I noticed that a few people have started threads regarding "bouncy rides". My maxima's been bouncy as hell ever since the day I got it.
I thought that that was just the way Maxima's were.

I noticed how bumpy the maxima was on the very first day when I was driving it home. I was going about 60-65mph on the BQE (NYC)
and there are a lot of ditches and bumps and I was shocked at how
rough and "bouncy" the ride seemed to be. When the road is smooth the car feels great but on slightly bumpy(not pothole ridden streets)
the car almost feels as if it's not quite sticking to the road.

Maybe I should go test drive a 2k1 max and see how it feels.

 

I have a 2k Se. The ride is bumpy, but the suspension on the stock SE is made to be bumpy. Its natural considering its a Sport Edition. I have a friend who has a 2k GLE and the ride is a lot diffrent, its all what version you have. So I dont think its just your car a lot of the cars are like that

 

it's because of the bushings. the SEs come with stiffer bushings than the GLEs and the GXEs. that's the main difference, and anything else is the exact same.

 

Are u sure the only difference is the bushings? Thought that the shocks were also different, but I never verified.

I agree though that the ride is very different depending if you have a SE or a GXE/GLE

 

Yes i totally agree, wish Nissan could get just a little smoother ride along with the "sporty suspension" of the SE.

 

you'll be surprised by how much difference urethane bushings can make for your suspension. swapping out the rubber bushings with urethane can dramatically improve your suspension. and this is a pain-stakingly long work to swap them all.
the shocks are exactly the same, the springs are exactly the same. and they all have the same beam axle in the back with MacPherson struts in the front.

SEs have little bit more stout ride vs. GLEs and GXEs. tires and wheels can make your ride different too. if you have 17 inch wheels with 50 series tires on a SE, that's going to give you a much different ride than a GXE and GLE's 16 inch wheels with 55 series tires.

 

I have to chime in here. My car is WAY past bouncy. It actually vibrates, almost JUMPS at speeds over 50. I can't even drive in the rain anymore because I can't get decent traction.

I know what you'll say - tires, balancing, wheels aren't true. I've had 3 new sets of tires, and have had the thing balanced and road force tested on the Hunter machines 12 times (most at the dealer, a few at an independent shop). The tires and rims come out within "reasonable parameters".

I'm suing the dealer now, and Nissan's answer is to replace the tires, AGAIN, this time with Michelins.

So, before you make the snap judgement that "it's just the way the SE rides", think twice. It could very well be a mechanical defect like mine.

Jack

 

Jack,

Sorry to hear that you have such a bad experience with your Max. Did it happen suddenly or was it a gradual degradation?

I'm sure you will find the problem, so it would be interesting for some of us to see what can be done to correct a similar problem. I will not attempt to give you any advice, since you visited many shops, but please keep us posted when you find the problem.

My Max is a 2K GXE, I know it does not have the grip of a SE, but I have confidence when I drive it. I like to drive fast on highways (careful to the others, though), and my car reminds me my old Prelude '85 when cornering comes in my way. I know its limits AND I can always trust it.

 

My car has done it since day one. I had to 'order' it and wait til they could find one; they had to drive one in from North Carolina, about 400 miles away. When I complained about the vibration, the salesman said that they probably hit a pothole on the way to Knoxville, and the tires needed to be balanced or the car had to be aligned - just bring it in tomorrow he said. Well, I'd waited six weeks, it was 8:00 at night, and I was so anxious (and stupid) that I signed the paper and drove home happy. The sales guy had always seemed sincere and had not yet lied to me, so I took his word for it; after all, it WAS a new car right? What could possibly be wrong?

So, since May 16th I've been going 'round with the dealer and NNA. We'll just see what happens now. I love the Max, just not MY Max!

Jack

 

Sorry for you. I was in NY September 16 and I rented a Max for my local trip... same as mine even if it was a rented car.

I've seen that you like sci-fi. What kind? Movies (like Star Trek) or books? (both are acceptable to me by the way!)

Talking about language, I also learned Latin and Greek (both ancient) and a little bit of Spain and German (my two neighbours)... By the way, I am a French speaking Canadian...

 

KYB AGX struts, set em up on 1 up front and 2 in the rear... Put the stock 16" rims back on... Nice set of Dunlop Sport A2's....

Nice smooth, quiet, sporty ride!

Wheels and tires play an very important role on how your car handles bumps. Heavy wheels and tires with low profiles, say 45 series are tough on suspension components. Lot of unsprung weight for the struts to control. The AGX's do a great job controlling added wheel and tire weight. There even better when you have a nice light set of wheels and tires with a bit more sidewall, like stock 55 series.

 

Well, as for Sci-Fi, I don't have much time to read anymore, but I can always play a DVD in the background while doing school stuff! I'm into pretty much all Sci-Fi - Star Trek, Star Wars, etc. I even manufacture detail kits for specific Sci-fi subjects (www.falconkits.com, if you're interested).

I was actually a computer tech before I decided to get back into Latin. I've had about two years of French, but could hardly call that decent exposure. To my deep regret, I never studied Greek; but, I still may someday!

Jack

 

It appears that a lot of people are mischaracterizing the initial posts 'bouncy ride' syndrome. Ive seen people here talking about vibrations and shaking resulting from the tires. This IS NOT, (I think) what we are complaining about. Rather, when there is a dip, sudden downgrade or freeway merge at relatively high speeds, the cars body seems to be "floating" ALL over the place!! It really feels like a boat in wavy water. Am I correct in the characterization of bouncy ride? It is not a mis aligned or warped tire type vibration of shaking, but more of an uncontrollable sway of the body. It almost feels like the rear tires become slighty airborne.

I DO HAVE A 20$ FIX, IF THE ABOVE SYMPTOM IS WHAT WERE TALKING ABOUT RE: BOUNCY RIDE.

Dr.Omed.HID#4.

 

Silly as it may sound.....The ride on a good smooth road makes up for the bouncy harsh ride elsewhere. Similar to flying a plane..................yeeeeeeeeeaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh !

 

then get a freaking BUICK!!

 

Didnt you know that the maxima IS the buick of the Japanese car market. Thats maxima's nick.

Dr.Omed.HID#4.

 

uh...what r u talking about man?

 

That's a common problem with non-european cars - not enough rebound damping in the shocks.