mine sag a little. very hard to tell but I can tell.

 

i wish the rear of mine sat lower, they are def higher than the back, remember sprint not b&g

 

i was wondering what the best place to buy the boots for the struts is and also about how much should it be? thanks eric

 

Do you have a shot of the side of your max? I mean just a direct side shot...

 

I'm confused.

You have Sprints or B&G's? (I see your website says Sprints)
You have used the B&G's?

"...wish the rear...sat lower, they are...higher than the back..."

Please clarify. What springs are you talking about? Also, it seems like you're comparing the "rear" to the "back." I'm guessing you meant to say front somewhere in there.

Thanks.

 

i have sprints, oops meant to say front, not back, sorry bout the confusion, the back does sit significantly higher than the front

 

Here you go...This is the best I have... I know it is a little dark.


You can find more pics on my website!

 

Thanks KWheelzSB. They are 18" Enkei RS6 with 225/40/18 Dunlops.
So you think it is my "imagination"...the car looks leveled?

 

heres a side of a 1.6" drop which is suppose to be the same as the B&G drop only my springs are made by apex.

 

It looks a little lower in the back... that probably means the drop is exactly even though. The Maxima's fenders (as well as most cars) are cut lower in the rear.

 

Hmmmm... Okay, with that perpendicular side shot, I think I see what you mean. The rear does look a bit lower than the front from that angle vs. the pic. taken looking down the rear quarter panel.

I guess I wouldn't mind about 1/4-1/2" more height on that rear. Ugh. This is cause for concern, afaic. I see the point someone made that the drop is probably even, it's mostly a function of the different shapes/sizes of the front vs. rear wheel wells. If you look closely at both of them in your side shot, you really can see that creates the perception of rear sag.

What to do, what to do...

On the one hand, I'm thinking I could get the B&G's & install the rears with 1/4-1/2" ring spring-spacers, but on the other hand, I'm thinking "if I'm buying new springs, why should I have to deal w/ that at all?" Why not buy a spring that may not have this issue?

Oh well - I've got a decision to make. Best of luck with the spacers. Keep us posted.

 

thanks for posting that pic...i even looked at the pics on your website and....some pics look like the rear is lower and on others it looks even. from the side shot it looks like the max is sitting level and that the drop looks level(i'm looking at the rocker panels and seeing how parallel they are to the ground). definetly the wheel wells are making it difficult to see if it's dropped evenly. By any chance, are you the one that measured the drops b4 and after? question for you then...i see that you have two maximas....did you measure the same max b4 and after or did you drop that one max and then measure the one you didn't lower and then use those numbers. So basically did you assume both maxes would be identical?

 

I assumed that both Max's are identical. They should be for they are BOTH 99 SE-L manufactured 3 months apart from each other according to the factory sticker (mine being older). Hence, I compared the drop with my wife's Max. Its TRUE that the rear wheels are tucked a little in than the front wheels. Therefore, regardless what lowering springs one uses, the lower the car, the perception of sagging will be inevitable.

UPDATE: I purchased "spring spacers" from AutoZone last night & installed them this morning.
Parts: Coil Spring Stabilizers manufactured by Motormite Division of R&B Inc. BTW, they are traded on the NASDAQ, symbol RBIN.
Cost: $4.99 for a set of 4 pieces. SKU# 81500
Installation:
1) Lift one side of the rear with the OEM jack until the wheel is off the ground and the springs are unloaded.
2) Install one spring spacer at the top-most coil where it will fit. Using a hammer, tap one "Coil Spring Stabilizer" between the coils in one of the springs.
3) Tap the other stabilizer into the spring at approximately 45-60 degrees from the other stabilizer.
4) Lower the car and repeat the steps for the other side.
5) Test drive and recheck everything. Test drive again, this time take sharp turns at reasonably fast speeds (always obey the law ) and recheck everything again.

Now it looks just PERFECT. The decrease in drop should be 0.25"-0.30".
------------
I am now sitting 1.6" lower in front and 1.3" in rear.!! I am glad I found this solution, for I was almost ready to buy Cattman Coilovers.

Cheers!

 

Dashingmax,

Congratulations! Glad it worked out for you. You'll have to give us "ride" impressions as you get used to the new setup. If you have time, it would be great if you could post a pic! Thanks.

"Nothing like a $5 solution to a 3,000 lb. problem!"

Way to go!

 

And congratulations! I'm guessing its one of the best $5 investments you've made on your Max. Anyways post some pics, that way we can do a side by side comparison of your car. BTW, forgot to mention your wheels looks sweet!
-Cyrus

 

Amen to that!
Here's a pic of the part that I used. I scanned it in. I'll have pics of my car in a couple of days.

 

another question for ya...do you have a manual or automatic?

 

how much weight does the auto add?

 

I think I've read some posts that said 150-200 lbs., but for those officially "in the know," please feel free to correct me.

 

Mine is the Manual...

 

We might be on something...the other member that experienced the rear being higher is an automatic...you state the exact opposite with the front being higher than the rear but you're a manual

 

I think you are correct!
The next thing bothering me is that the rear wheels are a little tucked in. I am thinking 5mm wheel spacers...you guys probably think I am nuts...

 

yes it looks good, leave it alone

 

I don't think you're nuts at all. . .

If you try it before me, let me know how it goes!

-K-

 

dont listen to him, it looks fine

 

Don't listen to me? How 'bout don't listen to you? It looks "fine," but does it look "perfect?" Have you seen a 4th Gen w/ 5mm wheel spacers on the rear? This would clean-up that offset & perfectly align the wheel/tire with the fender, imho. If you're not a perfectionist, you may not understand or appreciate this, to which I would say: that's "fine" too.

It's a free country - do what you like, but I think this is a worthwhile improvement to consider.

If I get to it first, I'll report back & provide pics, so people can decide for themselves which setup looks more F-I-N-E.



P.S: To those considering this, don't get the cheapie spacers at your local auto parts place. Spring for the H&R spacers. They're worth it.

 

It is a free country allright!
Just wonder how my wheels/traction may get affected if I use spacers.
After putting 5mm spacers, my wheel offset will decrease by 5mm. I am not willing to buy 2 new wheels just for that "perfect" look. Any thoughts?

 

whoa! got taken a little too seriously there, dont worry im pro do what you want and pay no attention to what they say, im just messin with ya

 

Hmmmm. . .new wheels? You lost me there. You won't need to replace wheels to put spacers on just the rear of your car. To go with a higher offset wheel (ex: from 40mm-45mm) while adding a 5mm spacer would net you little more than the added weight of the spacer on your hub. (The wheel change would negate the effect of the spacer).

5mm is a relatively small change functionally, and safe to do to one end of the car, plus it's enough to notice, visually.

As far as changes in handling are concerned, (I'm only theorizing, so please feel free to tell me if I'm talking out of my butt) I would think pushing the rear corners "out" slightly (10mm total), could cause the car to have a slightly increased amount of understeer, as with the slightly wider stance, the rear may be more "planted" during aggressive maneuvers. Again, 5mm per side is very small - you may not even notice anything, unless you drive "at the limit" a lot.

The one thing someone DID caution me about regarding this idea, was to not go thicker than 5mm, because you don't want to push the tracking of the rear tire too far out of line w/ that of the front tire. The reason for this is: hydroplaning resistance. The farther out you push the rear relative to the front, the more the outside of the rear tire will have to "cut it's own path" through standing water. This could potentially make the rear end more subject to hydroplaning. -But, 5mm won't cause you any problems in this regard.

As always, good luck!

 

It's all good - sorry - didn't mean to come off hostile. . .

 

after reading this thread ive been paying much more attention to the stance on my car and I have noticed that it actually does not sag in the rear infact its really level if not just a tad lower in the front...I have an auto plus my I30 is heavier in general compared to you maxies...

 

would i personally use wheel spacers, no...why you ask, you are then putting more stress farther out on the wheel studs or in this case the extended studs. 5mm might not produce that much stress, but it still stresses it more. just buy some quality ones like the ones produced by H&R, the cheap ones lowriders use, cause unneccesary stresses and break very easily.

 

Just fyi, H&R designs spacers over 20mm for use on Porsche's, BMW's & others intended for use under "racing conditions." I agree in principle with what you're saying, but I'm thinking our Nissan hubs/suspensions are probably strong enough to accomodate a 5mm spacer under normal and even track conditions quite safely.

 

My own research & the remarks of those who own them have led me to conclude that the B&G's (for those seeking a 1.6" drop) are probably one of the best springs for the (4th Gen. AUTOmagic), but B&G engineers slightly "missed" the mark on the design for the (4th gen. 5-SPEED).

Many of the different spring manufacturers design a lower drop into the front vs. the rear on our cars; with the lighter manual tranny, I'm learning that there's especially good reason for that.

If I had an AUTO, I probably would have gone w/ the B&G's. As it stands now, I think I'm going to try to get the Apex's, which also have a 1.6"f/r drop, but don't seem to have the same "visual" issues (front/rear) w/ respect to the "lighter front end" manual tranny.

Before anyone flames, I know the Apex's are rated 1.6"F&R, just like the B&G's, but I've seen pics of both springs installed on (5-speed) Maxima's & the Apex looks better in the rear, imho.

They're hard to find tho, & as expensive as the H&R's. Doh!!

This is just a statement of what works for me. -Not a dictation of what anyone should get. Feel free to spend as you see fit!

 

no problems here, except driving at extreme speeds during turns.

 

Can you elaborate? What suspension setup/mods do you have? What is the undesired behavior, specifically?

Thanks.

 

problem is he now takes turns even faster than usual

 

I could not have said it any better. I have had my B+G's and AGX's on for 3 months now and have no sag at all. The best combo I have seen and would highly recommend it.

 

You're automatic, right? The problem isn't with automatics equipped with the B&G's, it's with the manual trannies.

(It isn't really even a sagging problem - more of a perception issue)

The manual tranny is about 150-175 lbs lighter than the auto & it just so happens that with the B&G's, the manual's front end sits slightly higher than it does on the comparably equipped automatic. You can easily see this in photos of auto vs. manual w/ the B&G's. The net effect is that the rear "appears" lower on the manual than on the auto.

My opinion is that B&G is the perfect spring for those automatics looking for a 1.6" drop. If I had an auto, it's the spring I'd get, no question. I think for the manual tranny, Apex is the right spring, however. It offers a 1.6" drop as well, (is a bit firmer, though) but based on my research, doesn't have the same height-issues as the B&G on the manual tranny, 4th Gens.

If you disagree with my assessment, search the forums for B&G posts w/ member "dashingmax" experiences, as well as others w/ the manual trannys & B&G's. There IS a trend.

 

oic - I missed the joke. Thanks.

"Dawn breaks over Marble-head. . ."