i feel every bump on the road by front suspension , this is 98 SE and i think they are those stiffen springs... my question is are they adjustable in some way? i see there is bolt in the middle on strut tower always wonder what is that for?

but rear is too bouncy after drive over bump it will bounce like over 2 times before stop..

i know it is a noob question i may search but i don't know what exactly i am looking for so putting everything in one place. what do i have to check/ replace first?
i am not into sport stuff I am looking for 100% driving comfort! please help

 

SE springs are stiffer than other trims. The bolt in the middle of the strut tower is to hold everything together. There's no way to adjust anything.

The rear might be bouncy because your struts might be blow. How many miles do you have?

 

i got 116k here are some pic so you can say how bad it looks..
so can i tight this bolt on the top? could it get loose? this not rusty spot on the bottom looks suspicious.
do i have to change whole strut to make it comfortable? if so which brand is good? thx!

 

Hm I'm definitely leaning more towards the thought that you have blown struts. That top bolt can come loose, but it doesn't look like it has. Just replace the struts and get some new dust boots, springs look good to me. If you're not looking to lower the car then any aftermarket stock replacement strut would be fine.

 

Too bouncy/too stiff are symptoms of dying struts. There are no fewer than 50,000 combinations of struts and springs. Look in the suspension sticky. There are some stock replacement struts (Tokico blues). It's totally up to you and your budget. The Illuminas and H&Rs I just put on my 95 are worth it in my opinion.

 

How long have you had this car? Did it ride differently before?
Everything may be OK in front. The front suspension is just stiff if you are not used to it. Just make sure the nut is at the top of the strut is tightened securely, do not over tighten. looks like someone just tightened that nut that's why there is no rust. They may have even over tightened it. You need to tighten using a torque wrench.

Sounds like the the back struts are a problem. They are much easier to work on than the front. Try removing them and see if anything is loose broken or worn. Monroe struts are a good choice.

 

Live in Massachusetts in a city with bad roads and in the winter the cold creates frost heaves that beat the **** out of my struts. I went through 2 pairs (monroe sensatrac's) in 3 years ... the bounce is always a sign of bad struts.

 

well, own car over 6 monts, hard to say i think they were as bad as now i just didnt pay atention, maybe front ones aren't that bad, just don't want stiffer suspension anymore. I think i will just buy shocks from GLE/GLX but i would have to change springs too right?
honestly i am little confused when do i buy only shocks? when strut with springs?

that make me not want to spend that much money if it lasts only like 2 years.... damm it is like 1/5 price of car (not including labor)

 

Another reason why I would like to save my money and go back to the OEM suspension feel. Can't afford to keep changing these things so often..

 

The softest, smoothest riding strut for the 4th gen Maxima is the Tokico Blue series.
You have Monroe SensaTrack up front and my guess would be a bad set of OE rear shocks. I would replace the front struts and rear shocks along with the dust boots and you should have a much more compliant ride.

 

Having to replace the struts and shocks at 100K plus miles is normal maintenance, so don't go thinking that the car has some kind of abnormal problem.

 

If you want a soft ride you would probably need to change out the springs. I would think the springs are the reason for your stiff ride. Your old Monroe struts are just standard OEM type struts.

Funny, I purchased my 98SE because of the firm suspension. I did not like the GLX, GLE suspension at all.

Maybe someone put some aftermarket springs on the car? Is it lowered?

 

thanks guys now i am looking for good deal for all tokico blues shocks + front springs!

actually my GF drives this car , but i dont like stiff either
cant see adventages

it is not lowered

 

The HPK245 kit is the tokico blue struts with lowering springs. The best price is at EZRperformance:

http://www.erzperformance.com/Nissan...okicohp-43.htm

I got them for $387 last spring but they're now selling for $444. That's still a great price. Tell them you're a maxima.org memeber and they'll give you a discount.

 

so here i would get all of them with new springs about same price... interesting.
but lowered springs = lowered comfort right? all i need is comfort, no need to be low.

 

You said you want a cheap solution, just buy some used GL/GX springs. If your current struts are not leaking/worn you can consider just using them. People on this forum are lowering their cars all the time you could probably pick up some used springs cheap. You may need to replace the strut mounts and strut bearings.

 

just get some KYB shocks and reccomended psi air in your tires. and your ride will be great long as your OEM springs.

 

This is the easiest and best way to do the job yourself but more expensive.

http://www.amazon.com/Monroe-171293L.../dp/B000VB004Y