Good info.. I was reading through it and I found this

Further, under the act, aftermarket equipment that improves performance does not automatically void a vehicle manufacturer's original warranty, unless the warranty clearly states the addition of aftermarket equipment automatically voids your vehicle's warranty, or if it can be proven that the aftermarket device is the direct cause of the failure.

The dealer can refuse me if the warranty specifically states that the addition of aftermarket parts voids the warranty and I dont know if the terms of the powertrain warranty include that statement. I couldent find specifics on the infiniti powertrain warranty. Anyone know the details of it?

Also it said somewhere in there that the aftermarket parts had to be made by a manufacturer and these SFCs will be custom made... hope that doesnt change things.. Please let me know these things if you know the conditions better, and have dealt with a dealer when you had mods on your car

 

I found some specific info on the Infiniti warranty. Here is the info

http://www.infiniti.com/m/pdf/warran...ranty_2005.pdf

on page 3 they explicitly talk about the magnuson moss act but I dont understand it. Can someone help me out with this?

Any Lawyers on the board?

 

Well the Magnuson-Moss act regards all aspects of warranties, and what is on page 3 is just a general warranty reference. The only thing that appears relevant is in the right column of page 6. It looks good. All they say is they won't cover damage resulting from aftermarket parts or improper installation of any part. Which means you're fine unless they can somehow prove that SFCs messed up your engine!

 

So after all this great info I got from the board on the Magnusson Moss act I decided to test a local infiniti dealership to see if they would give me crap about installing SFCs. So I called them up acting like an idiot and told them what the SFCs were and asked if it would void my powertrain warranty and the guy goes flat out "aftermarket parts arent going to void your warranty unless they cause the problem in the drivetrian" I than told him thanks for being so honest and let him know I was kinda testing him and that if I needed warranty work done I'de be sure to use him in the future.

So I guess I was plesantly surprised. Once I get my car back from the shop I am gonna bring it over and get the SFCs fabricated. Hopefully I will have a review up on them in the next 2-3 weeks if everything goes according to plan.

 

I guess I should be glad I got my SFCs when I did...which was before I did any other mod to my car. Honestly, every other Maxima guy that has ridden in or driven my car comments on how well it rides and handles. No bounciness, much smoother over irregularities, better overall handling etc. Our cars need all the chassis stiffening they can get. That's why I'm looking to eventually foam my chassis.
I installed Matt's LTB (stage 2) with ES bushings and they really tied the front of the car together. The difference when driving on the freeway is noticable. The front of the car just feels more 'tied down' and happy driving fast/ turning at high speeds. I highly recommend both SFCs and LTB to everybody. All of our cars need the help.

 

Yeah I am planning on gettin the LTB and the suspension bushings in the future too, but the SFC is one of my first mods. I think if I get this done and everything goes well and I post a review up with some pics, others will see how great of a mod it is. I am really annoyed with my suspension right now because it feels like it floats on the highway. If I try to change lanes quickly I turn the stearing wheel and there is so much slop in the suspension that the car sways one way and than the other before it actually moves its big *** into the next lane.

 

one other thing to keep in mind about warranty work:

It doesn't cost the dealer anything! They simply spend 2 hours fixing whatever is wrong, and then submit a claim to Nissan North America for whatever the "standard tiem" to fix the problem would be (usually more than they actually spent doing it.) Warranty work is actually quite profitable, so dealers really don't mind doing it....

 

What suspension mods, if any, have you done to date?

 

None to date, but thats only because my car is in the shop. For christmas I bought for myself an Otto FSTB a Progress RSB and toyo proxes 4 to replace the potenzas. After I install that stuff I am bringin it to the shop to get the custom SFCs installed, and I am thinkin about the stage 2 LTB this break too I plan to run stiffer springs in the future, but I'm not sure how stiff yet. I am not sure because I will run the stiffest spring I can while keeping the ride in the ballpark of stock, but really how well the SFCs work will determine how stiff I can go so I have no idea.

I think SFCs and a LTB would make ground clearence an issue on New England roads if I got anything but a very slight drop. No more than 1.5 or 1.7 inches. The H&Rs would be perfect if they didnt sag in the ***.

Right now though I am chompin at the bit I have a RSB and a FSTB sitting in my kitchen and my car in the shop. Plus I cant wait to get the SFCs done and get a review up here. Now why I cant upload images is still a mystery to me.

 

I guess that would explain the handling issues you're having. Anyways, sounds like a good plan, but let me just say that adding the RSB and FSTB alone will improve the sloppiness somewhat, even with the stock suspension. An alternative to that is to get the springs/struts upgraded first, which is what I did, and the improvement in handling from that in itself was enough for me to put off getting a RSB for half a year.

 

i am holding off on the springs because the stiffer you go the more you compromis ride and the sfc are a way to improve handling while keeping ride stock, and i want to keep the ride as stock as possible while improving ride thus springs will probably be my last suspension mod

 

Fair enough. Seems like a logical approach.

 

in truth, the Maxspeeds or H&Rs probably have a BETTER ride than the stock suspension (at least the SE suspension), especially if paired with Illuminas.

 

whats the next step stiffer after the maxspeeds and the H&Rs I am lookin to run a stiffer spring but only if I can get away with it and keep close to stock ride because of the SFCs. I am also not sure what kind of drop I'de be lookin for because like you I am gonna take my car to the mountains and I need to keep my drop sensible for everyday use on New England frost heaves.

 

I would guess H-Techs.

 

I would second that guess....

 

And I'll confirm it as soon as I can find some time and get your or Cutler's help to throw my H-techs on.

 

hmm from what I've read the h-techs only drop your car 1.25in but from the pics I've seen they look lower (and no sagging in the back) then the H&Rs which sag in the rear.

People seem to be pairing them with the illuminas which I would think couldent handle that spring, but I guess I would be wrong. Any better struts to pair with those springs?

Puppet master deff tell us how you like the h-techs

 

Why don't you think the Illuminas can handle the H-Techs? The Illuminas have sufficient dampening for even lower, stiffer springs like S-Techs and Progress, so I don't see why they can't handle the H-Techs. My current set-up is Illuminas and Progress, with the settings at 3F 4R, and the struts go very well with the springs at these settings, IMO.

An alternative to Illuminas would be AGXs, with the difference between the 2 being that the Illuminas have less rebound than compression damping at each given setting. The implications of this are that impact is still absorbed well on compression, but the rebound won't jerk you back which results in a less jarring or bouncy ride. Even though the rebound damping is slightly less than compression on the Illuminas, it is still sufficient so that the ride isn't bouncy, given that you have the "right" setting to match your spring rate. The AGXs have equal compression and rebound damping for each given setting, so while it handles just as well, it tend to be more harsh riding.

Btw, H-Techs drop the car 1.6" F and 1.0" R according to Housecor's site.

 

One step ahead of you, my friend. Summer 2004, gravel road at my family's place in New Hampshire. That was the only time my LTB ever has scraped on anything. The big hump in the middle of the gravel road did it. I just ended up dragging some rocks, nothing serious. Even with a 3" drop you wouldn't need to worry much about an LTB or SFCs except on the worst of roads and driveways.

Also, I myself have TEIN High-Techs (the real name, not "H-Techs") paired with Illuminas. They give a mild drop (not enough for me, I'm thinking about coilovers) and the ride is fine. Honestly I think my ride sucks but SFCs will fix that.

The drop:


If you look closely at the front wheel well you can see the white bottom of the Illumina strut. With stock rims this drop is near perfect, but with my 17s it's not quite enough IMO. However, I have a 5-speed so the front rides a tiny bit higher than an auto.

 

Hmm... I think my pick for springs just changed from the H&Rs to the H-Techs. With a FSTB a RSB a LTB SFCs Illuminas H-techs and Toyo proxes 4 this car should be friggen amazing. I shold deff be smokin my moms G35 through the turns.

BTW that drop doesnt look very low, but then again even though I'm 21 I act like I'm 31 and I need to keep a sensible drop, not to mention I have found that when you see a car in person it looks more dropped than in pics because your generally looking down at the wheels rather than most pics which are taken from the side.

 

Yeah, compare goaliekeg's Max with the exact same rims (17x8 Evos) except he has TEIN Basics, much bigger drop, so much better! Honestly I'd consider TEIN Basics or Ksport coilovers over any spring/strut combo, not much more expensive and better handling, lower drop.

 

That’s exactly what happened to me during the last month. The only problem is I can’t afford them right now and saving this mod for the summer.

BTW: I think you guys will be interested in this discussion: http://phpbb-host.com/phpbb/viewtopi...m=maximaracing (especially the posts closer to the end)

 

Is there a possibility that in the even of a crash SFC will increase the chances of injuries? I don’t have my own opinion about this yet but it seems like the upper, not reinforced, part of the vehicle might bend to a grater degree with SFC installed.
Keep in mind that any reinforcements will most likely increase safety at low speed collisions but might compromise safety at high speed collisions, for example, when engine has to move somewhere but not enter the passenger compartment.

Here are some links I have found on this topic:

http://www.iihs.org/ratings/rating.aspx?id=22
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/ratingsbyseries.aspx?id=371
http://www.safercar.gov/NCAP/Cars/1503.html
http://video.search.yahoo.com/search...&cop=&ei=UTF-8

What do you guys think?

 

recall that the SFCs are on the very bottom of the car.....if you get hit, whatever hits you will undoubtedly be hitting you higher on the car than where the SFCs are....I doubt they would have any significant effect.

 

Yeah, I don't think it's an issue. If a stiffer chassis were problematic in impacts then manufacturers would not be making stiffer and stiffer chassis on production cars.

 

true, the stiffer the better, however, cars are not only designed to be stiff they also have certain crumple zones – the spots that absorb the impact energy by taking most of the damage. So what I’m worried about is that SFC might stiffen up the crumple zones. If that happens, crumple zones will not absorb the impact energy, they will pass it over to a different part of the vehicle – possibly the part that protects the occupants.

 

There are huge crumple zones along the frame rails that I will be negating when I add SFCs. There are 2 places (that I saw there may be more) along each frame rail where a large chunk of the frame rail is cut out from the factory and the frame rail is only about half as strong as other areas.
If you look under your car you will see these areas they are cut out in triangle shaped wedges

 

Thanks, I didn't know about the frame rail crumple zones; I'll check that out on my car. But I suspect that the most important crumple zones are between the front bumper and the firewall and between the rear bumper and the rear wheels, and SFC shoudn't significantly change those.

SFCs could also potentially help maintain the driver/passenger "survival space" by preventing the deformities that lead to "footwell intrustions" as the IIHS defines them. Just a thought.

 

Either way, heaven help you if your insurance company doesn't approve.

 

Id like to comment on this thread and SFCs. I went to WS in person, Dallas test fitted and installed the new prototype Warpspeed Stage 1, 2, 3 braces and I have to say they work. IMO I wouldn't say they improve the ride but they make the car feel more solid and less flexy. They also helped reduce some of the rattles in my car.

People who have driven other Maximas and then drive my car are blown away by the handling and solid feeling my car has. To be honest I dislike having to drive other Maximas that don't have this done, they just feel so loose and sloopy.


Its funny you mention it cause the Qs have a foamed unibody, this stiffens the chassis alot. Not unlike SFCs. I want to foam my Maxima later on this year just to see how much better it can get. However if you wanted to get serious you can always strip the car down and seam weld or double spot weld the chassis together, then foam it all when done.

 

If my car gets any stiffer I may just be able to drive thru the SUV that hits me in an accident.

In all seriousness I have heard of track cars punching thru some safety walls because the car's chassis is so strong and stiff.

IIRC Neal's old car had SFCs, he got hit pretty hard and walked away unhurt.

 

I will definitely be foaming my Max once I get SFCs installed. I think it's best to do SFCs first since I'd rather not have welding done with the foam already inside the frame rails (possibly flammable).

 

The stuff is quite flammable.. I wanted to foam the chassis but there are some big things that are keeping me from doing it on this car. This is my daily driver and I cant lose it. If I were to get hit the damage in the foamed parts would not be repairable. Plus insurance might not take care of it. Plus if the foam came loose it would rattle unbelievably.

The upside is that it stiffens the chassis makes the car handle and ride better and makes the car noticibly quieter at the same time, all while adding 10-20 lbs at the most.

 

Well I just got back from a trip to Colorado, and I must say my rental Taurus felt more sporty than my Maxima did in terms of handling and chasis stiffness. My Maxima is on stock suspension- which is probably the BIGGEST POS suspension ever put on a car, other than 4 wheel leaf springs and solid axles. I can't belive people acutally say Maxima handles good with stock suspension, it sucks big time. Makes me wanna sell the damn thing.

I want SFCs, ASAP.

 

Might want to get coilovers in addition to SFCs, then.

Be sure to post with details after SFC installation.

 

Man coilovers sound like a great way to get some great handling except I have the following problems with them.

People seem to have more problems with them on avg than other suspension setups.
The JIC FLTA2s seem to be the only good ones
The JICs are nearly $2000
Most coilovers seem to ride hard.

 

I really want to install SFC but if I will not be able to prove myself that it does not significantly decrease safety in the even of a SERIOUS accident I will probably not do that.

I was trying to research how SFC affects occupant’s safety for a couple days already but I sill can’t get a lot of info on this topic. Could anyone recommend me a place where I can research this? I can’t seem to find even the right website.

To be more exact I’m looking for answers to questions such at these:

How are proper spots for crumple zones determined?

What are the exact crumple zones in Maximas?

How do bracings similar to SFC affect crumple zones?

How do vehicles defom in the even to different kind of crashes?

Etc…

I don't expect anyone to answer these questions. Just point me to a website where I might find the answers.

Thanks

 

Even with JIC FLTA2s the car doesn't handle like a ***** out sports car. I think it handles bout as well as my bone stock 93 Infiniti G20 which is on stock wheels and tires(195-60-14s) vs (255-40-17s) on the Max. I have every suspension mod on my car save for the SFCs and I still hate the ride to the point where I am thinking of having a custom independent rear suspension. No matter what you do, that LOG you have for your suspension is NEVER going to beat a true IRS setup.

 

I don't see how the lack of IRS detracts from ride quality.

Sciff, D2s and Ksports have been available for a while and they are very similar to JICs except with aluminum construction rather than stainless steel, and they are much cheaper ($800 in the Group Deals forum). TEIN also makes coilovers for the 4th and 5th gen which are about the same price and are supposed to be very comfortable for coilovers. With the TEIN Basic dampers (4th gen) you can adjust ride height but not the stiffness. The TEIN Super Street (5th gen) are more expensive but are more adjustable. I'm leaning toward Ksports this spring.