Ok guys here I go. I have a 99 and I have been having a problem with my front shocks one side is really stiff and bottoms out every minute( I live in Brooklyn) and the other makes me feel like I'm driving a cadillac from the 80's. I heard from a fellow orger that we have shocks up front and struts out back, but when I got an estimate they said we have struts all around, costing more money. I was wondering what our set up really is and if anyone knew any good, not too expensive suspension kits, it lookls like all four have to go. Also, is it possible to put in the SE suspension( I have a GXE)? Thanks for your help in advance.

 

I would like to add to his question? How do you know when you need to replace the shocks/suspensions stuff.

 

we have struts. Shocks are different, its just one of the straight tubes that looks like this

http://www.monroe.com/

Its a totally different setup. The only car that i know of that uses shock is the jaguar. I"m sure there are more, but i'm just not familiar with any other car that uses the shock n spring combo.

Seems to me that your struts are blown. If you want, you can get aftermarket which isn't THAT much more expensive and also you can be lowered...-= )

 

This is a matter of terminology.

A shock

short for shock absorber, is the suspension component that is long and cylindrical, which is usually paired with a spring. The spring's job is the support the weight of the vehicle. The shock absorber's job is to control the amount of up/down motion created by the rebound-ing nature of a spring. If you did not have shock absorbers, the instant you hit a bump, the springs would bounce the car up and down uncontrolably. With certain application, the springs and shock absorbers are seperate units. Not with our maximas.

A strut

short for McPherson Strut, is a SPRING and SHOCK ABSORBER combined into one unit. The components of a McPherson Strut contain both a spring, and a shock absorber, but instead of being mounted seperately onto the vehicle's suspension, it is one combined unit.

How to know when to replace
The obvious signs are driveability related - the car hops, bounces, thuds, etc. When I hit a bump, it hits HARD. These are all obvious signs that indicate a high probability that your struts need replacement.

Let me explain something. The "strut" is the unit that absorbs the shock, and you will find that many people use these terms interchangeably. You will/should ask for struts when you go to the parts counter, but if he looks at you and says, "you mean shocks?", don't get into an argument, just check the part number. As you can see by the above diagram, the strut is a component of the entire strut assembly, and can be replaced without replacing all the components of the entire strut assembly. It may be advisable to replace certain wear parts.

Also, another not-so-obvious sign for shock absorber replacement is tire tread block feathering. Feathering is a condition that arises from inconsistent shock bound/rebound, an indication of shock absorber failure. This causes a small yet noticable change in the shape/feel of your tread blocks. If you run your hand over the contact surface our your tire (tread side), you should notice a reasonable "smooth" surface. By smooth I mean free of obvious deformation of the tread pattern. A tire suffering from the "feathering" condition does not feel smooth as your run your hand over the surface. The leading/trailing edge of each individual tread block will feel like hills and valleys, almost like individual miniature ski-jumps. This takes a trained eye and hand to diagnose, but once the condition worses, the tire needs to be replaced b/c it makes EXCESSIVE road noise. Any premature wear on your tires is a waste of you MONEY, so you may replace your tires on BAD shock absorbers, and prematurely run through a set of tires again, depending on the condition of the shock absorber.

I hope this information was helpful.

 

Mayn that write up was ill. Thanks a lot...

 

The stickies has everything to answer all questions.

 

Thanks a lot guys, does anyone know any good aftermarket suspensions. Or does anyone know if I can put the se set up into my gxe?

 

to Feed! Highly informative.