My 02se max's turning radius SUCKS!!! I find myself doing alot more 3point turns than when driving my 97max gxe and it's difficult to park in tight spaces. It almost felt like turning in a SUV. Is there a way to tighten the turn. My gxe is lowered with 17X8 rims without rubbing, so i'm sure the 02's have enough clearance for more turning.

 

the title said reduce turning radius......i thought u were serious.....you want to increase turining radius.....

I read of people wanting to tighten something but nobody has ever done it....

 

no he is right, its reduce
think of it as a circle, you want to make a tighter turn so you would decrease the radius from the center of the circle, thus makeing the distance traveled around the center smaller

as far as i know this is a nissan problem and not just a maxima thing. a friend of mine has a sentra SE-R and the turing radius is just as bad on his car as it is on mine

 

Why would you want the circle to get bigger? This is for you

BTW, I think the turning radius is larger with the 2k2's as compared to the 2k-2k1. I used to be able to get into my garage with a continuing forward motion in my 2k GLE, now I have to back up to get straight. Maybe it's because of the manual transmission?

 

just a big misunderstanding - reducing turning radius is it.......the 5th gens are notorious for that pickup truck turning radius - nothing you can do about it - except maybe an fstb

 

i believe their are bump stops but if you take them off the tires will rub and increase wear.

 

 

Your only solution at this point is to change your rims size from 17" (SE&GLE) to 16" and the turning radius will be reduced!

40.0'=>35.4'

 

i think the bump stops are the same no matter what size of tires you put on it, and that's what stops the wheel from turning any further than it does.

if you have smaller rims, though, you might be able to get away with removing the bump stops and not experience tire rub. i don't think i could advise doing that, though, as it can create other probs, including screwing with alignment.

it's just a limitation of the design. nissan compromised turn radius for shallower fender wells (and a larger engine compartment). every time to have to make a 3 point to get into your driveway, think about this: would you trade a tighter turn for a little 4 cylinder stuffed in that smaller engine bay?

besides, what are you doing turning around anyway, you're supposed to be going forward, fast!

 

...the turning radius sucks on this car. I had a Durango before this and I swear the radius was smaller on it! I'm having a hard time making U-turns now. In order to make a U-turn on a 2 lane road I have to time my turn just right otherwise I'll slam the curb. The only solution that I would like is rear-wheel drive. That way I could kick out the back end! Unfortunatly, it doesn't work as well on a front wheel drive car.

Do you know how embarrasing it is to have to back up when doing a u-turn? Not only that, but dangerous too....then again I guess I shouldn't be doing illegal u-turns!

 

not only that, but i get grinding noises after installing my FSTB when i'm in reverse and i hit the gas!! (no noise when i just "roll" in reverse - didn't/couldn't fix this problem yet)

 

The GXE model comes standard w/the 16" wheel (so are the older 2000-2001 SE/GLE). The measurement that I've posted were from the info on http://www.edmunds.com
However, I would not recommend removing the bump stops on this application since it will creates more problem as stated above...

 

I thought it was just me!!

I've only had my Maxima for 3 weeks now and that's the first thing I've noticed. I pull into the same spot at work every day and suddenly it's like I'm a gimpy driver - argh!

My could whip my big heavy T-bird into a spot w/o problems but this is ridiculous!

I thought I was cracking up but after looking on edmunds.com for specs I confirmed that the turning radius is larger on the Maxima than my '96 T-bird. The Maxima is also a shorter car...go figure.

 

I've gotten used to taking wide turns... but it sure can be embarrassing at times. I mean damn, people MUST think that I have no idea how to drive when I have to 3-point turn in a "car". Heh.

 

Your bar is hitting your manifold. Extend it and you'll be fine.

 

How would that help??

 

Take the bar off. Go to Home Depot and purchase 18 3/8 inch washers. Put 3 washers on each bolt before the FSTB. I hear no noise in reverse anymore.

 

I removed the bump stops off my car when I first got it. I have never seen or experienced any wear or rubbing and I check every time I washed my car...I miss washing my car....

Another thing, I never have any problems making u-turns or parking. You have to put more thought into it. Get over the fact that your car turns like a suburban and compensate, pre-steer and everything will be fine.

 

Did taking off the bump stops help at all? Was it easy?

 

i drove my 94-tbird last week and i could park it in any spot the 1st time with 1 hand on the wheel. but that car is so slow its embarrassing. i have the v6.

 

It helped a little bit, bade u-turns a bit easier. Like I said, just put some forethought into your turning and parking. Pre-turning helps alot. (It also helps to drive a suburban regularly.)

 

whats all this about a turning radius like an SUV?
the funny part is that my Durango out turns every other car weve driven. but yeah, i dont know why the turning radius seems sub par. esp with how nicely it handles with short jerks and what not

MrGone