Currently I am working towards completing my car.
I know it will never be completed but hey.. 1 step at a time

Anyway, I need to figure out what struts to get.

I am not worried about the springs cause Im already running springs on stock struts.. just looking to finally replace them.

Best thing I like about jics (and why I will probably buy them in 2-3 years) is the fact that they save the full suspension travel. Instead of standard setups everyone has (including my stockers).. that compress the strut partially all of the time so there is less travel distance. I am looking for a strut setup that keeps the full suspension travel no matter the height.

I was told Tokico Illuminas are the "jics" of the strut world.. because they have this ability. But reading up.. I don't see this stated anywhere.
Also Tokico Illuminas I found were white and I heard that they are silverish..

So now I am looking for opinions and links to information about this.
What struts out there will keep the full travel distance and won't be at all compressed at resting height (with no weight)..

Thanks

 

Bump!

 

Cattman/Progress Coilover system also something to consider....linear spring rate of 450 lbs. a VERY soft right, and i'm slammed. i don't feel ANY harsh bumps, and yet i get the sick loot of being dropped real low. best of both worlds

i think they're better than JICS, but that's my opinion. i've ridden on jics to compare.
i mentioned before, but for some reason, no one wants to comment on the progress. it's funny, everyone raves about jics, and only like 2 or 3 people own them. talk about a lot of support.

these are some pics i took this past weekend. let's hope you can see them. it was starting to get dark.....

 

Excellent set-up Mr. Polo. I just scanned the Cattman site, what combo do you have. Many here complain about thuds or thumps coming from struts or spring, how bout you. You car is looking fine.

 

Who posted the pictures of the coilovers from Cattman was it you Polo? It looked beautiful. I remember the comment was something like it reeked of quality.
I would do the Cattman/ progress any day over the JIC's and price I recall was much better.

 

i laugh at thuds, i laugh at thumps

the cattman setup is by far THE BEST setup i've ever felt on a maxima. it's hard to accept the fact that you can really have the best of both worlds. but if you see all the pieces required to assembly this suspension, everything is so tight. nothing loose. all pieces are protected and fit snug, also not loose. all metal pieces have polyeurathane bushings around it. there really is no way for loose parts.

onto the feel of it....like i said. i hit bumps and i get the same feeling reaction as i would to stock suspension. it does not bounce though. the strut absorbs the whole bump, and i ride comfortable. these are pics of the actual suspension pieces. i wish i would have taken pics of the struts assembled, so you can see how firm they are....

 

So the Struts are made by Cattman. Did you do the install yourself ?

 

well, cattman i guess headed the whole project...progress did physical work. cattman and progress worked together.

i did the install all myself. the instructions provided went into detail on how to put everything together. but it was still a very easy job. i would do ti again, and i would prolly be able to do the WHOLE install in under 2 hours. the rough spots were in removing the bolts inside the car for the rear, but the cattman suspension itself was very easy to put together and install was easier.
and those pictures you see of my stance....my fronts are at about 50% dropped and the rears are at 40% dropped. my rears go so low i get past 1" TUCK. my fronts, well i know it can get tuck. i guess it will prolly tuck 1". once it stops raining, i'll lower hte whole car. only problem, i dont' know how to get my jack out. last time, i just lowered it and wasn't able to get the jack out. so technically, i dont' know how much lower it can go

 

I'll talk to Brian cause these are not listed on his site.
I know he was doing a redesign with Progressive but just from past experience anyone with gen1 or gen2 coilovers really didn't care for them.. and jic magic was the way to go.
If Brian actually did come up with a superior system then that's great.

But the post originally start because I can't afford coilovers right now and am looking at getting struts that will give me full suspension travel.
All setups currently I have seen with combined with lowering springs the struts are already compressed just sitting in the car. I want to avoid this and get back my full suspension travel. I have heard that the illuminas are the way to go.. others say AGX.. but from either site (maybe I'm missing something) they don't seem to have this ability listed as a feature.

Can someone tell me which struts keep full suspension travel on a lowered spring setup??

 

Polo,

1. Your not slammed. I have seen less wheel gap from a stock suspension that has died.
2. My car is running eibach's and stock struts.. and I have (without exact measurements) the same exact wheel gap you currently do in your pics.
3. You say you have ridden in jics to compare .... now what model jics? FLT series saves full suspension travel as opposed to other models. Yes more expensive but no matter what ride height you still have full suspension travel instead of pre-compressed at resting ride height.

I appreciate this info.. but this post wasn't to see who likes cattmans over jics or vice versa..

I need to find a "full suspension" travel strut.
I can't afford coilovers at the current moment.. and swapping out my stock struts but leaving my eibachs is the best solution for me.

 

1) my meaning of slammed in that post was generally meant as "really low"

2) you're prolly seeing lot of darkness there, so you think that's all gap, when in fact that's mainly tire. my rear tires tuck about 1/4". my front tires are even with the fender.

if your eibach's go that low, then i'm very impressed. the lowest i've heard were sprints and the pics i saw of those (i saw a post just yesterday) and i was still lower.

how about a little test. measure from floor to fender and tell me what your measurements are. if in fact you are equally as low to me, then you'll be at 24.75" all around. my guess though, is that you'll be in the 26" range, but that's just a guess. also measure wheel diameter. i want to calculate those as well, i'm on 16's, but my tires are real thick, so that can be confused easily.

if you do get that low, then i am impressed and i applaud eibach for having that good of a drop. and i applaud you for a good setup.

i guess it's only fair to take better pics. but if you can, measure. i'd like to see what real numbers we come up with. and i will remeasure with better pics.

i'll respond through PM, as i don't want to kill your thread.

 

I'm not saying your killing my thread.. I just am trying to find out about full suspension travel struts.. i think illuminas are them but illuminas I found are white.. and the ones I think Im looking for with full suspension travel are silverish.. I am just trying to get some real good information. Spoke to Brian today and he was raving about his coilovers.. which he should be.. its his product.. if the new cattman setup is as good or better than the FLT series Jics.. then I am impressed Brian did do a good job going with Progressive. On the other hand Cattmans track record in suspension kinda sucks.. as gen1 and gen2's really were nothing to rave about.. and funny enough.. Brian admitted that hands down

I'll do the measurements and reply to you. I am running stock 17" AE rims.. but with Michelin Pilot Sports A/S..
I'll reply with all the measurements when I get this done (hopefully this weekend). I really do want to see how well they compare.. trust me i want off stock struts badly.. but need to justify the coilovers.. $500 for struts.. or 1500 for coilovers.. think about it..

Just want full suspension travel.. great ride.. stock.. or better then stock feel (don't want to feel a bump at all / or even when they repave the highway ).. and want agressive suspension for high speed and really sharp turns.