Soon after buying my SE with the 17" wheels I had hernia surgery. The seat belt across my new wound accentuated the harsh ride of my new Max. as I felt every peice of gravel the tires hit.
I now ride with slightly lower than recomended tire presure
(with no ill affects on tire wear after 5,500 mi)to make the ride a little softer.
Has anyone out there felt the SE rides way too stiff and are there any fixes at a reasonable cost <$1,000.
I've considered swapping all springs and shocks for either the base Maxima or the deluxe version and the price is
around $2,300 parts & labor.

 

Change the tires and wheels (15"). When using 15" wheels the recommended tire pressure is 29 lbs. This, and the taller tire shoulder, will give a softer ride. If you don't want to buy new tires/rims, you could probably swap with one of the kids here on the board for their 15" tire/wheels, and even come out out ahead by a few bucks.

 

Hmmm...swapping the suspension is kind of a big job. Plus, when you heal, you may want the stiffer ride. Go with 15 or 16 inch wheels. That will reduce much of the harshness.

 

What tires are you running on? I,too, was unhappy with the harsh ride and complained to Nissan until I got my dealer to install Michelin Pilot HX MXM4 tires. The improvement in ride is 100%. Before you go dropping dollars on other mods, your fix might be as simple as getting rid of the the stock tires. srm

 

if u don't like harsh rides, try buicks..or cadillacs...
hehe...

man, it's not that stiff...u should try riding in a maxima with cattman coilovers...now that's f@%*@# stiff!!!

 

Sorry to hear about the hernia -- I know they are a real pain in the ---!!!! I agree that smaller tires are probably the way to go. If you like the 17" rims and stuff though, maybe the low(er) pressure is the way to go???? Just don't let them get too low (Bridgestone and Firestone are related...). Good luck and swift recovery!!!

 

I'll trade my 16" Maxima alloys + money. It has a higher profile tire. 55 vs. 50. It might help.

 

I would try the tires and wheels first. My 4th gen max had the el cheapo steel 15" wheels and when I upgraded to 17" the ride went from jello to firm! You should have just the opposite result.

 

 

I've had 2 hernia surgeries to the same muscle in my short 25 years of life. How extensive was yours? My recovery time wasn't too long. Basically, there really isn't anything you can do to ease the discomfort. Save your money and just let it heal slowly.

 

Changing to the 15" wheels should help a lot. You will both have a higher profile tire (which will be softer than your current tires), and will have more options to buy tires designed for a softer ride.

I would look to swap for the 15" combo if you can - my wife has the 16" wheels on her Maxima, and the change in ride is not dramatic from my 17" wheels.

If you cannot find a swap, Tire Rack is a great source for 15" wheels.