This gentlemen has a point and exactly this type of thinking has kept me from modding too much.

My 00gxe had such better ride than my 02gle that I want 16" wheels on my car. Its an oxymoron - Who would think the "value" maxima would ride and absorb bumps better than the "luxurious" one? The sporty ride of the SE fits the bill but the GLE does not live up to its designation.

 

Dude, just pick up a stock sled...for when you feel like havin' a softie.

 

^ you buyin?

 

i love every min that i drive my car.

 

 

well my car runs smoothe with these illuminas, but i never regret modding my car. i love the way it sounds and roars. i like having a different looking car the the ordinary.

 

only when I have to park in a rough neighborhood cuz then it draws attention

 

I have a love/hate relationship with my car. Having done just about everything possible to a Maxima, I can't even remember what a stock Maxima drives like.

I don't like the lumpy idle (PR motor mounts, 660cc injectors)
I don't like the ride when cruising on city streets, it's bumpy (GC, KYB AGX)
I don't like having to avoid potholes all the time due to the ride height
I don't like the noise during acceleration (turbo, no cat, 3" custom exhaust)
I don't like the way the car follows small imperfections in the road (255 tires)

But all of this is balanced out by the driving experience. The car cruises at 70-80mph like a BMW (very solid), it's a nice feeling. And there is nothing like 350+whp. It's hard to explain the feeling of taking a 35mph 270 degree highway exit at 70mph, then exiting the corner at full throttle, and hitting 130mph very, very quickly.

 

No regrets...

 

my ride became rougher but not by much....considering i had 3 blown struts when i replaced my struts and springs.

 

Every winter I bring mine back close to stock. Back comes the roll, dive, lean, wheelgap, and just ok power accelerating. Then every spring I put back on the coilovers, strut & sway bars, ECU, etc. and wonder why do I live in this climate. If the exhaust and suspension are done well the car will remain quiet and non-rattling after modding.

 

I would like to know what the affect on these mods are because of the weather. I live in NYC and it gets cold here and I never took my mods off.

Warren

 

I know IL gets cold, however that's just crazy , you need an SUV if you have to go through all that just for winter. Winters are not too bad here in MD, however I make sure I use extreme temp (Both Hot/cold) Anti-freeze and Oil (Mobile 1 Syn), my battery is an Optima (Just a kick a$$ battery for hot/cold starts). Other than that, my ride is a 365 day a yr driver... Ok, OK, if the $hit gets deep, we do have an SUV...

 

Aftermarket suspensions, no matter how soft the spring or strut, get a lot harsher as it gets colder. Even my H&R/Illumina combo gets a little harsh and I go from 4/3 to 2/3 in the winter.

 

Roadsalt and such can take a huge toll on sway bars and shocks. Particularly the bolts and non-coated parts. Mainly I do it to reduce understeer, raise the car up 2.5" for snow clearance, and reduce power a tad to prevent spinning (kinda like turning a turbo off if one could). And as THT said perf shocks get harsh in winter as the oil inside get's thicker. My Eibachs were horrible when it got cold.

 

I want to mod my car more. But as long as she gets me to work I am fine. Never regretted it. I do regret not buying the last set of Eibachs that I saw were available for my car on ebay for 50 bucks 5 years ago. That wouldve been nice.

 

When I drive a stock maxima it just makes me think how much it lacks as a complete package for me. I drive my car 100 miles roundtrip everyday and this is my preference

My suspension ride now is not harsh nor rough, I don't clench my teeth when I go over railroad tracks or pot holes. My brakes stop me in time when i'm fighting traffic. I have retained the stock muffler but upgraded everything else so there is no droning or excessive noise. I have no rattles, squeeks, or wind noise.

IMO, this was the way Nissan should have made it from the factory. My modifications are on the basis of that.

 

Sometimes I wish I didn't put the money into this car and just saved up for another newer car. But then I realize that if I didn't spend my money on my car, I prolly woulda bought more trees, so I wouldn't have had more money anyway. But now I think my car looks really impressive, especially while moving, and it handles so good that when I get into newer, nicer cars I'm disappointed. The only thing I would change might be my wheel selection because they are a little heavy, but other than that I love my car, and by the way, the suspension is the best thing I've invested in for my car, I love it!

 

harsh riding or not, aftermarket suspension has to be better than the lean/dive/sway our cars had from the factory. My 97' SE suspension is stock so far w/ only performance tires and I love to carve corners... not a good combo!

 

i returned mine back to stock and its great... the car is my daily ride and its so nice to have a buick like suspension...

 

no drop or loud exhausts for me. I don't drive like a maniac and NYC is bad enough.