I am a previous 96' & 99' owner (36&42mo. leases) and it seems to me that this suspension from a GXE not a SE.
First let me explain a few things before you guys flame me for buying this car for my wife to drive most of the time. Lets just say I had a pretty sh!ty driving record in the 90's and I couldn't get on my companies insurance policy so my boss raised my pay 500 per month to get what I wanted in my name. The 99's lease ran out in May and my record is clear now so I can get a co. vehicle. My wife was driving a POS 91' Escort (W/no air) and I work for a fastener company which means our products are heavy and for me to make pickups and deliveries I need something to handle it. So I got a 02' Silverado extended cab. My company covers all the expenses of the truck including gas and I only have 1 car payment. My wife puts 10 miles a day on the car and I get to drive it at night and on the weekends.

So this weekend I'm out and I hit a stretch of road I really like with a lot of twisties. This is the first time I take the car hard into the corners and when I hit a few bumps, that I knew about, the car rebounds and floats up when the road dips slightly. I now have the rear of the car swinging out to the right as the road goes to the left with the front screaming for mercy and I'm running out of road with another dip coming. If I touch the brakes I'm f'd if I keep the current pace I'm f'd So I let up on the gas till I hear the front stop slipping cut the wheel to the right nail the gas to gather up the rear end then ease off the gas cut the wheel back to the left and brake hard before I hit the next dip and corner. Now it's time to pull over and gather my senses I look back and see a telephone pole and a few trees and I think I'm lucky as hell my headlights and taillights aren't touching.
I've taken that bit of road in my heavily modded 99' with no problem at higher speed. I didn't mess with the suspension in either of the previous Max's because I wasn't going to buy them. Now I'm thinking WTF sport-tuned suspension my A$$. I then take the car to a local mall with speed bumps. The car just launches when you go over them.

My cash flow is very limited for a while so until I have the money to upgrade the springs & shocks in this car it will be drag only!

What did Nissan do to this suspension? Could Nissan have put the wrong parts in this car? Were 00's & 01's like this? WTF?
Everyones thoughts on these questions will be much appreciated.

 

Transverse link fixed yet?

RSB, FTSB- you'll be fine.

 

I just posted a thread about this issue about a week ago. The suspension on the '02 SE was soften significantly. I hate it! My '00 and '97 SE's were both great. It felt like a decent sports sedan. The '02 is a major disappointment. And since I swapped out my new tires with Pilot A/S's, I now have great grip with a soft suspension. A very weird feeling...

I think they just created the Japanese version of a the Cadillac Sedan Deville.

If I could go back, I would NOT have bought this car.

 

heh, sounds like your insurance almost went up alittle more

 

What, in anything, did they change about the 2002s suspension (for an SE) from a 2000-01 models? The *only* reason I bought an SE model was for the 6spd and nicer, IMHO, wheels. With aftermarket suspension (H&Rs and KYB AGX), the car handles so much better, but it rides a good deal rougher.....rougher but not intolerable.

 

Welcome to the club.

I haven't gotten any of my recalls done, so maybe my car will be tightened up. I'm due for an oil change and "general inspection" at the dealership. I guess I've owned the car 3 months...they're going to crap their pants when they see the 8500 miles I've already put on it.

 

Anyone by chance live in the Chicago burbs with a '02 SE that has done the H&R springs?? I would like to see how much this alters the car and if the extra handling is worth the $400 or so for the springs and installation.

Please let me know.

Thank you!

Rob...

 

I gave my vin# to 2 dealers and they say my car is not included in the TL recall. I got it in May.
I don't know if I worded my sig. very good but I have F&R STB's and a RSB. Thank you for the thought though.

When the car rebounded off the bump & dip it was just as I was truning to the left and I think the rear end caught air and swung to the right while the front was going to the left. Luckily the rear end didn't go any further or I might not be writing this today. No matter how tight I make the car if the suspension can't keep the wheels on the road it won't be much use. I think the springs are to weak or the shocks are to soft and it gets more spring rate.

 

Welcome to the world of non-independent rear suspensions. While it actually, in theory, is beneficial for straight smooth roads, for rough curved roads....it'll bounce around alot.

 

Maximaman 777 I agree with what you are saying. I did have the transverse link recall done and I do have a FSTB and RSB. My car still bounces around and slips too much going into turns. I have had to let off of turns a few times that I took at higher speeds in my 95 escort with blown struts..I had hoped the suspension would be stiffer than it is.

 

If you hate the SE, drive a GLE .. ... its more luxurious .... Thats why my MODS solve that problem...

 

I just got my RSB installed today and it helped alot, but what I feel will help even more is an 8" wide wheel and some DECENT TIRES. I don't know how they decided on those RE92's but you could get a better ride from them if took it off the wheel and tubed down the Colorado river with it.

Jesse

 

I just sold my '99SE for a 2k3 SE and the suspension is much softer and floats more. Interestingly, the 2k2 max brochure from nissan details the SE suspension as including a thicker front stabilizer bar and firmer rear springs(says nothing about front springs). As I recall, the 2k and 2k1 included verbiage about stiffer front springs also. Could it be that the 2k2 and 2k3 have the same struts and springs as the GLE or GXE? If someone has access to a parts catalog, it would be interesting to know.....
I know Nissan took some flack over the SE's hard suspension in 2k-2k1 but they have overreacted in my opinion on the 2k2 and 2k3.

 

Did the 4th gen cars have an IRS?

Well, you don't anymore... I'll bet that most of what you felt.

Any bump in a sweeper will upset the balance of the car. I hate beam suspensions. Drive a 2K or 2K1, and see if it's any better. If it's not, it's the beam suspension.

 

I recently had the opportunity to drive 2k and 2k2 se's back to back.
There were a few outstanding differences - torque in the 2k2, quiet in the 2k2, no vibration in gas pedal or shifter in 2k2 and the rear shocks in the 2k2 felt like they were already worn out compared to 30k old 2k shocks. It appears Nissan screwed up the suspension!! (It was already bad enough with the beam axle)

 

If it is true that the 2k2 SE is much softer than previous years. Here's my theory behind it.

Given that 2k2's are mostly SE's and GLE's, people who would normally buy GXE's for the softer ride and good starting pricepoint have no choice but to get either an SE or a GLE as GXE's are hard to find. Since SE's might be too rough for these buyers and GLE's tend to get too pricey, Nissan might have decided to soften the SE's ride just a bit to cater to both GXE lovers and SE enthusiasts.

 

I agreed with sondmike....in addition, 2k2 stock SE bottoms out a lot. So, could all 2k2 use 1 kind of shocks but different springs? RSB and FSTB seems to be your solution for now.

 

I also agree with soundmike. But I belive Nissan is using the same springs and shocks in all 3 to be able to buy in volume and get better pricing and simpiler inventory. Hence the title of my thread.

Also there are few GXE's because of the Altima, they knew they probibly wouldn't move well. Why buy a base GXE when you can buy a loaded 3.5 Altima for the some money?

Yes I have F&RSTB's and a RSB and even if I used a NASCAR quality sway bar it will do no good if the rubber isn't on the ground. I'm not ranting at you I'm just pi$$ed Nissan is marketing something that was standard on previous years and changed it with out changing there marketing.
Is this corporate trend of screwing the customer every gonna end? NO

 

I have a '01 w/ H&R's....were you getting it installed for $400...I might know some places that are cheaper then that...

 

yup....a corp will do anything to cut cost. 2k2 has a lot of goodies and the price is close to that of 2k and 2k1. they have to find somewhere that they can get the money back. hopefully someone will scan the OEM partsheets for 2k2 and we can compare the part no. and brands. 2k and 2k1 use tokico shocks.

you are just on the same road that I've been thru. I started with a RSB, then FSTB....but still, I was not satisfied with the handling. and then finally.....replaced the shocks and spring.

 

Check with ChiTwista who has them on his 2k2 SE.

 

Did the 2k & 2k1's "sticker" for 32k? I don't remember. I know my loaded 99 lease was 27k. I just wasn't planning on having to spend money on S&S at this time, and I don't have it. And to top it off I woke up to another SEL this morning. I got on it alittle last night and didn't notice it then but it's on now. The car runs fine though I'm beginning to feel like

 

Umm, no, he won't. Did you not read his post?

Here's the problem, for all you whiners out there complaining about the handling. It's the friggin' springs. The shocks are fine, no need to replace them unless you want to punish your kidneys.

Basically, the stock springs don't seem to match up too well with the stock shocks. If you want to improve the handling 100%, switch to H&R's. They are perfect for the stock shocks. That way, you get to retain some of the stock ride characteristics, yet improve handling (and get rid of the "floaty feeling"). It's an excellent compromise between comfort and handling. No problems with bottoming out. No more scary situations in high-speed sweepers. I can't believe the difference they made, and I drive the car like a maniac in the mountains. Get off the fence and do it.

Dude, you dropped all that money into the car and you're complaining about the handling? There's your answer. First mod should have been springs.

Yes, Nissan dropped the ball when it comes to handling with the 02 SE. But it is a relatively simple fix.

 

32k? that's the sticker price for i30.....my fully loaded GLE (except traction and CD changer) was stickered for 27800.

about the SEL....I would just go back to the dealer and insist them to check it for free.

 

Will it ruin my stock struts if I just install some springs?
Again confused and in disarray,
Jeff Catt

 

I really don't think it's Nissan cutting cost. I think it is the fact that most....well a lot of Max drivers want softer suspension not necessarily Caddy, Buick, Lincoln kind of soft but softer than an Escort. We are Maxima enthusiasts and we are really a minority. I think it just a matter of Nissan giving what a great deal of there owners want. In fact some of the material I read before I purchased my 02 was that the SE suspension was little harsh, then when I got mine I was like, it's not firm enough. I just say do the neccessary mods to get the suspension the way you want it.

 

It depends.

Though a lot of people have managed to get tens of thousands of miles on their stock struts after putting lowering springs (Mostly H&R/Maxspeed), if you live in an area full of potholes and uneven roads there's a good chance your stock struts won't be able to handle the excess pressure and eventually blow out.

 

get some new struts, that might solve the problem

 

Does anybody think Nissan has cheated us and the Maxima is no 4DSC anymore? It seems like the Altima is taking its place as 4DSC and the Maxima is becomimg (or already become) the Avalon of the Nissan lineup. I love my 2k2 SE, specially the power, but I do not feel confortable pushing it to the edge or doing any spirited driving. It feels like a boat.

I hope the 6th Gen proves me wrong...

 

Not only does it "seem like it" but that's actually Nissan's plan.

 

What struts would you recomend, is there really an advantage to getting the "need to modify" KYBs that are adjustable(right?) or getting the Toks that aren't(right?). are their any other options? Spring wise, I was going to get some Progress springs.

 

Personally, I'm waiting until some good adjustables come out. Ones that are made for my car, with warranty, etc...

 

yup...just like the Acura Legend becomes the RL......they are going to oversize Maxima to compete with other luxury sedan. Nissan is now experimenting the 3.5 Alty while keeping the 2.5S/SL. If it goes well, they will push the Alty to 3.5 only. Prob. Sentra will take the old Alty's position.

They dun need something ranged between Civic and Accord.

 

Actually, the Sentra will compete with the Compact sedan class like it always has.

The Altima never had a designation and was always in the "middle" so to speak. With the advent of the 2k2 Alt it now takes the place of the Maxima to compete directly with the Accord and Camry (And thus the different engine configurations).

The Maxima will move higher up the food chain and compete with the Avalon and what seems to be VW's Phaeton (or was that the new Passat?)

 

Maxima has never competed head to head with Camry or Accord, it has always been Stanza/Altima even though they are slightly smaller.

 

the max is my first real "luxury" car, and to me it rides a little on the soft side. My daily driver before this was a 92 Sentra SE-R with a GC/AGX setup, 350/300 springs, and thats one stiff ride! I would like to do the GC/AGX setup in the max, just not so stiff of a spring.

DO they make AGXs for the max?

 

new Alty will be a good competition to Accord and Camry b/c they all offer 4 and 6 cylinder options. Nissan always want to make Maxima a step ahead of Camry and Accord. but turned out that car magazines always put these 3 together.



4th gen yes, 5th gen not yet.

 

I know Nissan took some flack over the SE's hard suspension in 2k-2k1 but they have overreacted in my opinion on the 2k2 and 2k3.

I have a 2002 SE and it rides pretty damn tight for a factory set up. I know the Koni Struts and the Spring Rates are firm, but I never once thought of the ride as rough or too harsh...after all why would I buy the Sport Edition if I wanted the Luxury Edition's ride?

As far as the 2002-3 ride goes. My wife's 02 (with only a Frankencar intake) is running 14.5 at over 95 in the 1/4 mi in 80+ degree weather at New England Dragway, but the ride is so awful it almost negates the great engine/tranny combo.

From what I hear the transverse link recall will fix none of this, but a set of springs will do the job. I have also asked for someone who has access to a Nissan Dealer to get the specs for the 00-01 and 02-03 front and rear Spring rates as well as the Koni Strut parts numbers too...if it all matches up there's something really weird going on.

John

00 Max ATX SE too slow to race
02 Max ATX SE 14.5 @ 95
87 5.0 GT 13.1 @ 107

 

why do u want to find out KONI's part no.? stock max uses tokicos and one other brand. Koni makes shock inserts and rear shocks for 4th gen, they dun make struts.


there are 2 part no. for the SE and GLE/GXE springs in 2k and 2k1. not sure about 2k2+

 

...Absolutely agree. H&R's springs were like solid gold on this puppy for me. Made all the diff. in the world, and I am still on stock struts/shocks. The RSB and FSTB you already have will really make their presence felt with a nice set of springs to complement them. Get H&R or Eibach, have an .org veteran in your area come by to help you install to save $150-200, feed him a few beers in appreciation, and you will never regret it. If you want the wife to like the car still, my gut says go w/ the H&R's like I did.

My wife never drives it, but she can't even tell the diff. from stock w/ the H&R...