Hi everyone,

I noticed that I have torn boots and figured that I should start looking into getting new struts. I don't really plan on lowering it so I figured I'm going to stick with stock springs, and thought the KYB GR2's would be a nice replacement.

I was looking at prices and it seems that for just about every part I ever need, the 5.5 gen (followed by the 5th gen) ends up having one of the most expensive prices for parts I've ever seen . Anyway, I was wondering if anyone would be able to provide me with suggestions for a set of struts that'll do the job? I'm not looking for anything expensive, just something that'll work fine with stock springs. It'd be nice for it to handle a little better than stock, but I'd also want a comfortable ride, which is why I thought the GR2's seem to be a good choice after research.

Would anyone be able to answer the following questions?
1) Are there any other suggestions you would have for a cheap (under 300 for a full set) set of struts?
2) Where to buy them for a good price?
3) If the 5th gen struts can be used in a 5.5 gen?
4) Should I change the mounts while I'm at it? I'm guessing I should also replace boots since their torn.

Thanks for reading everyone, I'm still a noob .

P.S. I also just got some new shoes for the maxima. If anyone were looking for tires, so far although I've only put 100 miles on them, they've been great. I got a set of Hankook Ventus V4 ES H105 - 225/50/ZR17 98W

They handled better than the old Eagle RSA's I was running in both wet and dry conditions. I was surprised at the grip I had during wet conditions as well. I got all 4 tires mounted and balance with free road hazard warranty for a total of $388.13 . Quicklane is having a sale right now where if you buy 4 tires off of certain brands and have them installed, you get a $100 rebate. They also allowed me to price match and I luckily was able to get a great price from sears! Talked to a few reps and gottem to throw in a free road hazard warranty and I jumped at the deal.

Since I got my tires though, I feel like I've been hearing a sound coming from the passenger side under the car. It definitely doesn't sound or feel like metal on metal, but more like plastic clipping on each other. I'm not exactly sure how to describe it, but I've been hearing it since I got my new tires installed. It only happens sometimes when going over bumps or potholes, regardless of how big or small the bumps are. Any ideas what that may be?

 

Strut Bearing. Probably want to change those to get rid of the noise.

 

First of all, how many miles on the car?
I installed new GR struts in the spring and I've no complaints. Firmed up my ride a bit while still being comfortable.

2: Try just suspension.com
4: Definitley replace the boots if they're torn. Replace them even if they're not torn and your milage is high.
Mounts & bearings for sure if milage is high.

 

mileage is a little over 120000. I'll look into it then. I found some wheel bearings for like $30. Brand was called Timken. Ever heard of them?

 

I thought you were talking about strut bearings? Wheel bearings are a whole different animal.

 

I,m pretty much in the same boat as OnOiShNo0dl3Z. Ive got a 2002 that I bought used, so I'm not sure what all has been done to it. It currently has 121,000 miles on it. I am also getting some weird sound when i hit bumps or even turn. It comes from the drivers side and sounds like it is under me. Also, when I hit bumps, I get the popping noise, not sure what if it's the struts or what. Any opinions or tips on what it is or what I should get to fix it would be appreciated.

 

GR2's are def a good bargain & i don't think you can get anything new for much cheaper than that & be worth the time & effort to change out the old ones. Only do the mounts if they are broken but def change the front bearings.. eventually dirt gets inside those bearings and makes an annoying clicking sound when you turn the wheel. And def expect to pay more than 300 especially if you are going to have them done at a repair shop.

 

I'm lookin to do it myself hopefully. I'll have someone check out my car for what the sound is sometime this weekend so I can hopefully resolve that and I'll let you guys know if I find something.

So does anyone know where I can get GR2's for the best deal? So far, I can only find the set for 295 on ebay or something. Since I still have to buy new boots and possibly mounts depending on the damage.

Would the 00/01 struts and shocks work for the 02/03 since I heard that the 00/01 are more firm, but I know they're also cheaper.

 

Sheesh you guys....you sound like you're talking in code --

BOOTS: correct name is BELLOWS if you are referring to the rubber surrounds that cover the pistons on the struts, and incorporate the bumpstop on the top of the unit (bellow).

BEARINGS: are called Strut Bearings, and are tiny plastic discs (grey)with bearings sealed inside, that are mounted between the strut hat and the top mounting assembly, and allow the strut assembly to rotate while mounted on the car. Typically, these can be purchased as a set with the STRUT MOUNT ASSEMBLY....and honestly, it's BEST to replace these as a whole unit.

Replacing Either of these parts requires removing and disassembling the entire spring/strut assembly.

There are multiple OTHER references to boots and bearings throughout the car on the varying parts and diagrams.....this is why I'm trying to give you some clarification.

You guys need to get be clear about what you are referring to, in both question and answers.

the grumpy old man has spoken.

gr

 

Lol thanks for the clarification GhostRider17. I'm still new to learning about cars and DIY and all. Noone has been able to comment on if the 5th gen and 5.5 gen struts/shocks are interchangeable? I could've sworn I read something about how someone wanted to swap them.

Also, when buying the parts, I'm guessing all I need would be the strut/shock, mount and bellow? Would everything I need be included in there including the bearing?

 

No worries -- it's not so much YOu but the misinformation you were getting....

Btw: the reason you're not getting answers, is because this is a TIRED topic, and there is plenty of info to find in a search.

I don't remember for SURE, but I think there are a few differences between the 5 and 5.5 gen's that make the struts NOT interchangeable.
Don't quote me on that. I'm not 100% certain.
I asked the same question about SPRINGS more than 6 months ago, and never got a reply.

Check this link for parts:
http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/x,carcode,1431954

You've got a little homework to do.
Bellows are sold separate.
MOOG Strut mounts (which I'm buying a set of soon) include the bearing.
I won't comment on price of struts or one vs. the other, but your choices are:
Tok Blues or Illuminas, or KYB Gr2's...that's it.
Price will dictate for you, and that's the KYB's.
Plenty of discussion on impressions of ALL of those on the forums.

good luck.

gr

 

ghostrider, that was nice of you... while still maintaining your grumpy old man character.

 

I have 5.5 gen SE that had that same popping noise when going over bumps or whenever the engine started. It turned out to be my engine mounts. My struts were fine at the time, so it turned out to be the mounts. I confirmed this with my mechanic when he found oil leaking from the mounts. There are four mounts on the engine, with two being in the middle and two on the sides. The middle mounts are the ones that go out on our cars. I shopped around a lot for the mounts because they aren't cheap. The best price was from Dave B at Southpoint Nissan. I am not trying to sell you on Dave, I just am giving him a plug because he saved me over $100 a mount. Good luck.

 

i purchased from tirerack.com. i bought the mount kits and KYB's all around. you may find lower prices, but they had free shipping at the time, which made it worthwhile. you will like the KYB's alot if you are looking for a firm, smooth ride. they are OE replacements and NOT performance struts, but you will notice a huge difference from the worn out old struts
also, check out autohausaz.com, i use them often. fair prices and free shipping over $50, plus no tax unless you live in AZ.

 

So i finally made a decision on where to order my gr2's. For those who are looking for a good price, you can check out

www.PerformancePeddler.com.

They had front struts kyb gr2 334366 and 334367 for less than 90 a piece with free shipping and no tax in most states. They also had the rear shocks kyb gr2 341341 for less than 70 a piece with free shipping and no tax. I think my total came up to just around 300 bucks, beating the ebay prices by $20 lol. You can use coupon code 'MAXIMA' for a slight discount as well! And if you post it on a forum, you get another $10 off of orders of $150+. So this hopefully helps you guys out as well as me!

Good luck to those looking!

PS - I found out I have a bad ball joint on the passenger side. Does anyone know if that's the cause of a popping noise from the passenger side that happens on turns sometimes? If so, is it better to replace with a ball joint or a control arm?

 

Me too. Sounded like a suspension clunk but it was the engine mount.

 

For me, the noise happens from the front passenger side. and it seems to happen sometimes when I make turns. I know the ball joint on that side is bad, but would that be the cause? Does a bad axle sound anything similar? Only way I can think of atm to describe it is it sounds like if you tap on your laptop or your door with a finger.

 

So After installing all the parts on my front end (new kyb gr2's,strut mounts, ball joints, sway bar links and bushings, outer tie rods and a new driver side axle) the sound has gone away. From what I could tell, the random sound I heard was from either the ball joint or the sway bar link. That's what I have narrowed it down to since the noise is now gone. I know for sure my ball joint was bad but not so sure on the sway bar link. I'll take a look when I have a chance if someone asks while I still have the old one. Hopefully this information will help someone else out in the future.

As stated above, I got the KYB GR2's front and back for under 300 from performancepeddler.com if you were looking for the best price. I actually got it for around $283 grand total which was the best I found anywhere. From what people told me, definitely replace the front mounts, rear mounts rarely ever need to be replaced. Also, I remember reading somewhere that 5th gen struts Could be used on 5.5 gens with the exception that they aren't warrantied for use on 5.5's. The other problem is the bracket for the ABS wire iirc.

Hopefully someone reads this in the future and has their questions answered .