jeff5347

ok so im not sure if it goes in the susp thread or here since its a 5.5. gen
My question is simple. I have sprint springs which droppedmy ride about 1.5 inches. now im looking for shocks and struts since the stockers seem to be saying bye bye. Im looking to not spend a lot of money and dont need adjustable since im street drivedn no track time. I have gone thru the stickies and come up to the following

blues- stock replacements and wont handle the drop
agx and illiuminas to pricey and are adj

here is my delima- ive read ya's and na's on gr2s. half say good ride with a lowered car and others say they are stock replacements and wont handle the drop. these are the ones im contimplating but dont want something that will not last 6 months let alone a couple years.

any advice welcome
thanks

mist max2000

iTrader: (16)

had gr2's within 6 months they got noticable worse..hope that helped i was dropped on vogtland

jeff5347

what is a fairly cheap replacement for the sprint springs lowered 1.5 - 1.8 inches. again dont care about the track or asjustability just street driving. does anyone know of a good reputuable site thats cheap

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

I got these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/TOKIC...spagenameZWDVW

I made an offer of $275 and he accepted. I have seen a few people on here buy from him.

I am on stock springs and I like them. From what I have read on here, they are supposed to handle lowered springs better than stock struts.

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

I had GR-2s on s-techs (I think they are 2.2 rear and 1.8 front??) and they lasted a long time. Probably had 40K on them when I sold the car and were still good...

boondoxmax

iTrader: (1)

Hp suck in the rear. They are way to soft back there. Stay away from HP and just get OEM. I really don't understand how HP can handle lowering springs.....

maximadave

iTrader: (10)

Save up and go with the Illuminas.

vball_max

iTrader: (5)

Now you got me confused......

quoted from your cardomain page..... "tokico hp shocks very good replacement for stock shocks"

and now you are saying they suck? Mine have been fine in the back although i heard a few people mention that they think they are a liitle floaty back there.....i havent experienced this at all.

Shinjiduo

iTrader: (106)

I don't know what kind of question this is? Do you really have a choice other than to go to adjustables? I sure you have heard that the HP's are great for stockers but can be a little soft and bouncy for lowering springs. Illumina's, Koni's and AGX's can allow you adjust to the spring rate of the spring you are using but, I believe none of the aforementioned springs are warrantied beyond a 1.5 inch drop. I would say either go with GR-2's which you can get on ebay for 200 to 250 or get spring with a milder drop and get the hp's. In fact if I am not mistaken if you go to www.performancepeddler.com and sign in under the name maxima then search for ILK298 (maybe ILK 298) they sell a tokico illumina suspension kit complete with all four struts/shocks along with lowering springs (-1.25f/-1.00r) for 477 shipped. This will free you from having a drop that you will never be able to find reliable (and inexpensive) shocks for and you get illuminas to boot for about as cheap of a price as you are ever going to get for a complete set up on a 5th Gen Max.

Shinjiduo

iTrader: (106)

Oh also if you mention them on the org that is another 10 dollars off so you get the whole sha'bang for 467 shipped.

Shinjiduo

iTrader: (106)

Or if you want the ultimate is cheap drop set when you search input HPK339 instead that will give you the HP lower spring kit that comes in at 326 shipped if you mention www.performancepeddler.com on the org.

jeff5347

how was the ride? was it harsh or just alittle stiffer. see my problem is i have the sprints with stock shocks and struts. on nice rodes its fine, no complaints. but i live in mass so the roads and hi ways suck hardcore. i live near hiway 290 and there is a ton of road work and when i hit bumps most cars would take wit hsome ease my max hammers the bumps. or if there are long ups and downs the rear end feels very uncontrolled as it gets to alsmost bottom out and jumps up real high. floaty if you will. i need something that can control the spring. not the spring control the shock.
were you happy with the gr2s...?

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

I was happy with the gr2s but not with the s-techs. The Gr-2s were great but now I have illuminas on my max and they are 10 times better. I would suggest AGX or Illumina 100%. Just the ability to adjust makes all the difference in the world. My set up is H-Tech and illuminas and the ride is amazimg with great reaction and handling.

jeff5347

agx or illuminas would be nice but right now or anytime are too pricey for me. i am just looking for something that is better than what i have and gives a better ride. i saw on ebay all four gr2s for 300. were the gr2s better than the factory setup. were they comfortable or harsh.

CMax03

iTrader: (3)

First of all AGX don't exist for the Gen 5 or 5.5( Except Those Modified by Cattman)! GR2 would be your best bet! Tokico blues valving is soft and will give you a bouncy ride the GR2 are softer tan the Illuminas but very controlled! What's your spring rates on those Sprint Springs? Also if you have any problems those KAYABAS also include a warranty. Just be sure to find out how much drop is allowed to maintain your warranty! My Illuminas are 1.75" maximum drop allowed!

jeff5347

im not sure what the spring rate is. i would have to call sprint to see what it is. i think the drop is about 1.8 or so. the ride height is nice now need ride quality. i found some gr2s on ebay for 300 which doesnt seem bad. it will be so much nicer of a ride when that is taken cqre of

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

You can get illuminas for $120 bucks more. And to be honest... with that drop, It's probably the springs that are hurting the ride. Get some H-Techs and GR-2s. You will like that ride. You could also probably find some used struts on here for a good price. Most people are honest on here...

NmexMAX

iTrader: (22)

If Sprints are anything like S-techs, and I suspect they are, then they give the suspension relatively NO travel @ all. And that hurts ride quality.

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

yes. They are actually WAY too soft. The spring rate is stupid and you are pretty much riding on the bump stops with the s-techs

jeff5347

i dont mind it being slightly harsh. its the whole bouncyness im not happy with. i like a stiffer ride. im not a fan of the caddy ride. if the gr2s control the bouncyness im cool with it. i dont feel the cart bottom out. i think the springs do have a a high spring rate. im used to the ride do to my 68 camaro having a nice tight suspension that has a lot of road feel. i like that. just the floaty ness on dips in the road and such is a pain. i checked that site for the illuminas with springs but it was 589 for them not the 477. do you think getting someones used springs with 15 20 or more thousand miles is good given they have use on them. would they be more apt to wear out quicker?

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

springs don't really wear out. I think you would be fine.

jeff5347

my bad i meant used struts or shocks not springs

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

a lot of people have different feelings on that... You just really need to trust somebody in what they tell you. sometimes that will bite you in the @$$... I wouldn't buy any over 15K if you decide to do it. That's just my personal preference

hi-tek22

iTrader: (4)

just save your cash and get some Illumina's

THEY ARE WELL WORTH IT

Weeble1

iTrader: (8)

+1