Well my struts, or suspension for that matter, is annoying the living sh*t out of me! Every little bump, or an imperfection on the road makes the car produce the most annoying high end pitch noice I have ever heard!!! When going over bumps, or in NYC CRATERS, she handles them well. I even think that my shock are still EXCELLENT. I have the SE model, so the suspension is pretty stiff, but it is supposed to be. Anyway, I was thinking of getting Tokico Blues and putting them on my stock springs. All I want to accomplish with it is to MAKE the noice go away. Does anyone have this suspension set up? If so any know problems with these shocks? Compared to stock, will they make the car softer/stiffer/same? Lastly, can anyone diagnose what the hell this squeek could be? I was thinking maybe dust boots, or struts need to be changed... I am REALLY relying on the Tokico's to solve my squeeky problem, HOWEVER, could I be wrong???


Maxima.org to the rescure, as ALWAYS

What would we do without you....

 

anyone please reply

 

if you going to put new struts on there might as well put new springs maybe put some maxspeeds on there, wont drop the car to low or anything

 

I am experiencing the same noise/problem and have not been able to pinpoint exactly where it is coming from. It is coming from the front left. My struts don't feel as though they are shot but the noise is quite annoying.

 

Do you have stock SE's springs? If so, I think you should change it to an aftermarket springs such as H&R or Maxspeed since it will provides some drops and the ride is a little better than the SE's setup, plus an enhance in handling. If ride quality is what you're looking for, I think the combination of stock GXE/GLE and Tokico blues struts will be a good match.

 

Yes, I do have stock SE Spring. Should I then get Maxspeeds and Tokcio Blues? How does this setup sound? Another thing BTW, when I wanted to rotate my tires, the guy told me that my back struts were "no good" He made his observations due to an uneven thread ware in the tires. Is he right?

 

Probably. The OEM struts on our 5th gens suck @$$. I'd go with Tokico Blues on stock springs, or if you have the money, Tokico Illuminas on either stock springs or aftermarket lowering springs. I'm riding with Tokico Illuminas on stock springs and I love it (Illuminas are adjustable, and the setting of 2f/3r produces a ride quality unheard of with stock SE springs on stock struts...)

FYI, my stock struts were performing such that bumps would be harsh, the car would be somewhat controlled but still a little bouncy here and there...
After swapping struts, I found out that one of my rears was shot to the point that if you compressed the piston, it wouldn't come back up unless you forced it up by hand. It was probably bottoming out a lot.

 

Well I am poor college student Anyhow, I want as any person something good for a cheap price. When inspecting my springs today, I saw something interesting. On the back springs, the plastic that surrounds the spring itself is peeling off a bit. Does this mean I need new springs? I really would opt to buy more then neccessary. Also, besides the struts do I need new dustboots? Any other parts I need in order for proper installation and for good performance?? Lastly, How much am I looking to spend on installation of these components? I know in LI there is a shop called Maximumtuning, can anyone vouch for them?

 

Maximum Tuning is a great shop. Jeff did my suspension. He definately knows what he is doing. As for the suspension setup, I would recommend going with KYB-GR2s with Maxspeeds. The ride is good. I went with Maxspeeds and the Illuminas for the adjustability. Installation from Maximum Tuning is $150 I believe.

 

I dunno about the costs, but for the plastic piece, be sure to obtain some 3M Scotch-Grip Rubber and Gasket Adhesive and have the shop use that to glue the plastic sheath back onto the spring...

 

how come every time someone asks a question about new struts, most of the responses say "you should get new springs too"

Did any of you ever consider that maybe some people want to maintain stock ride height and want to keep the car looking stock on the outside?

Why can't people just answer the specific question about the STRUTS, and not go on and on about springs. If the guy wanted to drop the car, there are a billion other threads on the spring subject.

As for me, I plan on putting Tokico Illuminas on with my OEM springs. Illuminas are adjustable softness, so you can fine tune the feel you want.

And also, enough on this "lowering gives better handling." That's BS overall. Handling is a combination of suspension components, and simply lowering the car doesn't NECESSARILY mean you're gonna handle better. It has to do with OTHER suspension parts, rims, tires, and the type of roads you drive on.

I see guys with slammed cars on rough roads around here bouncing all over the place around corners since the suspension doesn't have enough travel with the short springs. Yeah maybe they don't have good drops. That's not my point.

As for me, within a month or two I will have:
OEM Springs
Illumina Struts
Stillen RSB (on already)
FSTB (waiting for a new one, since the first one was broken when received)
BlehmCo Stage II lower tie bar

With these I am working on tuning the suspension for daily driving on poor roads.

Also, I have seen NO evidence here or elsewhere that lowering the car ACTUALLY will result in better cornering or more predictable handling except on the perfect roads in California or whatever.

On the contrary, I have seen several posts from dropped cars' owners who say with a drop and RSB they lose the back end much more easily and the handling is not as predictable.

Here's my challenge:
Take 2 identical maximas both with the same rims, tires, etc.
give em both a RSB and LTB, just for thehell of it
put one on Illuminas with OEM SE springs
put the other on Illuminas with, say, maxspeeds.

do a slalom course or skidpad or auto-x and see what happens.

I suspect there will be little to no difference in the ACTUAL roadholding of the car.

Most of the "handling improvement" from lowering springs comes from the fact that body roll is reduced and you are sitting slightly lower to the road. This results in a PERCEIVED handling improvement, but not necessarily an ACTUAL handling improvement.

NOW, BEFORE EVERYONE FLAMES ME LET ME SAY THIS: I AM NOT TRYING TO BASH LOWERING SPRINGS. IN THE FUTURE, I MAY GET SOME. BUT IT WILL BE MOSTLY FOR LOOKS, NOT BECAUSE I THINK IT WILL MAGICALLY IMPROVE MY HANDLING. I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH LOWERD MAX'S, IN FACT I THINK ALOT OF THE LOWERED CARS LOOK MUCH BETTER WITHOUT THE UGLY WHEEL GAP.

MY POINT IS, DON'T ACT LIKE PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT LOWERED SOMEHOW HAVE "INFERIOR" HANDLING, RIDE COMFORT, OR WHATEVER.

ok, rant over. Don't bother flaming me. I'm not looking for an argument, I'm just throwing some random thoughts out there.

 

if you get the Tokico Blues, might as well get yourself some springs too. It would be a waste of money to have the OEM SHocks go out later down the road and then spend a bunch more money to have them installed. Do the both of them now and save a few $$$. I just got the Tokico Blues and Tein H Techs put on. The Tein H Techs have a lowering of 1.6" front & 1" rear. Take a look, I think it looks great and well the springs haven't even settled in yet.

 

point in question....hct says nothing about the ride, tells BLKMAX to get lowering springs, because it "looks" good. Ever think maybe BLKMAX doesn't WANT to lower his car - his question was about OEM springs and Tokico Blues.....

Hey BLKMAX. The noise you hear likely has nothing to do with your suspension setup anyhow. I have that sqeak you speak of also, and am positive it has nothing to do with suspension. Most likely its a body panel rubbing or something not tightented down enough. Hell it could be the glove box or one of the screws that holds the dashboard together.....

BLKMAX, I suggest you get a friend to ride with you and have him sit in various parts of the car to see if he have locate where the sound is coming from....if you can get it down to a certain area...well you'll have better luck fixing it I suppose.

I just turn the music up.

 

I disagree with you...lower the car with aftermarket springs does help with handling. The springs rate of the aftermarket springs help reduce body roll under fast manuever, therefore enhance the handling. Yes, the lower of the car does help w/the appearance but the it definately will improve the handling department too! Why would you think sport cars/peformance cars/or yet race cars use stiffer springs?

The key to a good setup is to search for reputable manufacture who actually had done extensive R&D on their product. The calibration of the front/rear springs rate + the shocks is very crucial in controlling the damping motion of the vehicle. Correct spring rate of the front/rear will produce a better balance car.
Apply your knowledge of physical aand it will make sense!

There are many aftermarket springs/shocks out there that claimed to increase handling. The construction of the springs are NOT too difficult to manufacture. You must understand that the "quality" of any products DO make a big difference.

I sense that you are responsing this way because you're trying to find a real answer to this issue. Why not just ask or discuss the topic instead of making these assuming based on what you have read or someone else experience. I am no way trying to flame you but your statement that lower springs do not help w/handling is absoluately false! You need to be more SPECIFIC to what products that you are referring to!

FYI, I chose the H&R springs because they are from a reputable company that produce quality products. They're not going to release a product without throroughly testing it. If you look at their webpage, they do not release to the public the "calibrated" spring rate setting of their springs. This is because they are protecting their investment to those imitator in copying their research.

My answer will be the same for the aftermarket struts. If I can do it again, I would select the adjustable one from Tokico. But anyway, I have to go and get ready for my vacation...will discuss this further once I get back!

 

I can also vouch for Maximum Tuning. They did my suspension, (Maxspeed Springs) y-pipe + cat, and VB mod

I didn't read your whole post, but if the ride seems fine and there is just some noise, maybe you need new bushings?

 

I have that setup. It works fine, the only thing is i think it may ride a little higher than with the stock shocks. Otherwise the ride is nice and the handling flat. Good luck.

 

Actually, if you read my post, you would see that I said that lowering springs do not NECESSARILY improve handling. I did not make a blanket statement that they CAN'T improve handling. The problem is that alot of people here think that simply lowering the car will always improve your handling. And that's simply not true. By your logic, ultimate handling would come from slamming the car all the way to the ground. And that's not the case either.

As to your race car comparison...well they CAN go low, because in most cases they are racing on smooth tracks where the emphasis is not on shock absorbtion, it's on total "road feel" and response.... Those of us in the real world have to consider streets with pothole, speed bumps, snow, etc etc etc

BTW, I spent a few years autocrossing and rallying my classic British sportscars, and in the process tried out a number of different springs, struts, and other suspension components. Believe me, the lowest springs were NOT the best ones for handling.

I agree with you about some brands of product being better than others, obviously.

But as to your statement
you sense wrong.
I have a total plan about how I want my car to handle, from frame stiffenting to suspension components to tires to tire air pressure. Obviously it's $$-conscious, and someday I may get some new springs. But just because I don't want to lower the car doesn't mean I am not looking for the best mix of handling and comfort. I guarantee that about 2 months from now my maxima on OEM springs will handle/ride better than half the lowered maxes out there.


Look, I know I babbled on a bit. But all I was really trying to say is that other suspension mods (sway bars, strut bars, bushings, struts, etc.) can have just as much affect on handling as lowering springs, if not more.

I'm not going to babble anymore, except to repeat to you what I said.

I did not say lowering springs "DO NOT" help with handling. I said:

Note the "necessarily".

ok, so I'm done...well almost... I don't want to argue with a fellow NoVa'er since I'm sure we'll see each other around one of these days...

suffice to say I'm just trying to bring up a different viewpoint. Seems that any handling-related question on the .org gets 9 out of 10 answers saying "dude, you just need to lower it and everything will be perfect..."

 

damn I talk alot.

 

Well, you didn't want anyone to jump on you for what you wrote but then you jump on me. Well with my new springs and shocks, not only did my car get lowered it rides 50% better then it did with the OEM shocks and springs. As far as handling, 100% better, thats a fact as I took my car to a road I always drive, very curvy with some sharp turns. I did a test drive with the OEM springs and shocks and then took the same ride with the new Springs and Shocks and I could have went at least 10 to 15 mph faster without a worry. So in my opinion replacing springs and shocks does make for better handling!!!!!!

 

not jumpin on you man, just thought it was funny that the first sentence of my post was:

and then the first sentence of your post, right after mine was:
pretty much proved my point

you must admit, your first post said nothing about ride or handling, only appearance. I was just pointing it out.

not jumpin on you, man.....and not trying to flame you...just having a civilized discussion of different viewpoints

 

hct....do you have other suspension mods or just lowering springs?

 

Rear Sway Bar, Front Strut Bar are the onl;y other mods I have. i know you going to say that has alot to do with it. But I put them on after the springs/shock setup!

 

well...
nah, just wondering out of curiosity (for context)

You have your motor oil, tranny oil, and flashlight listed in your siggy but not your RSB or FSTB. Get that fixed!

 

I was just recalling someone I talked to that said he was lowered, but had taken off his RSB because with the stiff springs AND rsb, the tail was really loose and he had almost lost control a couple of times during quick maneuvers. I think there's a thread somewhere talking about that too....I think he has coilovers though, so its REALLY stiff.

btw, BLCKMAX, sorry for hijacking your thread

 

you wrote, "Most of the "handling improvement" from lowering springs comes from the fact that body roll is reduced and you are sitting slightly lower to the road. This results in a PERCEIVED handling improvement, but not necessarily an ACTUAL handling improvement." This is why I responsed to your statement.
I do not think it is just a "PERCIEVED" handling.
Perhaps, the word "handling" is defined differently from you and me. After I installed the H&R springs, the handling behavior of my car was very noticeable. This was done after a major upgrade of the SFCs and I felt that the springs helped to control the car motion under highway speed much better. It lessen the wandering or floating of the vehicle and the steering was much more stable/secure. Therefore, I concluded that the aftermarket springs contributed a major impact w/the overall handling of the car.

I am a total advocate of the frame stiffening, hint look at my signature, because a strong unit structure will provide so much more than just handling.

As for the "real world" road conditions, too much lowering will damage other suspension parts of the car because of the harsh impacts from road's imperfection. That is why a selection in the aftermarket springs is very important. Many considerations/compromises must be accounted for in the selection for best ride and handling. IMO, I highly recommend stiffen the frame first then you can tell how well your current suspension is prior modding it.

Like I had said, I am not trying to argue or flame you. I see this as a rebate so that we can share our experiences to the board.

-peace

 

a rebate or a debate?

I think we are kind of talking 2 different meanings of handling...your talking from a "feeling" perspecting (i.e. does the car feel more controllable, more predictable, etc.) whereas I was more talking about cold, hard numbers (i.e. what g% can it pull on a skidpad, how fast can it do a slalom course, etc - things that can be actually measured, i suppose)

Like I said above, i tried a number of different performance/racing springs on my Triumph and some had a positive effect, and some had a severly negative effect on handling....

I guess the whole handling thing has alot to do with where you drive - some are driving in NYC urban areas, some on wide-open midwestern highways, some in rush-hour traffic all the time.....

I guess my main argument is that I drive pretty aggressively, pretty fast, and on alot of poor roads among idiot DC-area driver (you know 'em!) and I've not once felt out of control or been surprised by my maxima's handling. even in the snow.

Well I guess we can agree to semi-disagree....I'm out of arguments on this subject (no, really!).

So I'm gonna go start an argument about interior light bulbs now!

 

Irish arguing about lowering springs not working and he now has had like 4 different set-ups.....

 

I have blues on my car with stock springs and they are awesome. Much better control and ride then the stock shocks. They have better dampening control then stock and the rides is much more controlled. Believe me you won't be disappointed. I've had them on for about 2 years now and I love em

 

nice... i just got that set up... looking forward to riding smooth again.
waiting for blues to arrive for my Gxe springs.

hmmmmmmmm back from the dead thread ... "2004"?

-Anthony

 

The spring/shock set-up you are asking about is fine. I have the same set-up and i enjoy it.
The Tokico shocks rebound much better than the stock ones and dampen alot better too.
As for the high pitched squeel . . . . thats your stabilizer links. They are probably about to snap if they haven't already. The bushing wears down on the links after time. The stabilizer links help attach the stabilizer bar to the chassis.
Try it out and let us know.