Ok. I've had the car awhile and read a bit on the maxima org but I missed the fact that this car does NOT have a rear sway bar. Not Even the SE. Crappy if you ask me.

My '87 maxima had independant rear suspension AND a sway bar (although really small). The '95 doesn't have independant suspension and no sway bar. I think nissan forgot what Sports Edidtion means. Oh well.

I bought and aftermarket rear sway bar and put it on. It was only like $130 and it was worth EVERY PENNY. I highly recommend everyone get one.

Thaniel

 

What kind of sway bar did you get?

 

That's funny because I have an article written in 1994 that states that the 1995 Maxima had the best handling on any stock maxima yet, better than all 1981-1994 model years, "minivan beam" or not.

 

umm SE stands for special edition not sports edition

 

+1 Outslalomed and outgripped them, with a stiffer frame to boot.





And just FYI, to the original poster, the rear beam DOES have a RSB built-in to it.

 

Uhhh....Where....Post a pic if yours has one. There isn't one from the factory. I checked the car. The FSM and a repair manual. NO REAR SWAY BAR.

 

the beam acts as a sway bar for the most part

 

omg its a lurker!!!

 

I went with the Cattman.

The bar mounts to the rear axle and then to the trailing arms instead of from the body to the trailing arms. This increases the unsprung weight which isn't desireable. I am not thrilled with the design but all the other rear sway bars for this model of maxima I saw forsale were the same but I can't argue with the results. When my wife even notices the handling change I know the change is significant.

 

Perhaps it got better times due to the wider tires on the '96. The 96 maxima (before I adde the rear sway bar) I have understeers way more than my '87 maxima. The '87 was much more balanced. Then again my '87 had the factory adjustable struts and I had them on full stiff. OH and the '87 came with a rear sway bar from the factory

 

The guys are correct about the beam.

 

A little excerpt:

If the stock beam does not serve as an anti-roll bar, then neither do the aftermarket bars. All they are doing is stiffening the solid trailing arm attachment to the beam.

 

Where do you guys get this stuff.... PER the 2002 nissan brochure page 14

"GXE essential Maxima, SE sports edition, GLE, Luxury edition"

From 1998 Nissan Maxima brochure under SE "Sport-tuned suspension - Firmer springs, Front struts and rear shock absorbers; Liquid filled transverse link compression bushings; urethane front-suspension pivot busihings"

From the 2002 Maxima brochure. "SE the sportiest maxima: rear spoiler, fog lights, sport-tuned suspension, body color door handles, titanium tinted gauges and 17" alloy wheels and performance tires"

Call it what you want. The SE maxima's have the sport tuned suspension.

Oh another funny thing is the 1998 maxima brochure also states: "what makes maxima handle so well? to start, it's rear link beam suspension with and an innovative lateral link and control rod help keep the tires perpendicular for better tire-to-road contact. And front and rear stabalizer bars provide beter control during cornering and sudden lateral moves.

I am guessing the guy that wrote the brochure did not consult nissan's parts computer where it does not call out any rear stabalizer bars. Can't believe everything you read.

 

You don't have to believe me. Get an aftermarket bar. Put it on your car and drive it around some corners. They are pretty cheap and only take less than 30 min to install. It's night and day difference. A few years ago I put on some adjustable shocks on the back. It helped stiffen the rear but nothing close to what the sway bar did.

I purchased the bar in the first place based on the FAQ information on this board. Somewhere in there I read it was the first suspension mod that should be done.

I thought I'd help point this out to others as I had missed this tid bit of information myself and had wished I had know this years ago as I would have put the bar on then.

 

I had an Addco bar for 5 years. It definitely does reduce body roll... but does so by stiffening what is already there--the twist beam. You cannot say it doesn't already have one if all you are doing is adding stiffness to the solid beam-trailing arm geometry.

Also, I have been a year with the Addco off. I don't miss it. I can corner just as well as I could with it. IIRC, the SMX nissan with Stillen RSB did the slalom slower than a stock max (Motortrend).

 

umm SE stands for sports edition not special edition