Not bumpier, more firm. It's literally like taking away the age of your car, it feels new again. The bushing are on the k-member subframe. On both sides there are two stud oriented mounts to the car. One is near the strut on the frame an the other is closer to the lower control arm. I would imagine a spacer would work if your thickness is right, you would still have to use a crescent shaped one for the top unless you are removing the frame completely.

 

i'm sure if it was machined that could be accommodated for. Please don't take this the wrong way but, does any one have any idea why nissan used bushings instead of metal on metal/spacers?

 

Cost?
Maybe quieter?
Possibly smoother ride? (motor mounts are rubber for a reason)

 

I think Nissan was trying to "simulate" a luxurious ride. McPherson struts can sometimes transfer more vibrations to the body, and theres not hundreds of pounds of sound deadening, so masking some of the NVH behind rubber was the best option. I haven't driven any other maxima than my own, so i wouldnt know if it really was a great ride when it was new.

Im guessing it would be the same reason they wanted that liquid filled engine mount, but dont ask me why they thought it was a good idea to wire it directly to the ECU.

 

Dumb question.
I'm really new to working on the max, but is there no poly replacement
or how about a new rubber bushing?

 

^^The DIY sub frame collar option is guaranteed cheaper than all of those options, with a likely better outcome.

Considering they will all wear out/break down putting you back to square one, and the collars would not.

 

How difficult is it to remove the nuts? Seams like an easy enough install but I foresee myself stripping one of those nuts and then never being able to install them...

 

Does that mean you have all solid bushings everywhere?
These are maximas not race cars.

 

The liquid filled motor mount was to prevent motor vibration getting into the cabin. It was on automatic maximas only. That motor mount was tied to the ECU to change properties as the RPMs increased. The manual maxima never had them because they didn't need them.

 

No, but in this case I felt it was the best choice after reading multiple claims that it had almost nothing but positive effects.

Was it? Certainly, I have no regrets.
Between these and my RSB, my car handles unbelievably better.
And I did do them at separate times, to feel the effects of each.

 

RSB is given for just about any unibody, assuming an RSB is that bar that mounts across both shock towers.

 

You must mean a RSTB.

 

RSB= Rear Sway bar
RSTB= Rear Strut Tower Bar.

Both are a must if best handling is what your lookin for.

 

Does those rear shock tower braces do anything?
I know in other cars I've had they didn't do anything at all.

 

RSB>RSTB, but yes, they do a little..no huge difference IMO.
Especially compared to RSB.

 

I would think a FSTB would be more helpful since that is where all the weight is at.

 

A solid car like the maxima, I don't think so.

One of my first cars was a 1982 jetta that a lower tie bar made a monster difference but
it didn't have a subframe to begin with. what a cheaply made pile of sheet metal that was.

 

On a Maxima:
FSTB - noticeable difference, but fairly marginal
RSB - Much more noticeable
RSTB - not worth the metal it's made with.

 

Donkeypunch i have to disagree, ANY unibody with shock towers is subject to sway/movement. Does the maxima not have an RSB from the factory? does any RSB effect how well it soaks up bumps/ ride smoothness?

 

You mean rear sway bars?
Maximas do come with them. Sway bars do effect ride smoothness.

 

Fail.

 

Not all Maximas come with Factory RSB. Only 04 onwards.

 

I was gonna say my 02 sure as hell don't have one... Lol

 

FSB yes, RSB no.

 

Actually, the multi-link rear beam on the 4th and 5th gens DO have an RSB. It's built into the beam. The FSB you can see easily because it's distinct. The RSB inside the multi-link rear beam is much harder to decipher, but it's there. This is also emphasized in the Nissan brochures....I have the 97 and 98 Maxima brochures.

 

so either way adding an after market RSB improves ride quality and handling?

 

The stiffer the bar the less independent you make the suspension.
So technically, if you mean a nice ride (ride quality) it'll make it worse.
100% great paved roads it doesn't matter.

 

If u have the stock suspension, adding an aftermarket RSB will be beneficial. If you are lowered, like with H&Rs, the OEM RSB is fine.

 

so if i got those 1100 dollar Tein SS Coilovers every one is talking about an RSB wouldn't matter as much?

 

Try the coilovers 1st. You won't need much else, but if you do, it is very easy to add the RSB later.

 

Agree.

RSB adds quite a bit of oversteer - which is amplified when lowered.

 

[QUOTE=jeff5347;7991295]

The bottom washer ID needed to be ground out to measure roughly 1 ½ inch ID (I do not have a pic of this) so it could fit around the bulge of the cup, you’ll know what I mean when you unbolt the rear mounts. I used my hand grinder from Harbor Freight with a carbide bit. Ate thru the steel like a termite on wood.
The top mounts need to be notched to look like a C. In this photo the black area is what needs to be removed so they can slide in above the subframe. I used the hacksaw and then the bench grinder to clean any sharp edges.


[QUOTE=jeff5347;7991295]

Do you guys take the bottom rubber out or left it there with the new spacer around it?

Thanks

 

All parts stay. Collars get added on.

 

Really done a nice job there. Concept cars are not put into production directly since they are frequently designed to boast what a car manufacturer can do. The display you present for us is inspiring and very professional.
I am also work on it. This will be helpful for me taking ideas from there.

 

So finally got around to installing these. My Fastenal only had the size in stainless steel so I ended up paying around $34 for 16 washers. It was a project but definitely worth it.

I used a borrowed handheld bandsaw to cut them and a file to smooth the edges. I ran into a few problems. First off, each individual washer was slightly thinner than the ones in the original post. This makes me unsure if they are clamped in tight enough to stay put, but so far so good. This also means that I finished without the one washer on the bottom of the rear mounts. Secondly, the nuts on the front mounts were a pain and a half. One side fought me the whole way and the other side I didn't even get to break loose. What I ended up doing was cutting the bottom two washers into a C shape just like the top and used a jack to compress the bushing enough to slide them into place.

Did they transform my car into a BMW? No. Did they make a noticeable improvement? Very much and very worth the time and money.

My car always had "something different" about the way it drove. I couldn't put my finger on it but it was embarrassing that a focus or a Sentra felt like it was more planted and a better ride. Finally with the collars, I feel like I'm driving a different car. This was probably because my bushings were very far gone and caused the front end to walk away when braking and turning (at 130k miles!). All of the improvements these made have already been stated in this thread so just write me down as another satisfied user.

 

Very glad to hear! I will surely be doing this in the near future.

 

Does anyone know if this will work for a 4th gen Maxima? I've searched the 4th gen forum and they have premade ones that look exactly the same as the premade ones for the 5th gen so I assume this would work but just want to make sure. Can't find any DIY subframe collars in the 4th gen forum. Would the 4th gen use the same Washer dimensions? Maybe just having to cut them a little bit differently?

I've replaced every piece of the front suspension and I still get crazy vibrations in the car over small bumps and wheel hop. Feels like my car is falling apart. Hoping this might be the solution.

Thanks!

 

all these years later how does the longevity of the washers hold up. can the road be "felt" more/better? these questions are poised at anybody.

EDIT: is it even possible to find a rear strut tower brace for an 01 max?

 

Don't need a RSTB. I did put an ADDCO rear sway bar on.....love it.

 

Can anyone report on the long term success of this collar mod? I.e. do the collars deform and resulting looseness set in again? Or do any other metal parts get damaged from contact?