soundmike

iTrader: (24)

I know this topic has been beaten pretty much to death but i'm still fearful of doing this. So any rational comments/suggestions is highly appreciated. I just want to be sure i'm making the right decision. The Max has been my first ever decent (great!) car and i want it to last a lifetime like with most other Max owners here in the Org.

Since this is also a beaten-up topic, perhaps with the answers we can finally post this topic up on the stickies.

Here goes:

I decided to get the lowering springs (Maxspeed for $85) to change out the stock springs on my 2k2 SE.

Some say it's alright to run it on stock shocks/struts, some say it's not alright. Reasons range from "premature degradation of the stock shocks" (bad) to "shocks will be fine since they're made by Tokico or some other good manufacturer" (good)

My other concerns are:
1) Ride quality (compared to SE)
2) Warranty issues (Esp. since i have extended warranty on this baby)
3) Looks and useability (will i scrape when i go up or down those steep inclined curbs/driveways?)
4) Problems (It seems a lot of people here are getting clunking noises after installing aftermarket suspension components)
5) Life of the stock shocks/struts (i have around 5,000 miles on them now, how much longer do you think it will last compared to just keeping everything stock?)

That's about it. I hope i don't annoy the pro's about the same set of questions that may or may have not been asked multiple times in the past.

Thanks a million!
- Mike

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

1) Ride quality depends on the spring/strut combo you go with. For 4th gen's the H&R's provide the best ride. Closest to stock.

2) Warranty - After you change your springs your OEM struts will no longer be covered by warranty if one fails. (and they will) Lowering springs have more rebound force then stock. Your OEM struts are not valved to handle that. Eventually they will get soft.

3) Looks are excellent! Useability depends on how low you go and the roads you drive upon daily as well as your driveway.

4) Problems - I've had my fair share after spring installations. Your car is relatively new. Just use the isolators from the OEM springs and you shouldn't have any problems. Make sure a good shop does the work for you. Don't let some Joe Shmo do this job.

5) Your stock struts will be fine for a while. But they will ware out faster with lower springs. The spring rate is much greater then OEM springs and will play havoc on your OEM struts/shocks.

If you want to get the best results from a suspension change, do the ENTIRE SUSPENSION. Springs struts and shocks. That will yeild you the best results over a longer period of time. You could also save your OEM components and return the car to "like new OEM ride" very quickly. That may benifit you some day if you decide to bring the car back to stock for some reason.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

Thanks for taking time out to respond!

>4th gen's the H&R's provide the best ride. Closest to stock.

A lot of people say the Maxspeed is similar to H&R so i guess that's close to stock. I drive my gf's RSX once in a while and though i love the suspension (tight!) it's just too rough for a daily driver given our road conditions here.

>springs have more rebound force then stock. Your OEM struts are not
>valved to handle that. Eventually they will get soft.

So i presume the theory behind "SE shocks are made by Tokico" does not necessarily mean it'll hold-up right?

Also, that's about the only thing that won't be warrantied right? I mean, given it's connected to the wheel and all that. They won't go saying "Well you got this spring so your warranty on wheels, etc, is no longer valid"

>the roads you drive upon daily as well as your driveway.

My driveway and most roads i go through have enough clearance now. But i remember on my stock civic i could still hit my front bumper or muffler on certain roads. I don't get this on the Max on the same exact road. But then again, the Max is notorious for the 4x4 effect.

>does the work for you. Don't let some Joe Shmo do this job.

Will definitely take that into consideration.

>OEM springs and will play havoc on your OEM struts/shocks.

Understood.

>If you want to get the best results from a suspension change, do the >ENTIRE SUSPENSION. Springs struts and shocks. That will yeild you

I'd like to do that but i just can't afford it right now. Hmm... maybe i can just keep the springs handy and slowly buy those shocks.

Thanks again!

ehughes

This is very important to consider! Could save you some $ down the road.

If it makes you feel better, I am probably ordering springs/shocks/struts within a couple of weeks...still shopping price.

BigDogJonx

iTrader: (7)

Soundmike,

The pictures I sent you should speak for themselves as far as looks. Now I been on some STEAP inclines going up driveways, and still did not rub, even with my new exhaust that is sitting about 2" lower than the stock.

So for no problem with my stock struts. I mean you will not lose ride quality compared to your stock SE ride, if anything it will be a little stiffer on turns and on bumps in the road. But not that stiff that you are gonna bounce off your seat. Just about a 10-15% increase in stiffness.

Warranty issues is touchy, I mean if your stock struts go, the Dealer will FOR SURE get out of replacing them for free since they will clearly blame the new springs on it. Plus the springs being Yellow dont help. It cant void the warranty on ANYTHING else. I mean if your Bose CD player stops working, they CANNOT, and I stress CANNOT blame the freagin Maxspeed springs on it.

As long as they installed correctly, they wont have any noises or clunking. Only noises you will hear is the gas struts "air" noise if you go over a speed bump, which you hear either with your stock springs or maxspeed springs.

Now I had about 5000miles when I changed over to the Maxspeed, So for been driving alot, I mean went to Alabama from DC twice and what not and it still is fine. I mean they are less harsh than the Eibachs, I seen people like MaximaDave who been driving on Stock Struts and made them go for about 35,000 miles before he replaced them. So I say stay with stock, save the money, and when they go, replace them with the aftermarket versions.

Sorry for the book I just wrote, but I wanted to be thorough.

Trev_Daddy

I think what he means with warranty issues is this: Say he changes the springs...Will the dealer say that his C/V joints are not covered under warranty because of the springs? I say just check with the service dept FIRST and make sure you talk to someone higher up...Dealers can be really slimy when it comes to warranty repairs (try Dodge 5-star crap....I'll not buy another one)

Trevor

ehughes

Soundmike - When do you think you will have them installed and give us some feedback?

MaDxKiLLa

iTrader: (3)

if you have alot of passengers in the backseat be prepared to hear alot of scraping sounds on every lil crack on road

BigDogJonx

iTrader: (7)

Wait a minute there, scrapping sounds? like the muffler touching the ground or like when the tires go up into the wheel well?

Either way, you should not get either one. If the muffler or underside of the car is scrapping, something is seriously wrong. And if the tires are rubbing on the wheel well, then you got the incorrect offset wheels.

I got the springs on my car, and drove from DC to Birmingham on a 750mile trip with 5 people in the car, and the people all weighed more than 140lbs each. So I had a "caddy" look, but still NEVER did it scrap or even make any noises, I even have aftermarket chrome rims.

Dixit

MaDxKiLLa

iTrader: (3)

tires scrapes on wheel wells.....ohno sumthin is wrong wid my installation?! my H&R springs gives like 1.5 finger space in back tires maybe the person i bought it from cut it..

BigDogJonx

iTrader: (7)

Yeah I got about the same space on my back wheels, you can see it on my homepage. But yeah, I mean it should not rub at all. Do you still got the stock wheels? or aftermarket ones?

Dixit

MaDxKiLLa

iTrader: (3)

stock

BigDogJonx

iTrader: (7)

Yeah get it checked out. Cause I know people with progress springs that are even lower than the H&Rs and they dont rub either.

soundmike

iTrader: (24)

ehughes, since i can't afford to go all out on the suspension right now that's why i decided on the springs alone (hey, for $85 brand new? H&R-like ride? That's a good deal if you ask me )

The seller says he'll have it mailed either tomorrow (Friday) or Monday next week. So i should be getting it then.

My only gripe about it is, it's Yellow <g>

BigDogJonx, yep, it does look good and sweet. Our parking lot is riddled by GLE Maxima's (what's up with that?) right now. Coincidentally this morning i was parked in a row where i had two 2k Maxima's on my left and one on my right. I felt so ... NOT-Unique. Though they were 2k's and i'm a 2k2, they were all GLE's and i'm an SE i still feel weird.

Glad to know the ride won't be worse. The roads around me are so bad i'd rather call it a pot-hole ridden strip of land than a road. I just feel like my car might loosen its screws and break apart if i go anywhere above 15mph.

Highway and/or normal roads are fine however. Though i do wish it had better handling when going through those tight curved onramps. (It feels like i'm gonna fly off!)

Oh, will this also help lessen the body lean?

Keep writing those books. It's very informative

P.S. How many miles do you have on the stock shock/maxspeed setup?

Trevor, yep. That's exactly what i meant. When i talked to my car salesman (weeks after i bought my car, so he really didn't have to talk BS with me, besides... he's also a friend hehhe). Anyway, he did say as long as the part in question is not the cause of the malfunction then it's still covered under warranty.

But i'll talk to the Service Dept. nevertheless.

MadXKilla, you almost scared me there dude! Hope you get your ride fixed soon!

I wouldn't think things would scrape or make a clunking noise. The only time i experienced that was with my stock Civic coupe when i was doing 80mph with a 250lb guy sitting in the back and we went through this up-down shift on the road.

Thanks everyone for the comments, suggestions, clarification and informative views!

- Mike

BigDogJonx

iTrader: (7)

Glad that me writing these books aint confusing. I got about 4k miles so far on my stock STRUTS/Maxspeed. (Make sure you say Strut, cause it is a major difference, I found that out when I got a standard spring compressor to do the job, and found out I cant use it, I had to go back and get the guy to give me the real one, he told it is called a "strut spring compressor" not a "spring compressor")

Definetely made the car more solid. I mean that is physics, the lower the center of gravity, the less you will have body roll/lean. Plus like I said, it is about 15-20% stiffer, so you can hit the turn harder, plus I got a FSTB and I love hitting some of these turns, but now it is to a point where I am pushing the Kumho tires to their limits.

Believe me you will love the springs, only thing is if you do the spring install yourself, just have a friend to help you. Impossible to do alone. All you need is a strut spring compressor (available at Autozones for free loaner), breaker bar for the lower strut bolts, I think they were 17mm, and then a swivel-head for your 3/8" socket wrench to get to the back TOP bolts of the strut/spring.

It aint hard at all, but if you plan on getting it done, just make sure your trunk is cleaned out, cause I have two 10" subs in a box, and that had to be removed to get to the back top strut/spring bolts.

Enjoy the ride when it gets there.
Dixit

Trev_Daddy

Soundmike -

That's cool that the salesman was a friend. That's the way I bought my Dodge...

I did find out, however, that the service dept guys act independantly...Believe me, if they can get around a warranty issue, they will...Maybe this is just Dodge's service, I don't know. However, this is the precise reason I won't buy another Dodge...(Besides the ****ty build quality )

Good luck with your ride! Keep us informed, I'd be interested to see what the service dept has to say about this issue.

Later!

Trevor