I have heard from a couple good resources about a pretty good suspension set up thats cheaper then most. I'm going to give it a try myself and I will post my comments. I'm going with,

2 Front Monroe:Sensa-Trac Struts
2 Rear Monroe:Sensa-Trac Struts

4 S.Tein Lower Springs; 2.2 Front drop, 1.8 Rear Drop


I also heard that they are tuff enough to handle dropping springs, unlike most stock replacement, adding lowering springs will cause struts to go bad with in months. I heard its a different story with the Monroe:Sensa-Trac, so Imma experiment.

Plus Im getting the struts very very very cheap brand new.

 

how cheap? cause this could cost ya

I have been contemplating on these Monroe Sensa-trac myself for quite a while now, you can get them for "buy one second half price" pretty much anywhere in Canada right now. There are not l lot of people who got them on this site, i only know like 2 guys that tried them and said the ride felt the same as stock with stock springs, which i think is a good thing

i dont know about lowering them though, let me know how it goes

 

Don't do it. Find a better set of springs (s-techs drop too low for any strut IMO) to put on those cheap struts. You're probably on a budget so if I were you I'd go half and half. Get the monroe's and then get a decent set of springs: Progress, H-tech, H&R, Eibachs...ect. Just about anything other then S-techs. You'll regret it big time.

 

Aren't Monroes more expensive than Illuminas...???

 

I get parts for cost, and Monroes were more than Tokico, like $125 a strut,

 

with my little connect i get them cheaper then autozone or auto stores by them to sell

 

Do not go with Monroes..I had them on my car for 2 years with stock springs and less than 30k later they started leaking. If you looking for cheap struts and lowering...Either go with the Tokico blues or Kyb GR2's..However S.tech would be too low for these stuts so don't cheap out spend the extra $$ and go with Tokico Illumina's or if you still want to go cheap..lower with blues or GR2's and H&R springs or possibly even Tein H.tech's.

 

I think www.shox.com had some good prices on struts. What type of ride are you trying to achieve? Tiens are ok. I like Eibachs cuz its stiffer. I have ran H&R and they are good too. Its all preference.

 

I actualy put the Tien s tech on my factor struts, they lasted a while about a year or a little more or so, then i changed them to KYB...

 

The monroes are designed to be used with the stock spring. i dont think its will last, but as stock replacement its not bad, just expensive a little

 

i have tein h-techs and kyb gr-2s... im happy with the results. didnt cost me too much and handles a bit better than stock... its only slightly stiffer than stock and a bit lower... it looks stock. but it isnt =) hahaha

 

i've heard the sensa-tracs are ok for a small drop but not that much of a drop. you should get adjustables dude, tokico's or illuminas or even kyb-gr's like i got, but i got maxspeeds instead cause they're supposed to be a little bit like stock and the drop's only 1.5 in front, and 1.3 in the rear. good luck

 

What i don't understand is why people drop the back more then the front?? does it handle better?? i see a lot of altimas like this.

 

the front is heavier

 

I liked my monroes on my last max, but no drop. And my hookup at P-boyz wsa awsome. Can't do better than free for all 4.

 

wrong, ask anyone who knows, the drop is lower in the front than the back for better handling. read my first post, 1.5 in the front and 1.3 in the rear.

 

"Tikico Blue 4-way struts with 2.5 inch lowering springs" way to go

 

TO THOSE WHO actually HAD monroe Shocks or Struts on a 4th gen:

How was the ride compared to stock ? did u have an SE or Gle/gxe?

 

This is a mess of a thread but I will comment that a slight rake to the rear is actually beneficial due to our cars being so front heavy in the first place. From even to slight rear rake some of the weight is distributed off the nose. Most cars also have lower/smaller rear wheel arches because the front wheel needs to be turned so an "even" drop will almost always appear to sag in the back. Look at stock BMW E36 3 series to get an idea of what I am talking about.

 

That wouldn't be you would it? See my above post and enjoy preloading the nose for even worse weight distribution and "handling".

 

so why does every spring setup i've seen show a bigger drop in the front than in the rear?? cause your wrong, i've talked to every person i know who has a drop and the bigger drop is in the front. i asked a custom shop i know about this and they say, our cars are;nt meant to be lower in the rear because of what i allready said " handling "

 

Wow. Spring companies are SELLING a product. You don't think there is any chance that they sell what looks better rather than what actually performs? I can't believe you are not grasping the concept of loading up the front end of the car. THINK about it, 60% of the weight is already up there. Having the front lower loads up the car as if you are on the brakes before you even enter a turn. Please do some reading on the subject before you soil this thread even more with misinformation. Thanks.

 

I had monroe's up front, My car is a SE, After I swapped to Monroe's, the ride softened up a little compared to the Stock SE ride., and like I said previously they started leaking after only 30km's.

 

ok mr.know-it-all, no-one is complaining about handling or performance with a measly 1.5 inch drop because usually they do the whole suspension and not just the springs, but i agree to some point that the lowered front might add a little more weight. thats just common sense. take the good with the bad, i think it looks better to lower the front a tad more, but thats me.

 

That's fine, I think it looks better too. You're original post said that:
And that is incorrect. As a member of the community I thought I would point that out so the misinformation does not leave this thread.

To the original poster: The S-Techs springrates are not high enough to be that low. Your new shocks will be doing a good bit of work and possibly be bottoming out very frequently.

 

ya, you'll pop those baby's with that big of a drop. and, to the above post, i only said thats what most people do, and thats how the manufacturer presents them, and i've never heard of any problems with that.

 

i noticed theres a lot of mis information here. Freeway spread the light on s-techs though. They are way to soft for that amount of drop. If you are going to run s-techs they should ONLY be run on either of these three struts: KYB AGX, Tokico Illuminas or Koni's. The s-techs spring rates are too low for the drop, and quite a few people say that once the car is on the ground its almost on its bumpstops arleady. Yes you can cut the bumpstops but you should search and read about the negative side effects.

The 4th gen maxima have very limited suspension travel to begin wtih, something like 4" with all 4 on the ground, nwo if your lowering the car 2.2" thats more then 50% of its travel, you will be bottoming out the suspension over bumps. I only recommend the eibach, progess, etc less then 1.7" drop. Other then that coilovers are the way to go, go as low as youd like and maintain the same suspension travel.

I hope any of that helped, to answer your original question, i would NOT use monroes with anything other then stock springs.

 

.1-.25" difference in ride height between the front and back is basically nothing, you guys need to chill out

And the best budget setup is the Tokico HP kit... $440 for a matched spring/shock combo... it won't drop you as low as other springs but if you don't like it one yourself.

 

holy **** this thread sucks

 

Amen.

I think that we are finished here...