My 2000 Maxima has 54k miles and the stock struts/springs/etc... I haven't lowerd the car or anything. I did have the front of the car up on jack stands for about 2-3 hours yesterday... could that have caused my struts to give? (sorry if that was a stupid question - I'm not familiar with how struts function).

That being said, I went over a speed bump today at a normal, reasonable speed and felt the right side of the car just FALL when I was coming down. It felt hard... like I had a flat tire. Tire wasn't flat, but I kept having the same problem going over every bump.

Took it to a mechanic and he said my right strut is bad and needs to be replaced, and that the left is ready to go too. He had me push down on the rear of the car vs. the front of the car and I noticed that the front was not bouncy at all whereas the back was - supposedly indicating that the rear struts were a-ok.

All that being said, I was told that I should replace both of my front struts and strut mounts. Cost is $330 + tax total for parts and labor; however, this is not for Nissan OEM struts. It's for struts made by a company called Monroe.

I called Dave B to price out Nissan OEM struts and the parts alone cost more than the whole package offered by the mechanic.

So... my questions.

1) Should I just go with these Monroe struts that the mechanic was trying to sell me?

2) Should I spend the extra $ on Nissan OEM struts or perhaps a different manufacturer (if so, suggest please) and have the mechanic install them? ($90 each for installation if I bring in the parts he says).

3) Is this a potential DIY job or do I definitely need to have this done professionally?

4) Is the car safe to drive in this condition? Could I cause more damage to it at high speeds or when turning corners and stuff?

5) Is there anything else I should know that might be helpful?

Thanks!!!!!

 

1 & 2. Monroe shocks are usually pretty good factory replacements. They will be fine as long as you are not lowering your car. You could also go with KYB GR2's or Tokico blues. Those will also give a good ride.

3. This is a potential DIY job; its only a couple bolts to get the front struts. The rears are more difficult since it is difficult to get to the bolts at the top of the strurt.

4. You will have no damping from the blown strut; the car ride will be bouncy and negatively affect the handling of the car. Try to get it replaced soon.

5. Do it yourself. All you need is some mechanical inclination, some time and a spring compressor. You can find a spring compressor from any auto store. Do not remove the stock spring from the blown strut assembly as it is quite dangerous.

Best of luck.

 

Illuminas FTW!

 

1. I don't know much about Monroe.

2. It makes no sense to buy stock struts. Even though their quality is relatively good, they are no match for Tokico illuminas which you can probably get for cheaper.

Illuminas will also give you more comfortable ride and better handling. I would not recommend Tokico HP(blues) because they are not the best match for our stock springs.

3 Many people do it themselves. Check out this writeup: http://www.innerbean.com/housecor/strut_install.html

4. Nothing is ganna fall off so it is safe for normal driving. However, the car might be very unpredictable closer to it's traction limits. So, don't speed, take it slow through the corners and leave extra distance in front of the car.

5.

I think you got something confused here. Blown struts will give you bouncy ride. Good struts do not let your springs oscillate. Blown struts, however, can not proved enough dumping to control the springs which results in a bouncy motion.

 

Thanks for your suggestions.

Another two questions...

1) If I do go with the Illuminas (which are less than the Nissan OEM struts, but much more expensive... like 3x as much... as the Monroe struts the shop was suggesting), should I only replace the blown front struts or should I replace all 4???

2) Do I really need to replace the strut mounts as well, or was the mechanic trying to get me to spend more money?

3) If so, is there a particular strut mount I should get or will any old brand suffice?

Late Thought: If I'm going to be screwing around with the suspension to fix the problem with the front struts, wouldn't this be a good time to just go ahead and purchase what is needed to lower the car? Can anybody give some recommendations or refer me to a better thread (I know I could just do a search, and I will, but while we're on the subject here, why not ask? ).

I have stock 16" rims with stock sized tires. Will a slight drop (I'm guessing 1" is standard...?) look bad with the stock wheels? I don't have any plans to get new rims/tires in the future (then again, I didn't have plans to drop the car either).

Late Thought #2: Ugh. Sorry for so many questions. Should I invest in an FTSB and/or Rear Sway Bar as well? Will this help rectify any ride/handling problems I might encounter by changing the stock suspension? Any suggestions on brands and locations from which to purchase?

Don't worry. Pics will come for sure when my masterpiece is complete. =)

Thanks again!!!

 

1. Well if you are planning to do any suspension mods (and it appears you are) and if you can afford it, get illuminas both for the front and back. Obviously, for best results get all 4, but getting only two shocks is fine, it will still be better than getting stock shocks.

2. I know that all mechanics recommend replacing them but I'm not sure if it's make any difference.

Chek out this link: http://www.tirerack.com/suspension/s...202&perfCode=P

-I really can't make any recommendations about the springs because it seems like everyone has their own opinion. One things that most people agree on is that very low springs ruin both your ride and handling. I also have to worn you, it is not easy to choose the springs that will be right for you. Make sure you do a lot of research before you make your decision.

Here's some useful info:

http://www.innerbean.com/housecor/sp..._decision.html
http://maxmods.dyndns.org/index.php?MaximaHandling
my sticky at the top of this forum might also be helpful.

-To me, no matter what kind of wheels you got, lowered maxima always looks better.

-High quality FSTB will make an improvement. OTTO is the cheapest among the ones that are high quality.

-RSB will definitely improve vehicle's handling but depending on your setup it might over-stiffen your rear suspension and make it unpredictaball when cornering. I would get springs/shocks first, test it and than decide whether I need an RSB.

 

forgot to mention one more thing: if you will be getting lowering springs, you have to get all 4 aftermarket shocks.

 

just get some illuminas and some lowering springs. h&r and good ones for a moderate drop. tein s-techs are good for a low drop. i only had experience with those springs and i have nothign abd to say about them. illuminas are the best though.

 

I like the look of the H&R and housecor's page said they handled better. My two buddies who I asked agreed on the look, so I'm leaning towards those.

If I do finally decide to lower it, I'm definitely getting the Illuminas.

I might go ahead with the mounts/boots/bumper link you provided... I would be replacing everything else around it and the factory stuff is probably starting to wear anyway. Worst case scenario is that I spend an extra $160 for something that works the same.

Best price I found was $433 for the Illuminas shipped and $240 for the H&Rs shipped... can anybody with purchasing experience tell me if I'm getting a good deal?

Oh... did any of you call up your insurance company and get your struts/springs/etc covered under your policy against theft or damage? I'd hate to have my new stuff stolen or damaged in an accident and be paid for stock crap.

 

That's a decent price on the Illuminas, I doubt it'll be easy to find anything better. Not sure about the H&Rs though. Where are you getting these prices, if I may ask?

Try calling Steve G (Y2kseSteve) at www.sportcompactonly.com or Corey (Redmax) at www.redlinemax.com as well to do a quick price comparison or see if they can match the price. Make sure to tell them that you are an .Org member so they can give any discounts that might be available.

Never done it, but often thought about it. Let me know the outcome of this if you do call em. I actually think that in most cases, stock parts are more expensive, and would rather just have em cut me a check for the parts at dealership prices.

 

thats a good question... im planning on installing my illuminas as soon as my h&r springs come in... after reading this thread... how many of u guys really do recommend changing them?

 

eBay for Illuminas. Tire Rack for the H&Rs.

I will before I order.

I just called Geico and asked, telling them that the value of all the parts would be $835 ($433 struts, $242 springs, $161 mounts/bumpers/boots just in case I decide to get new ones). The rep told me that my premium would not increase, but that in the event of theft or damage, I would not be covered 100% for replacement... I would get a percentage of the original purchasing value (with receipts) based on depreciation. He also said to notify them when I get the modification done so that they have it on record and I don't have any problems if I ever need to file a claim.

Like you said though, the stock parts are either more expensive or close to it, so I could get my check for whichever is higher and then do what I want with the money.

..... or better yet.... not have anything happen at all!

 

btw i checked out tire rack and cardomain.com for the H&R sport springs... they both have to wait for the h&r company to ship it to them and then they ship it to you... so u'll have it in ruffly 2 weeks... and on the other note... cardomain.com is cheaper...

 

Whoa that sucks... I don't wanna wait 2 weeks... heck, I shouldn't even be waiting 2 days with my front right strut in the shape it's in.

Must find alternate source.

 

lol i found that out today or yesterday matter of fact... sucks but hey i don't have any shock problems... so i gess all i can do is be patient...

 

Look for used struts or springs here:

http://forums.maxima.org/forumdisplay.php?f=60

 

Hey... there's no need for foul language...!

 

i just got done doing this same research on lowering springs and strut/combo's for the past month. And it is highly subjective, with each person wanting something diff. out of their mod. I spoke with a lot of members who immensly helped me and after much contimplating i realized that personally i just wanted it for purely cosmetic reasoning;elimininating that horrible front gap and "jacked up in the front" look. I do not race or run on the track so upgrading was not as important as keeping at least stock comfort if not a little better if possible while providing a cosmetic edge. i decided to go with H&R in the front with stock struts and all stock in the rear. i spoke to many running this combo and none had any problems with there stock struts blowing.
As to why your stock struts blew with only 54k with stock springs in the first place, sorry, i have no idea.??? But since you must replace them anyway i'd go with the illuminas up front with H&R"s and leave the rear completely stock as i've heard many are satisfied with this combo and based apon pics i've seen, it's the perfect solution to the cosmetic front gap problem. Only if the rears blew would i spend that kind of money on them. Our cars handle ridicuously well for the everyday vehicle it is; unless your running at the track or competitively racing i think based apon the countless hours of research i've done, the illuminas and H&R in front and stock in rear will be the best cosmetically, handeling, and most important to me, COMFORTABLE, and cost effective combo to go with. That's just my .02. hope it helps you somewhat as i know how overwhelming it is when you first start looking into a drop. My H&R"s are on the way so i'll let you know how it works out.

 

Well, just so you know, ALL my suspension components have been used and bought in the 5th Gen Classifieds. I understand the risk, but as long as you do your homework before buying and know how to tell if what you get is good when you get it, there's nothing wrong with used parts.

Here's what I've gotten so far:

Progress springs with 8-10k miles - $100
Tein H-tech springs with 10-15k miles - $120
Tokico HP struts with 8-10k miles- $165
Tokico Illuminas struts with 2-3k miles - $350

 

exactly what he said. i just bought some teins in excellent conditionf for $85 shipped.

 

Hehe... sorry guys. I'm not too crazy about the idea of used equipment that would be an integral part of the functionality of my Maxima. If you've had good results with it then congrats.

I am going to go ahead and get them new though since I would feel more comfortable that way and don't have the patience to deal with any problems that might come up if I'm unlucky enough to buy stuff that turns out to be crap.

Man... I put up a post asking about what I should do regarding the replacement of a blown strut and less than 24 hours later, I'm ready to pull the trigger on lowering my car when I originally thought "no way." Great! Thanks! Way to get me to spend money!!!

 

anytime man. that is what the org is for. you come hear to learn about your car and how to fix it and then you end up modding it. its a pit.

 

An aesthetic/cosmetic question if you guys don't mind... my Max doesn't have a spoiler. Will it look goofy lowered without a spoiler?

Please don't tell me I need to get a spoiler now.

=)

 

Does this Max look goofy?




I don't think so...

 

If by "goofy" you mean "awesome," then yup sure does...

 

Glad ya get my drift...

 

 

I don't need to change my rims and tires too do I? I have stock 16"...

 

This depends on how low a drop you're planning. IMO any drop facilitates an upgrade in the wheel/tire area. Rubbing will be a problem if your drop is too low.

 

If you're getting H&Rs, then no.

 

Within a certain variance any wheel/tire package you put on should be the same measurement from top to bottom of the tire so as to prevent speedo problems regardless of drop.

 

10 char