yes, because if you increase the drop and leave the same suspension travel, your fenders will fly off on the first speedbump you might not notice...

 

It becomes an issue only when you drop it so low that the car becomes virtually undrivable. For most of the people, however, it is still a drawback.

 

but what do you expect, the suspension has to be stiff in order to provide good handling... ESPECIALLY for that beautiful rear end on a maxima. for those who want comfort, they might as well just get springs and shocks and save yourself a lot of money while youre at it...

 

I'm not really getting what you are trying to say.

I expect long suspension travel, known spring rates and easier tuning...

 

that is not true at all.....it depends entirely of what kind of handling you are looking for. Do you often take turns on bumpy roads? If so....super-stiff will not assist in road adhesion. Do you autocross? Some of the best autocrossers with the Maxima actually have REMOVED the front sway bar entirely to increase turn-in. I don't know what is actually on your car, Frisco...but the only handling modification I see listed in your profile is an RSB. Anything else, suspension guru?

now, I digress (not directed toward anyone in particular, just ranting):

I'm so sick of a few (note: not all) of you coilover guys acting like you somehow can drive circles around those with spring/strut combos. Last I checked, a coilover is just a spring, and a strut also...and if you are running coilovers with incorrect spring rates, or have them set too low (over 2-2.5"), you're handling will be far poorer than, for example, mine (even on these crap H-techs).

Just go slam it 3" low and admit that LOOKS are the real reason that many people buy coliovers, and that making blanket statements about "stiff coilovers" (brand unspecified) are magically superior to certain spring/strut combos in "performance" (whatever your definition of performance is).

Suspension is more than just your springs/struts/coilovers. I'd like to see how you 3" slammed guys drive with a stage 2 LTB without it scraping. What? You don't have one? Didn't think so.

How about the camber and toe adjustments you're running? What? You told the alignment shop to set it to "factory specs" (i.e. near-zero toe and camber). Yeah, real handling gurus.

Are you 3" low but running with 30-lb chrome 19's? Yeah, love that unsprung weight, don't you?

As for me....Yeah, I'll most likely run coilovers at some point in time (almost certainly Boss Chens with different springs and camber plates) - but I can PROMISE you I won't drop the car more than 1.5" or so with them. And I can also promise that the car will be corner-weighed and the correct spring rates (and helper springs, if necessary) used....not just the "springs that come with the coilovers."

Apologies to those of you who have coilovers and actually know a thing or two or three about handling - this is directed to the select few idiots out there that think that "lower" or "stiffer" translates directly to "better handling."

To those who think that, I'll be happy to meet you at the next autocross and we'll see who can "handle" better. And make sure you keep that crap slammed so you'll be sure to look pretty when I own you.

damn, it's been a while since I had something to rant about. Feels good!

 

to irish:
apparently someone needs a chill pill here... and where did i claim to be a suspension guru? I am getting my tein ss installed on wednesday and from there i will tune it further. i hope an autoX guru like yourself knows that Tein has custom springs with various specifications available... so before you start weighting sides of your car and adjusting your camber that would eventually eat away your good tires, get coilovers to begin with!!! And i am sorry i did not update my mods on the profile... i am sure you put every possible sticker on your car also.
I am not trying to hate on you or anthing, but i pray to god to meet you in a few months on a mountain road... we'll take it from there....

to all others:
Boss Chens might be good coilovers, but who will service them for you when they pop or leak? where is the warranty and where is the experience? If you are considering coilovers, do yourself a favor and get tein ss. a lot more tuneable and at least you'd know what to expect of them...

 

sounds like you should just become a Tein destributor

 

Your statement about "stiff springs handle better" seemed to be made quite definitively. Calling you "suspension guru" was a figure of speech, made with sarcasm. I'm well aware that you are far from a suspension guru (I am no suspension guru either, but I do have quite a bit more experience)

Thanks for proving my point......you're making blanket statements and you don't even HAVE coilovers on the car right now.

yes, as does Eibach and several other companies. I mentioned in my long post that when I eventually went to coilovers, I would be corner weighing and changing springs to suit.

what do the two things have to do with each other?? Since I have camber plates NOW, I can adjust camber (and do, depending on if I'm driving street, autocross, or track). Have you ever corner-weighed a car? I have, several times (not the maxima).

... i am sure you put every possible sticker on your car also. [/QUOTE]

My point was that it is easier to see what context in which you are speaking if we know what mods you have....from your sig it's easy to assume you have a near-stock Maxima, so you sound foolish talking trash about handling....

Sorry to tell you there are NO decals on my car with aftermarket parts brands on them. Just a couple low-key black Maxima.org stickers, and a low-key RedlineMax decal (my sponsor). Oh, and a Murray Ross Custom Surfboards sticker....he's a friend of mine so I'm happy to give him some free advertising.

If you're referring to the photo in my sig...that is at an event, and those are magnetized decals - the numbers and classes are REQUIRED for running, and the other stickers are for sponsors (RedlineMax.com) and/or companies that have helped me out/hooked me up over the years (Energy Suspension, for example). Others are for tire contingency programs (Hankook) or the series (SCCA Solo2). But I'm sure you already know all of that....

Suggesting that I'm a ricer...now THAT is funny!

That's big talk all the way from the west coast. You're just such a badass, what can I say? I was autocrossing and road racing when you were still in elementary school. Back then it was in a 1970 Triumph GT6 (which had coilovers, I might add).

But issuing a "challenge" from the other side of the country....that's just lame.


Again, you're pimping the tein ss so hard, and you just admitted up above that YOU HAVEN'T EVEN INSTALLED YOURS YET. So your knowledge on the subject at this point in time is exactly ZERO.

Personally, I'd put as much trust in Larry's customer service as with some import-tuner shop that sold you your Teins.

btw, how are the teins "alot more tuneable?" Really, I'd like to hear you explain that. Please...explain.

 

to irish:
i drove and rode in A33 maximas equipped with shocks/springs (various combos), with k-sport coilovers, jic coilovers and tein-ss coilvers. that is how i came out to pick tein ss for my car. besides that tein comes with EDFC that saves you a whole lotta trouble adjusting your setup. i am not "pimping" tein ss anyhow, they are highly cumtomizable. adjustable coiulovers that also have aname to them and warranty. if you want a more sophisticated explanation, please call ten and they will be more than glad to familiarize you with their options. have fun.

 

...and I wish you complete happiness with your Teins and sincerely hope they are exactly what you are looking for. I'm just saying that they are NO MORE adjustable or customizable than any other coilover (including the Boss Chens, using Stillen camber plates).

EFDC doesn't give them any more adjustability or make them more customizable, it just gives you the ability to adjust "on the fly" rather than having to turn a wrench to do it.

 

by the way...in reference to my long rant above:

I will be the FIRST to admit that some of the best-handling Maximas out there (Matt Blehm, Brian (BEJAY), and Mike Jez's come to mind) are riding on coilovers - but those coilovers are only one part of many that make their respective cars handle so well. Handling is a sum of many parts. Simply changing springs/struts/coilovers is only one step.

 

true indeed...

 

I could become a Tein distributor, but then i'd be no better off than any other tuner shop re-selling products. However, many members have different opinions and needs. I respect yours and I hope that you can respect others in their choice also.

I've owned a spring/strut combo and D2 coilovers on my vehicle. I was unsatisfied with what I found. I didn't like the way JIC was treating local members returning to them with problems. The Tein coilover system on 4th gens was a joke and poorly made (i've installed a few that didn't even fit). The 5th gen SS system was a drastic improvement and I do make references for those customers desiring a EDFC option.

 

i am not trying to say that your product is bad or anything, usually the smallest companies make the best products, priciest too, but i just would like to know what kind of warranty you would provide to your customers. i am looking forward to meeting someone with boss chens and driving that car.

 

I warranty all my parts free of defects within the 1st year of purchase just like any other manufacturer. I don't like to use general statements such as "limited" warranty because it confuses me on what parts are actually covered.

 

FTW My friend has these on his 6th Gen and the ride is so smooth planning on getting the SS for my 5th.

 

Can you give us more detail.... or is that 100% coverage?

Also, does that mean you replace the coilover itself or you repair it?

Mike

 

free of defects means that the product will not have any component failures during the 1st year of usage and will fit properly upon installation. Warranty is expressed as a parts replacement or monetary compensation. Given the racing nature of the product, I can't offer a full warranty (complete parts replacement).

A guarantee form will also be included with each shipment. All of my test cars will have an extended version of the standard warranty

 

Just thought I would bring this back from the dead incase anyone else was searching for this info...Larry and his Boss Chen C/O are top notch! When ever I have had something that needed to be addressed Larry has been more than fair AND accomodating. In once circumstance, he sent me brand new replacement parts in exchange for my broken parts (my fault)! How many big tuner companys will do that in today's world? Exactly NONE! Don't ask me about my experience with Stillen and their lifetime warranty on their aero parts! Larry's customer service and his warranty are as good as gold. He is a pleasure to work with and is one of the most fair business people I have worked with...I would buy anything he was selling based on my experiences with him over the last 3 years! Larry is one of the few who put his money and mouth were it counts and actually produced a top quality product for us...it's worth the money. You get what you pay for in this situation! I had 4 different combos on my max and none of them even close to B/C. If you're on the fence about doing business with Larry...take it from NIKE...JUST DO IT!

 

Does he even make them anymore, I emailed him once upon a time and never heard back from him.....I'm hoping agility pulls through and turns out like the boss chens

 

From my communications with him about a month ago he does not make them any longer.

 

meh, mine leak oil at all 4 corners and clunk like theyre about to fall apart. i plan to ride em until they run outa oil and then put the stockers back on. they still handl relatively well and the handling was great for the first several months.

 

PS: its not cause im slammed or running super stiff, im dropped about h-techs level and running more preload on springs and less shock rebound (dial full stiff and then dial out 17 clicks out of something like 25 total available)

 

You have BossChen's??

 

yep/ got them from larrio sometime last march or so?

 

I'm quite happy with mine although I haven't put many miles on them. Larry hasn't been around the Org for quite some time. I heard he was out of the country for a while and it seems he isn't doing side projects like the BC coilovers anymore.

 

lol bump! I just want to ask if the only way to have a set rebuilt is through Larrio?

 

For those looking...there is a company called BC racing...they are out of FL and they make a set for the maxima with pillowball top mounts and similar design philosophy...but they are not Boss Chen's. I sent them my spare and their parts won't fit...I was hoping I could buy their cartridges and replace mine...they are leaking now too. Apparently the north east was not where these should have been used! I am still happy with them, just unhappy I can't get parts/replacement stuff. Now I am looking at a whole new suspension...probably from BC. Call them and ask for Tristan...he's a good guy and he can direct you to one of their distributers. Tell him Cale sent you.
Go Badgers!

 

I dont know why anyone who doesnt want to SLAM their car doesnt just use the same eibach springs with a set of ground control coilovers and get konis custom valved to match the spring rates. Konis are at least a lot less likely to blow and you'll know the struts are valved correctly.

Would be cheaper, have the exact same performance and more reliable, plus easily rebuildable if something did happen

 

Sciff, where do you get Konis custom valved? With three different parts from three different companies, it sounds like more hassle than buying a coilover package. If you buy TEIN Basics, you have a reputable company behind your dampers if you have problems.

Cale, how many miles did you have on your BCs before they blew? What setting did you have the dampers on during winter driving? I drove on mine this winter, including some extremely cold days, but I had them all set to full soft. Hopefully they won't start leaking anytime soon.

 

Koni's are arguably the best street performance shock anywhere. Tein is good but nowhere in the same league as shops and support behind Koni. Lots of local shops can do them. Koni in KY or TrueChoice in OH are some of the best. Approx $100 per unit but leadtimes depends on busy season (now-Oct).

 

Maybe 20k...In the winter they are all the way soft. Rt side is shot at this point. I have a 2nd gen BossChen for the rear that is brand new, but I prefer to replace in a pair. When I have adjusted the settings, there is oil on the adjustment *****...sure that isn't good. Hopefully swapping in the illuminas and vogtlands this weekend for a better ride...just not as nice of a look.

 

If I have to replace my BCs before I get rid of the car, I will probably go the GC/Koni route. Anyone have a link to a write-up?