Ok, I still need your guys help in this one!

I lowered my 130T 2001 a few weeks ago. I used the H&R spring kit. It was to work fine with stock shocks on a 01 SE Maxima, which is a cross reference for most parts for my car.

The car handles great, and rides fine, however on moderate to large bumps, it makes a banging sound!

I a have checked the following:

1) Removed items from my trunk, such as several car wax and cleaning products that had a combined decent weight in a bag to make a noise over bumps on the trunk floor board.

2) Tightened down the spare.

3) Checked to see if springs were seated right, and they appeared to be. Springs were still in great condition with no visible nicks on powder coat of banging together?

4)Looked for nicks on sway bar, and checked sway bar clearance and alignment. I cant see or feel anycthing hiting some thing?

This is causing such a pain.

 

Did you cut the bump stops? The car might be bottoming out.

 

I know i didnt I have to retighten the koni's soon, so i figured id bug someone before i cut anything.. do you hapen to have a picture of them? Im guessin its the rubber thing with ***** or whatever.. kinda like a stretched out plunger thing?

 

hey, where is your car jack located? well i took mine out b/c it kept on getting loose and banged around over bumps.
just a thought, who knows right.

 

Yeah, that's what the bumpstop is.

 

When I did mine this week I forgot to tighten the lug nuts down on the left rear. I took a ride and it was fine for about a day. Then it started to make a noise like you describe when I went over bumps and the car was riding horribly.

I started to take the tires off to check the shocks and noticed that the lugs on that rim were finger tight!!!!!


maybe check that?

SHUMAX

 

Mabye yhe bolt that holds that hat on (you know the bolt on top that holds that plate and the springs down) isn't tight enough.

 

He might be able to tell you if he is having similar problems..

 

Did you check the center nut on the top of the shock towers yet?

 

You should check the upper strut nut on the strut i forgot to tighten that to spec and it made a funny banging, rattling noise, but after i tightened it nothing.

 

I think it is in fact bottoming out!? Then what? I had a rather large person with me the other day, and it would do it more often. The exact same sound.

I also ckeched the jack stand. Its tight, won't move. I think I can rule out any loose object doing this from in the trunk.

This really starting to bug. If don't figre it out soon,I will have the stock units put back in. This car is driving like a POS over bumps, not like a 30K+ car. I have not goten it re-aligned yet as I need to solve this first or put it back how it was.

It may be the shocks after all, ande that they don't want to work with these springs? Other then this (which I did) the car has been great, however I'm starting to look at a 330 BMW, manual. That would kinda stink, as I only had this car a few very short months.

 

upper strut nut, I'm going to check that now. I hope I find this soon. This is driving me crazy.

 

Ughhh, its still doing it, going to blow this thing up! Ok, ok, first I'm going to have a shop look at it.

 

perhaps you could try getting the wheels aligned? (even though you said you wanted to solve the problem before getting it aligned, non-alignment could be the problem).

i remember when i first lowered my car, i drove around without alignment and the ride was quite bumpy. however, once i got it aligned the ride quality improved.

 

I know what it is!!! Exact same problem with mine!! Took me almost a whole freakin year to get off my lazy *** to fix it. Simple, jack your car up and look at the front bracket for your sway bar. It is probably hitting the bottom of your car when you go over bumps. After a year or so of this problem, the top of my brackets on both side have no corners anymore. If you don't have a Stillen bar, I don't know what's wrong then...never seen an Addco in person...hope this solves it!

 

sounds like you may of hit it on the spot, I will look again. My ride is fine, so its not alignment, only over bumps. Anyhow, if this is the problem, what do I do then? Can't move the brackets much.

 

I have yet to see you reply to that one...I'm pretty sure that is what it is...

 

If it is the brackets hitting your car, you only have to move them maybe 1/4" back and you should be set. Also make sure your bracket isn't upside down...heh...sounds stupid but hey...$hit happens. I only moved my brackets about 1/8" and now it only clunks on the most extreme bumbs.

 

trim the Bump Stops? What is this? Sounds like something I don't want to do. Please give me more info on these Bump Stops. I've done every mod you can think of, to all kinds of cars, but new to lowering.

 

When did you notice this???I installed H&R, Stillen RSB, FSTB on my 2k max yesterday and Make sure you put the RSB under the Rear Beam, because the first time I didn't put exactly under the rear axle, everytime I go over the bump, it will make noise like you described. So I moved forward the bar a little and it sits right under the beam, It has no noise now.

BTW, I didnt' cut my rear bumpstops, only the fronts, cuz the rear ones are prett short already..plus, I don't it's the springs either. and H&R Sport springs generally won't make your car buttom out..especially you have a brand new car..no way!!!!(since they don't lower that much in the first place to begin with)

BTW, my car rides less harsh than stock and it handles terrific!!!!no problems so far.

 

I think even with the H&R's you may need to cut the bumpstops.