My car now has 172,000 miles on it. I recently had my struts replaced for the first time. The back had been gone for about 8 months or more. I am not sure about the fronts. They were so bad. The car ride was so rough and my back end used to kick out and bounce all the time plus the rear end up saging. Well I had them done today and now the car does ride a good amount better but the back end is still a little bouncy. If you push down on the back it bounces up and down a few times. The front seems to be very soild. The person who fixed my car said everything looked good in back and when they first put them on it didn't bounce at all. I had monroe shocks put in front and gabriels put in back. I know the gabriel brand isn't a good brand but I couldn't see brand new struts doing it. They said it could be the spring because I had bad struts for so long. Does anyone have any idea what I could do? How much would rear springs cost? If anyone could give me any advice please let me know.

 

Does anyone know?

 

aftermarket springs can be had very cheaply, it depends on what you want. Junkyard springs will probably work too, because springs usually don't go bad (from what i know from my auto-x'ing)

 

I think your springs are bad. For example, I purchased some Tokico Blues (used) combined with H & R springs not long ago for my '95 200SX SE-R...bad mix. The Tokico's had blown as they were not designed for a lowered stance. The car bounced badly in back and, as a result, the springs were shot. I purchased KYB GR2 struts and wrapped them with OEM springs taken off a salvaged vehicle...problem solved. It's also possible that your springs ruined the new struts, in a very short period of time, by bouncing. It could take as little as 20 or 30 miles for this to occur.

 

How much did you get those springs for at the junk yard?

 

I was also told the shocks could be bad because they may have been sitting for a while and they lost there charge. I called the dealership and it is $150 for each spring so I don't want to buy $300 in springs if I don't need them.

 

Springs hold up the car and allow the bounce. Its the struts (or shocks) that limit the bouncing.

I think the only way springs can go bad is to sag or break.

I would say you got bad struts. Go back at them.

Richard

 

Do you think if I get monroe struts it would fix this problem?

 

both of those struts suck royally. i dont care what any one else will say the only no adjustable strut to go with is tokico hp. period. they are the closest to stock, but slighty firmer. if you do need springs i have a few.

 

How's the ride compared to stock struts? I thought all oem was too soft and when I put Htechs and GR2s together the ride was hard as a rock...and dangerous as the car would skip when hitting uneven pavement. Is your combo a good compromise?

 

GR2's are slightly firmer than stock struts. On my Maxima SE, however, I have Tokico Illuminas w/ stock springs (truly amazing improvement...comfortable ride with superior dampening and adjustability). BTW, the springs I purchased from the junkyard were, as I mentioned, for my 200SX...they cost $75.00 for the pair...can't imagine they'd be much more for a Max.

 

My car still rides kind of rough and with the back struts still not right the back end kicks out.

 

It is hard to find maxima's at the junk yard around here. Does it matter what year or model I get the springs out of?

 

 

Are the tokico hp's better than the monroe struts?

 

SE rear springs are slightly stiffer than the gxe/gle. HP's are far better than the monroes interms of life, comfort, control, and handling.