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I have been busy stealing parts off the old car to improve the handling. I forgot how awful a stock 4th Gen handles.
I first swapped the strut bars. I have a Stillen FSTB off a Sentra with the mounts from a 4th gen generic front bar. The generic bar is now a RSTB with the mounts off a Sentra bar. Basically I had crap laying around and I made it fit front and rear.
My cousin had an Addco RSB on his 5th gen. We made a deal and got it for next to nothing. I contacted Addco for new hardware as the U bolts broke on removal. I had a Progress RSB years back and told myself (and many others here) it was not a good mod to do. For whatever reason I do not notice the drawbacks I remember; poor ride quality and unnerving feeling in some turns.
After trying countless strut and spring setups over the years on my 98, I feel the Koni and Eibach combo is hard to beat. It is not stupid low or harsh riding. I put together another set of custom shortened Konis with a fresh pair laying around. I can't say enough about how important suspension travel is. CSK add some lost compression travel when lowering. I also praise the SE foam bump stops, not those silly rubber bumps on GXE/GLE. I trimmed a bit off those for more travel.
While not exactly suspension, changing wheels and tires really lets the other mods shine. 235/45zr17 on 5.5 gen SE wheels look loads better too. May as well mention the 20mm wheel spacers installed on the rear while I'm at it.
The front sway bar end links were shot. I got some grease able Moogs and ES poly urethane bushings.
Excuse the dirt, hadn't cleaned it yet. Addco top, all cleaned up and ready for install.
Progress bottom, dirty, just yanked off the parts 97 for comparison.
1. where did you get the spacers from, and
2. what is the drop on the koni's
3. i have those wheels, still fresh in storage.
4. ride looks good, except under the hood.
1. where did you get the spacers from, and
2. what is the drop on the koni's
3. i have those wheels, still fresh in storage.
4. ride looks good, except under the hood.
Spacers I might have to look into, on the front I'm assuming it would just be extra stress on the axles and control arms, god I love being low though
Thanks for the complements. It is coming together nicely.
I never paid much attention to SE-L or KT3 before this car. Now they seem to be everywhere. I'll miss my KH3. I still don't love the NATS, pre cat layout or swirl valves. I have plans for all that, but that's another thread.
Thanks for the complements. It is coming together nicely.
I never paid much attention to SE-L or KT3 before this car. Now they seem to be everywhere. I'll miss my KH3. I still don't love the NATS, pre cat layout or swirl valves. I have plans for all that, but that's another thread.
my first max was a kh3 and I miss it but I dig my kh3, swirl valves is just a vacuum cap and fed spec LIM. Had to do that on my vq30 kt3. I wish this community was as big as it used to be I'm so late in the game but I love these cars
Yeah my Powerstop Q45 front brake rotors just came in today....Got some twin piston Q45 cailpers, PowerStop Z16 pads and they're about to get installed on my 98....need more braking power....
Really the ADDCO and Progress RSB are damn near the same except the Progress hardware and brackets make ADDCO looklike they were getting a little cheap with the smaller brackets, U-bolt retaining plates thinner gauged metal etc...I installed my ADDCO with a Progress Hardware Kit....it's an ADDCO/Progress hybrid now lol!
Yeah my Powerstop Q45 front brake rotors just came in today....Got some twin piston Q45 cailpers, PowerStop Z16 pads and they're about to get installed on my 98....need more braking power....
rpf1 rims drop some unsprung weight, save the power, get the look, enjoy the braking and handling
Glad to see you're still in the game Jon! I've always loved those sterling mist SE-Ls. Do you still have the fancy-finished stock wheels? Got any other threads going?
I have the stock wheels but I can't use them with the 6th gen brakes.
I have made a few other threads but nothing since the supercharger install back in Oct. One of these days I'll put it all in a build thread I guess. If nothing else just for the sake of having everything in one spot.
Bigger and better front brakes are on the list. Something using stock parts, 5.5 or 6 gen for example. Benefits of the Q45 over those?
Q45 Calipers are dual piston. I can't say whether or not they are any better. And there is always the Z/G dual piston OEM calipers in addition to their Brembo option.
I'm holding out for some aluminum z32 caliper to drop a little weight while I'm at it.
I get the appeal of the dual piston Q45 caliper. However, I remember it being a custom list of parts IE something needed to be machined. When the 6th gen swap came along, being all off the shelf parts from one car, I figured the older pieced together budget BBK's would be less ideal or completely ignored. I know I never looked into other OEM BBK's after learning about the 6th gen.
I get the appeal of the dual piston Q45 caliper. However, I remember it being a custom list of parts IE something needed to be machined. When the 6th gen swap came along, being all off the shelf parts from one car, I figured the older pieced together budget BBK's would be less ideal or completely ignored. I know I never looked into other OEM BBK's after learning about the 6th gen.
I had the Q45/Cobra setup for a number of years. Aside from the custom bracket (IIRC....or was it centering rings?) there was the issue of pad selection. It might be fine for street pads, but I was interested in track pads and there just weren't any.
I had the Q45/Cobra setup for a number of years. Aside from the custom bracket (IIRC....or was it centering rings?) there was the issue of pad selection. It might be fine for street pads, but I was interested in track pads and there just weren't any.
Good point. Pad selection is a big deal for some.
Originally Posted by CS_AR
Running G35 brakes on the 99 model for some years now. This is not a mod for the faint of heart.
I'm thinking of going the other way and custom fabricating a 2" lift kit and bigger tires. Do you have any old struts laying around? I need set of junk front and rear struts to do the setup/fabrication/layout.
& before all of you suspension ****'s chime in, Yes, I'm aware of changing the center of gravity and alignment challenges
I'm thinking of going the other way and custom fabricating a 2" lift kit and bigger tires. Do you have any old struts laying around? I need set of junk front and rear struts to do the setup/fabrication/layout.
& before all of you suspension ****'s chime in, Yes, I'm aware of changing the center of gravity and alignment challenges
06-11-2018, 01:53 PM
drop some unsprung weight, save the power, get the look, enjoy the braking and handling
