Lowered, finally... PICS
06-07-2011, 06:24 PM
#45
OK, so the back end is quite noticeably taller than the front. Is that what a .2" inches difference looks like? I think I may have assembled the shock absorbers wrong as far as the bump stops go. Has anyone else encountered this with their drop? The pics on post 1 are with my stock rear shocks but the height is the same with the KYBs?
06-08-2011, 10:45 AM
#47
I agree it should be a bit lower then it is but that could be just the springs, make sure the rear springs a completely seated in the spring perches other then that I don't kno. Can't wait to see this at the next meet tho
06-08-2011, 01:31 PM
#49
The springs are lined up in the perches and I'm sure they've seated properly on the shock absorbers, 2 to 3 hundred miles on em in the last week. I'm gonna take a look at it all later today and get some pictures. A couple days ago it started making that same "clunk" sound like it was with the stock shocks.
06-08-2011, 07:18 PM
#51
OK, so I put the car on a lift and I can grab the spring in the rear and wiggle it as its sitting in the shock absorber. It is lined up with the perch and the shock absorber, but there is play.
On the ground under the weight of the car, it is not possible. I'm pretty sure that when I go over a bump, on the way down, the spring is hitting the shock absorber and making this "clunk".
Has anyone else had this issue with a 2" drop? The front is lower and there's nothing wrong up there. Anybody have any ideas or is this just normal? I'm thinking there should be a piece of rubber on the shock absorber where the bottom of the spring sits (see pic)...
Also, the whole assembly is put together in this order from bottom, to top in the shock absorber. Dust boot, concave washer, bump stop, bump stop, perch, washer, nut
I took a pic of each side. Didn't take them out of the car.
On the ground under the weight of the car, it is not possible. I'm pretty sure that when I go over a bump, on the way down, the spring is hitting the shock absorber and making this "clunk".
Has anyone else had this issue with a 2" drop? The front is lower and there's nothing wrong up there. Anybody have any ideas or is this just normal? I'm thinking there should be a piece of rubber on the shock absorber where the bottom of the spring sits (see pic)...
Also, the whole assembly is put together in this order from bottom, to top in the shock absorber. Dust boot, concave washer, bump stop, bump stop, perch, washer, nut
I took a pic of each side. Didn't take them out of the car.
06-08-2011, 08:46 PM
#53
I never heard or read of that problem before this. There's probably some way to silence them without switching to coil overs.
06-08-2011, 09:18 PM
#55
No kidding....i like the ride of my suspension but would like to go lower...esp since im lookin into getting her sitting on muranos...I keep asking my wallet for coilovers....but it keeps sayin no 
o well its cool, my VR4 has TEIN SS coilovers and its pretty harsh....
Ill get some different spring isolators and install them this weekend and leave feedback....till then........
o well its cool, my VR4 has TEIN SS coilovers and its pretty harsh.... Ill get some different spring isolators and install them this weekend and leave feedback....till then........
06-08-2011, 09:30 PM
#56
06-08-2011, 10:31 PM
#59
I cut about 3/4 of the stock rear bumpstops myself, but half of it off should suffice.
This is a good read:
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...n-updated.html
This is a good read:
http://forums.maxima.org/4th-generat...n-updated.html
06-08-2011, 10:49 PM
#60
Very helpful. Thanks, man.
Looking at that part explosion of the rear shocks (http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0051_large.jpg) and on courtesy nissan, I'm pretty sure I put one of the bump stops on the wrong side of the spring...
Looking at that part explosion of the rear shocks (http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_...0051_large.jpg) and on courtesy nissan, I'm pretty sure I put one of the bump stops on the wrong side of the spring...
06-10-2011, 07:11 PM
#65
I put the bump stop where it goes and the spring now sits tight in the shock absorber. I have yet to hear that "clunk", too. Very happy.
Tomorrow I'm either going to cut the bump stop in half or install a shorter one and see if it settles lower in the back. It still is sitting noticeably higher, but it did go down a tiny bit.
And Logan30, I had that body roll at stock height, too and now it's gone. Besides that, I can't say I feel that much of a difference in the way it handles. I felt more of a difference when I switched from yokohama 205/65 15s to pirelli 235/45 17s.
Tomorrow I'm either going to cut the bump stop in half or install a shorter one and see if it settles lower in the back. It still is sitting noticeably higher, but it did go down a tiny bit.
And Logan30, I had that body roll at stock height, too and now it's gone. Besides that, I can't say I feel that much of a difference in the way it handles. I felt more of a difference when I switched from yokohama 205/65 15s to pirelli 235/45 17s.
06-12-2011, 01:14 AM
#68
OK, so i cut the bump stops in half this morning... bad idea. The 10mm I took off from the bump stop made it so that the washer on the shock could move around freely and that thing is rattling way to much.
I didn't have time to disassemble and reassemble the shocks again after I left my shop today, but first thing Monday morning I am going to put them back together with new bump stops.
When I assembled the shocks in the correct order before I cut the bump stops, the rear end still sat about the same as it did with one of the bump stops on the wrong side of the perch. I still want to make the stance even, I think the only way to do this after everything I have tried is to heat up the springs. I will either go to a shop and have this done, or do it myself if I thing I can handle it.
Right now I'm thinking I should just take it to a shop to heat the springs and drop the back end... Is this pretty easy to do and not F up? My buddy had a Maxima a few years back and he heated the stock springs to drop it, but it looked horrible.
Any feedback/suggestions appreciated. Thanks in advance
I didn't have time to disassemble and reassemble the shocks again after I left my shop today, but first thing Monday morning I am going to put them back together with new bump stops.
When I assembled the shocks in the correct order before I cut the bump stops, the rear end still sat about the same as it did with one of the bump stops on the wrong side of the perch. I still want to make the stance even, I think the only way to do this after everything I have tried is to heat up the springs. I will either go to a shop and have this done, or do it myself if I thing I can handle it.
Right now I'm thinking I should just take it to a shop to heat the springs and drop the back end... Is this pretty easy to do and not F up? My buddy had a Maxima a few years back and he heated the stock springs to drop it, but it looked horrible.
Any feedback/suggestions appreciated. Thanks in advance
06-12-2011, 01:59 AM
#69
Cut 1-2 of the dead coils instead of heating it if you want to modify the existing springs. A new problem may arise in that the shortened springs will unseat itself when one side of the suspension is unloaded.
06-12-2011, 02:03 AM
#70
06-12-2011, 02:15 AM
#71
I wanted to cut the springs at one of the dead coils in the first place, but a lot of guys at my work said I should just melt the springs.
The front is only .2" lower but it sure does look like a lot more of a difference and the front settled almost immediately.
The front is only .2" lower but it sure does look like a lot more of a difference and the front settled almost immediately.
06-12-2011, 03:59 AM
#72
Honestly I say don't heat them, cut them. when you heat them up your taking away all the strength of the metal an will soften them up, eventually they will fail or break. I used to work for a heat treat company an when you heat somethin up it breaks down the molecules an in turn makes them weak, the springs have more then likely been treated to hold there strength an shape.
06-14-2011, 07:33 AM
#74
I cut just one of the dead coils off on each side. I'm gonna take off another half a coil today and see how it turns out.
I see what you mean after I cut one of the coils off, but how easily can this happen? I would think that it would have to be fully unloaded and hit the ground hard, like if I went airborne, or at least just get the rear end off the ground which I would never do.
Anyways, here's before and after removing one of the coils from each side.
Non adjusted lowering springs.
Lowering springs minus one coil in the rear.
Anyways, here's before and after removing one of the coils from each side.
Non adjusted lowering springs.
Lowering springs minus one coil in the rear.
06-14-2011, 10:50 PM
#78
I cut the coil with my cutoff tool. It is slightly lower but barely noticeable in the pics.
The ride is a little bumpy but it really isn't that bad compared to when I was on stock height until freeway speeds. I have never driven any cars on lowering springs besides cars at work, which I felt no difference at all than on stock suspension. Audis are a pretty smooth ride to begin with.
I didn't get a chance to cut the springs again today, I was putting coil overs on my buddies civic. Tomorrow I am going to cut another half a coil off and get some pics, though.
The ride is a little bumpy but it really isn't that bad compared to when I was on stock height until freeway speeds. I have never driven any cars on lowering springs besides cars at work, which I felt no difference at all than on stock suspension. Audis are a pretty smooth ride to begin with.
I didn't get a chance to cut the springs again today, I was putting coil overs on my buddies civic. Tomorrow I am going to cut another half a coil off and get some pics, though.