Drove my friend's Del SOl with coil overs, is this how a Max with coilovers rides?
 

My buddy has a sweet little project car. It's a 94 Del Sol VTEC (B16) has a header, intake, exhaust, ACT clutch, heavy duty axles, LSD, 15" K1s, Weapon R coilovers, full poly bushings, and strut bars. He's got the car lowered so there is no gap front or back, but the tires aren't tucked. I jacked up his car to take a look at a exhaust rattle and I noticed he had about 1.0" of travel before hitting the bumpstops. Later on, I drove the car and to say it was punishing was an understatement. On a smooth road the ride was good, but any rut was clearly felt and heard. On dips in the road, the car got a little "hoppy". I went WOT down an entrance ramp that had a small bump then dip. I swear the back end was about ready to come off the ground. In smooth turns, it's like a go-cart....point and shoot.

Do you guys with coilovers set to the lower settings on your Maximas have these itchy and bumpy handling traits? Honestly, his car felt unsafe unless you were on a smooth rode. I told him he should atleast raise the another 1/2" just for safety and clearance.



Dave



Dave

When I rode in I30Krab with the Cattman c/o's the ride was great. I don't know how much he had it lowered, but it felt smooth and very controlled.

Re: Drove my friend's Del SOl with coil overs, is this how a Max with coilovers rides?
 

Yes, a Maxima dropped all the way is just as bad if not worse than that Del Sol. When my car was dropped all the way on ground controls (maybe 1 finger of gap) I had about 1.5" of travel before hitting the bumpstop. The car behaved just as you described it. A lot of it is due to the car bottoming out, but with better shocks, it would probably be better. Does your friend have aftermarket shocks?

My car behaved really weird when it was slammed. On most things, it was really, really stiff. But on big bumps, the Tokicos would be overwhelmed and the car would bounce and float like a Cadillac.

my sprint springs don't feel that way.. and i don't have much gap.. though my cousin says the ride is a bit harsh over bumps.. i like it.. nice and smooth.. no bouncing

http://64.252.159.123/~doug/P8260019.JPG

little wheel gap ownz joo

I think i will whore up this thread

http://64.252.159.123/~doug/P8260017.JPG
http://64.252.159.123/~doug/P8260014.JPG
http://64.252.159.123/~doug/P8260021.JPG

lookin
 

good sprint, lookin good

it all comes down to the car the coilover and how you set it up.

In my case, I dropped the car all the way when I first got my coilovers. I didn't think to look at how much travel I had. At that time, I had .25" travel in the front, with my bumpstops cut in half. The ride was just as you would expect, nothing short of horrible. I would hit the bumpstops on the littlest bump. When I noticed the next day how little travel I had, I raised the car about .75-1", and cut the front bumpstops in half again, now down to 1/4 their original size. Needless to say the ride is greatly improved.

The rear travel isn't an issue for me. But in the front, I'd still like more. I probably hit the bumpstops in the front once every day or two. It gets annoying, but not to the point where I am going to raise the car up any more, it's already a little higher than I'd like.

I was told on Saturday at Battle of the Imports, by a Maxima owner who is NOT on the .org, that a company called Motivational Engineering or Motivational Motorsports (something with Motivational at the beginning) makes their own struts for Maximas, with a 2" shorter housing than stock. My GR-2s have a housing that is the same length as OEM. Had I known these 2" shorter struts existed, I would have looked into them. He said they are about $800 for the set, minus a $50/strut core charge that drops the end total to $600 for the set.

My back end gets loose on bumpy highway ramps, but I attribute that to the agressive setting on my RSB and the fact that the rear suspension on the Maxima is not independent.

Hey Dave
 

How was the ACT clutch? I'm looking to get one of those, and get rid of this crappy stock one.

Actually bumpy turns will upset any lowered car. The Maxima does not have a smooth ride even in stock form (compared to Accord/Camry), so lowering it will exaggerate the inherent harshness in the suspension design.

I remember driving a 330i with sport package through an autocross and I felt how much it leaned in turns, but the smoothness of the suspension made it a breeze to drive and stay in control. In contrast, my Maxima leans less, has grippier tires, but was a handful to get through the cones since the ride bumpiness really upsets the steering and breaks the rear end out.

So if you do lower your car (with any setup, I have the "softest setup" with H&R/Tokicos), your ride will deteriorate considerably from stock.

From what you avhe described, that is exactly how it feels with my GC's & Tokicos dropped about all the way. Looks good & handles fine but that is it. Def not good for NJ roads. :bawling:

Den Max-
The ACT clutch felt good and strong. The pedal weight isn't as heavy as the Maxima's, but on each part throttle gear change results in a lunge due to quick grab of the clutch. At WOT, the clutch felt very good. Driving around time would take a little time to get used to.

Sprint-
Your drop looks exactly like my drop with the Intrax springs. I think I've even got less of a gap in the rear (1.2" gap).

Shadow-
He's got brand new Tokico Blues with the coilovers.

Everyone-
You should hear his car when you're jacking it up. Those poly bushings grown like twisting steel.



Dave

yeah your drop is more in the rear and mine is more in the front...

hehe, it can get alittle bumpy at times but i am used to it, and i am still on my stock struts,:eek:

sig pic is what i drive it at.

While we're one the subject of coilovers how easy is it to adjust the height? How long does it normally take you guys?

With the Sprint's(the springs), the front looks great. However, I can't say the same for the rear. As you can see in Sprint's(the guy)pic, the front and rear are uneven. Confusing? :)

it takes about 20 minutes to do the whole car. not to hard just tricky:D

I used to drive my car at that height, then I got the Sarona kit. When I kept it at that height, the front bumper was only ~2" off the ground. If I had a flat tire, it would have hit the ground and my tires are 35 series. Obviously there was no way to drive around like that. Wish I could though.