I was considerng putting Maxspeeds on my car but I don't feel like spending over $400 on the Illumina struts (which I eventualy want to get) to go with them. I just want to get some opinions/suggestions from people about getting lowering springs with stock struts.

 

get new struts.... you will blow your stock ones and then will have to replace them again.... and do the job twice.... I mean am going to get Maxspeeds with Illuminas

 

two questions.

1. will the stock struts last atleast a year? because if they do then at that point in time i wouldnt mind spending the money on illuminas.

2. if the struts to go will my springs be damaged?

 

Exactly what Lontar said, your stock struts will blow real quick if you drop on aftermarket springs. No need to keep going thru the hassle over and over, just do everything all at once.

PS - if your strut blows, your springs will be fine and the life of your stock struts depends on how you drive and how much you drive. More potholes = higher chances of blowing struts.

 

you could go with Maxspeeds on your stock struts the drop on them isnt that big but i wouldnt keep it that way for long and would def get some illuminas down the line...

 

that's exactly what i was thinking. i'll have to wait and see what other people say.

 

Van (whazzzuup) has had Maxspeeds on his stock struts (2k2 GXE) for several months now with no problem. I would just say go ahead and do it on stock struts if they feel decent right now since it appears that this may be more of a financial issue than anything.

 

It can go either way. I took the Maxspeed/stock strut route and wound up regretting it because they blew out within a few months. I then got the moddied 4th Gen AGX's from Cattman...needless to say I had to pay for install (400.00 each time) twice.

Learn from other peoples mistakes and save yourself money/time/hassle later. OR you could go with those saying that you should be fine with the MS/stocker commbo....of course their not going to send you any money for that second install.

 

honestly, i have the money but i don't feel like spending an extra $400 or so. i was hoping i could get away with the max speeds for now.

 

Stop being cheap fool, and drop that $400.

 

bish!

i want to but i can't justify spending that much money. i guess i'll have to forget about the idea until i can get both.

 

I know how you feel. I went thru the same feeling when i dropped my car. Thats why I got KYB GR2s and Eibach. It's been about 2 years that i've had the setup and so far so good, still riding smooth (knock on wood)

 

Just go with the Tokico HPs then.

 

Just do it and cross the bridge with the struts when you get there!!!!!!!!

 

I have the KYB gr2's with Tein's and I lose my fillings when I go over bumps!!! I would not recommend this setup!!! Too Rough!!

 

would blues with maxspeeds be comprable to the stock GLE ride?

 

Dude your poll is not far from 50/50 just use the oem struts and cross the strut bridge when you get there!!!

 

yeah base everything on a silly poll.

hey it's ur car and ur money Gas so do what you want.

but the weird thing is you can't justify spending 400 on struts now but are willing to spend problably that same amount on a second install plus the 400 for the struts later. heh?

 

I had this set-up, maxspeed on stock strut, the shock will def worn faster but it can easily last a year without problems, I've run that set-up for almost 3 years but when we replaced it with the D2 it was about time, I was really fed-up of the Maxspeed and stock strut believe me, you better wait and do everything at once why pay twice. My 2 cents.

 

Ok mental note made!

 

First question, how many miles do you have on your stock struts? Being that you have a GLE, the struts are softer and the ride might not be that great. That being said, depending on how miles you have on your stock struts would determine if you should get different struts or not. My suggestion, go with the Tokico HP struts. Also, unless you're doing the install yourself, why pay twice to get your suspension installed?

 

I have had that setup now for about a year with no problems. The ride is not rough and the drop is OK. I am going to replace it with coilovers this summer.

 

i've got 34,000 on my stock struts and you're right about paying twice for the install.

 

I've had this setup for over a year as well. The ride is not exactly "perfect", but it's not terrible either. If I had it to do over, I would have done everything new at first, but I've been happy with this setup in the time I've had it.

 

install them yourself. install the springs and then in a year or 2 install illuminas when you get the funds. problem solved

 

The stock struts with the Maxspeeds will feel REALLY rough... and the stock struts, like Lontar1 said, will wear out QUICK and you will end up replacing them anyway...

it's like when you go in to replace the timing chain, you automatically replace the water pump, whether it is good or bad, so you don't have to take apart the front of the engine all over again.

 

i thought maxspeeds were the cheaper version of H&Rs which, according to housecor's site, offer the best ride.

 

They do offer the best ride, coupled with aftermarket struts. Stock struts are not meant to handle the lower ride height or the stiffer spring rate, which will result in a rough or crappy ride.

 

E-bay has Tokico Blues for $255, not as bad pricewise as some of the other struts, and it is a good strut.

 

so what combo would you guys recommend to mimic my current GLE ride? i don't mind if it's a bit stiffer but nothing drastic.

 

Maxspeeds and Tokico HPs. Only reason to get the Illuminas would be the adjustability. But since you want as close to GLE ride as possible, HPs would be just fine.

 

I recommend you shut up already and stop posting so much!

J/K man. I'm really lagging behind here.

Anyway, I've been thinking about doing the Tein H-Techs and Illuminas when I get the money. Never really heard anything bad about the H-Techs, and IIRC they're not supposed to be very rough, either. Plus, you should really just go with the Illuminas right from the get-go. Right now, you are thinking you want a luxury ride. But it will be nice to have the ability to try the sporty ride if you want. Really having the 5 settings of firmness is what sells me on them.

Later, bish.

 

Rides fine here.

 

i will never adjust my struts. i can guarantee you that. the only reason i was looking into illuminas was because i thought that blues provided a rough ride. if blues with maxspeeds give me a ride close to my stock GLE i'd probably get them.

 

Blues and Maxspeeds will be a little bit firmer than your stock GLE ride - closer to the stock SE ride, but your handling will be improved. I strongly suggest replacing the struts when you do the springs. You will be happy you did. Besides, you could probably get some of your $$ back by selling your stock struts, since they have fairly low mileage on them....

Illuminas at the softest 2 settings with Maxspeeds is probably even softer than GLE stock ride, though a little too "boaty" for my liking (I set my illuminas at 4 front 3 rear and it's slightly firmer than SE stock)

Your ride quality is also dramatically affected by your choice of wheel size and tire brand/type (i.e. all-season vs. touring vs. ultra high performance)....

 

I might also note that the "word" is that H&Rs have a slightly more comfortable ride than maxspeeds (or any other springs), though I can't comment on that from personal experience.

 

Thanks Josh! Would I be correct if I said that Blues are Illuminas set at 3F/3R?

Also, are there any other strut/spring combinations that you'd recommend that would be better than blues/maxspeeds considering I don't want too stiff a ride?

 

So I think it's safe to say that Blues/H&Rs would pretty much give me my stock GLE ride with improved handling.

 

I can't say that for a fact, but outside of Illuminas at a low setting + H&R's, it's probably about as close as you can get with aftermarket springs.

Even if it's a little "firmer" ride, the improvement in handling more than makes up for it!

 

did you check out Housecor's site?