for the fronts. They are actually $272.78 for the pair and not $240. Also, he screwed up on the price of the rears which are actually $135.15, and not $168 for the pair.

The bottom line is that their price of $407.93 shipped IS our group discounted price for the entire set. So, in other words, buying the fronts from them and the rears from Adventon will set you back $491.69 -- which is a heck of a lot more than $396.

All of these prices do include shipping.

The bottom line, at least for me, is to go with PP on the whole set...and that is exactly what I did a few minutes ago.

Unfortunately, PP only carries Eibach springs, and at a price higher than what I can get from eBay. I've decided to go with Tein H-Techs, which I can get for $162 from eBay (NOT including shipping).

If anyone knows of a lower price for the Teins, please let me know.

I also asked PP about boots and strut mounts. PP does not carry the KYB boots, but they do carry the mounts. They want $81.04 for a front set, and $23.52 for the rear set (which, if you are going to go with the long travel mounts renders that moot). I believe that the front strut mounts are available for around $30 from somewhere. Someone help me out here on the actual price.

FYI: new strut mounts come with new bushings/bearings.

Personally, I have a hard time remembering where all of the prices and links are to the extras we need to get along with springs, like bumpstops, boots, and whatever else. I do know, however, who to PM about the long-travel mounts, but I think it would be helpful for everyone wishing to get struts, to repeat where to get them right about here.

I know that it is posted somewhere above all this, but, if it would not be too much trouble, I really would appreciate having it repeated...for the last time, I promise!

BTW, according to their sales rep, KYB does not make a boot & bumper combo for the Max/I30. Now you know why all of this stuff is so-o-o confusing!!!

Please tell me, what is it that Cattman has available then in the way of bumpstops and boots, and are they the only place from where we can get them?

My struts/shocks are on the way. NOW, I'll be very happy when I get the rest of this over with!!!!

 

TireRack says otherwise. They have the mount/bearing/boot/bumpstop combo for the Max.

Cattman apparently sells the bumpstops/boots by themselves for (obviously) less money.

 

i am on that setup and i am planning to get the long travels. at times the ride can get a bit bumpy. But compared to AGX's which I swapped it's much better. The AGX's handled like a dream though.

 

just need to go off topic alittle bit . . . . comparing to the illumina's what number setting are the GR2's?

 

Not a good comparison. The Illuminas are valved very differently so they don't have a setting that will act like the GR-2s.

GR-2s are much more similar to AGX, and people are saying they're the same as setting 2 on AGX.

 

ONE MORE CHOICE:

Vogtland at $177 shipped.

I have read a lot of good reports on these from many different car owners, but no Nissan drivers among them.

What about them?

 

I heard that the Progress springs are more comfortable that the s-techs and provide a lower drop that the H&Rs. Now Im considering in getting those, its like the best of both worlds.

 

Same springs as the ones that come with the Illumina kit.

 

If that is true, then two vendors on eBay have the Illumina struts + spring kits for $545 and $550...which makes it very competitive.

Someone on eBay won an Eibach Pro-kit for $93. I did not bid on them because the seller did not have a good feedback rating.

To summarize so far, it looks like Eibachs for maximum control, Tein S-Techs for maximum drop, and H&R for maximum comfort. The rest fall somewhere in between.

Is that about right?

 

s-techs on ebay for $120, $155 shipped

 

S-Techs on ebay for $120, $155 shipped.

 

I'd say:

Eibachs or S-Techs for handling
S-Techs or Progress for drop
H-Techs for comfort

And the best overall balance of everything, including cost, would be the Illumina kit.

Never forget the caveat that S-Techs actually might be worse than Eibachs for handling on rough roads because their stiffness makes them less forgiving, and they're lower so you're more likely to hit the bumpstops -- which would be bad in the middle of a turn.

 

Thanks, but i'm looking for the H-techs.

 

From everything I have read before I bought suspension, the AGX are a bit more stiff than the Tokico's. If you want to keep the nice ride comfort that the max offers, but also want superb handling, go with the Tokico's. I recommend the setup that custom maxima offers. http://www.customenterprise.com/view.../vts/design017

That is what I am looking to get. I had a AGX / Eibach setup on my 240sx and it was great, but I can imagine on the Max it would be a bit too stiff. The tokico and custom maxima springs is a perfect drop height, and will keep the ride still comfortable.

 

I wonder why I didn't post this earlier in the thread.

From what I can tell, AGXs seem to have been designed to work better for smaller, lighter cars. Hop on the forums for B13 and B14 Sentra/200SX SE-Rs, and you'll hear right away that one of the magic suspension setups for those cars is AGX with Hyperco springs.

On our cars, it's Illumina with Eibach or H&R. Makes sense that it'd be a different strut for a heavier car with bigger front and rear overhangs and less sporty intent -- the dynamics are totally different.

 

is the tokico HP Series Suspension kit being sold on custommaxima.com a good buy? ($499 before shipping)
are the springs that come with it Vogtland or another brand?

 

One user found that kit for under $400, so $499 + shipping isn't really a good price. Hell, if you're gonna spend $500, spend another 60 or 70 and get the Illumina kit off eBay. Much better kit.

Those springs are probably from Vogtland. Can't say whether they're exactly the same as what comes in the Illumina kit, since the HP (a.k.a. "Blue") is a lower grade strut. Even if they're not the same, they're probably similar.

 

Japanese struts with German springs...hmmm

Why does that combination bother me? :-)

 

You know, that is weird. Illumina/Eibach, Illumina/H&R, Illumina/Vogtland....

I guess the Germans know handling better, but you need something Japanese to bridge the gap to a Japanese car.

 

Then tirerack is wrong. They don't make boots specificaly for maximas, you have to use mustang and miata boots on the maxima.

 

Seems like what we have here is an AXIS OF AXLES (booo...bad joke)