n3985's review of carnal_c30's subframe collars
 

Had my subframe collars installed with the help of member tavarish, whom I highly recommend for any tri-state members for work on their Maximas, very nice and knowledgeable guy! :D

My car currently have the following suspension mods:

• Cattman Titanium FSTB
• Progress RSB
• Subframe connectors
• Eibach Pro Kit springs
• Tokico Illumina struts
• ES swaybar bushings

However one of my biggest peeves was going over a bump or an indented manhole cover I felt the car had some slop/play before the struts did their job. Kind of like drive over a bump and there is a loose-ness feeling before the struts absorbed the bump.

Then carnal_c30 posted the subframe collars FS thread here:

http://forums.maxima.org/group-deals...e-collars.html

Which is suppose to alleviate my preceding qualms. After getting them installed, which was much simpler than expected I can say they do what they are said to do. The car going over imperfections is definitely "firmer" (not more harsh) and takes the impact better and everything feels more solid.

Is it a night and day difference? No
Can you feel the change right away? Yes
Worth the $? For $89.01 to stiffen up the noodle chassis of the Maxima? Definitely!

Here are some pics:

http://img62.imageshack.us/img62/971...2702125433.jpg

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/7...2712130356.jpg

http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/5...2722134772.jpg

My car ready to go under the knife!

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/5...2862139985.jpg

First collar installed on driver's side:

http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/1...2892144771.jpg

and 2nd (this is the same bolt as the first, one on top one on bottom)

http://img651.imageshack.us/img651/1...2902149474.jpg

3rd and 4th collar being installed:

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4...2912153919.jpg

All done on one side!

http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/7...2952158557.jpg

Thanks for coming by!

i thought that driveway looked familiar!

Cool! I'll be installing mine sometime soon... eventually.

what's the material? hard plastic or a urethane?

I will probably do this as well..

I think they are actually cnc machined steel

It's hard plastic, exact material you'll have to ask carnal_c30

I have this inevitable looseness from my front passenger side that no1 has been able to properly dianose and fix... ive changed my LCA bushings, endlinks and sway bar bushings...even got coilovers thinking it was the strut. The noise attenuates when theres no weight on the front pass side, weight actually minimizes the noise.

Soft clunk on dips, hard thuds (like the front end is breaking) on bumps. Progressive with speed...

No play in tie rods/bearings. Everything firm. Based on what fixes my solution (to an extent) and what these are designed to do im giving this a shot. Plus like you said, anything that stiffens this noodle of a suspension is worth it! :)


Lets hope this fixes it...will keep you guys posted.

Thansk for the review bro.

I think you need a new passenger motor mount since you changed all the possible suspension parts.

When Iinstalled mine, I also felt a difference in the way the car reacted.

The noises have no relation to acceleration/deceleration however..thats whats making it so hard to find out. More so theres no excess engine vibration, and the rubber pieces are not cracked what so ever.

Hard to tell, plus a tech would be able to diagnose that if that was the case... I'll play it out with these and if that fails, give up all together :laugh:

Awaiting mine to come in! Motor is out now, so install should be even more of a breeze. Funny thing is, I haven't driven my car in so long, I forgot how it felt already, so it's going to be all new to me anyway.

Can't wait to install mine...

Don't you have a frame brace underneath your car already? I would think that would overshadow something like this, no? Either way, I'm wanting to hear your feedback on this after you install.

BTW, OP... good thread!

Intersting & nice write up. I would like to know more details on the install. It looks like a lift may be required.

The install was done on jack stands.

The install on the front part is not as easy as everyone thinks. Control arm and end link had to be unbolted and tucked away from vehicle in order for bump stop to be removed. No other way around it.

Additionally, the C washers on the rear bolt are not snug, causing them to move and fall out of the vehicle. Anyone with a 5.5 gen having this same problem?

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/9077/0402152408.jpg

EDIT: This problem is easily resolved by installing metal shims above the C washer for the rear. Naturally, they have to be notched. This is definetely something that should be metioned by the manufacturer.

When tavarish installed mine, he definitely did NOT have to uninstall the control arm or endlinks....

Maybe the SE models are different. What do you drive?

EDIT: I just looked at your pics again and your car does not have bump stops like mine. I will take some pics so you can understand what I mean.

The suspension assembly is the same between SE, GLE, GXE, minus the front swaybar and IIRC the springs. I have an I35 which is equal to GLE. When the front collars were installed, a simple deep socket was used with a breaker bar.

Well. My front bolts sit above a bump stop, which has to be removed with a large hex. There is no room to squeeze in a wrench in there and worm the sob out.

Not sure what this bump stop you are referring to, can you post a pic?

10-4. I will snap some tomorrow.

And wasn't the top c washer on the front bolt loose? Mine fit way too snugly.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/2111/0405122531.jpg

It's the cylindrical brass object.

What the hell? I've never seen that. My car doesn't have anything there. An aftermarket bumps top you installed? Not oem for sure.

I never installed that. It is absolutely OEM.

I also do not have that "bump stop" as you can see from my original pics :confused:

I know.

I guess some 5.5 gen SEs did. Now you understand why I had to do what I had to do to put them on...:p

FWIW.. 02-5.5 SE.. and i dont have that bump stop thing you have.. maybe only in 03? if thats what you have...or.. maybe they put it in when u got ur turbo put in and didnt tell you :hide: lol

Definitely don't have that on mine either.

Was not on my I30 either.

That thingy looks creepy!

help me out dude, does you front suspenison make noise? i have eibach and illumina setup and it's noisy as hell.:bawling:

Has this been adressed by the seller yet?
Or is this problem somehow peculiar to this vehicle only?

Weird, it almost looks like an impact socket stuck to a bolt. Does your Maxima have these on both sides?

I cannot find a similar part in the FSM or other exploded part drawings, perhaps your car is special?

Oh wow, that's exactly what that looks like. Stranger things have been known to happen.

Except Roy said he had to remove it for the install, implying he put it back again. So that's probably not a stuck socket:

Another random question for rroderiques77: are there marks on the LCA's indicating contact?

no^^^^

I guess one could leave these things off. But it sounds like I'm the only one that has them.

EDIT: I just contacted Nissan directly and they also had no idea what I was talking about. Well, it's there and it's factory.

Weird....