I already have a FSTB, RSTB, RSB, new front sway bar bushings, and new bc coilovers...and I am still unhappy with my cars handling ability. It is much better than stock, but is this the extent our cars handling potential!? I know our chassis suck but damn...lol

The only other thing I can think of is the lower tie bar, which I will probably try next....anything you guys might know to help out? btw I I already have wide tires, 245/40r18...

 

Sub frame connectors?

 

Subframe connectors.

Your suspension is stiff so when you go around a turn more force is exterted on the chassis, causing it to flex.

 

May I ask where are you running the car that you are seeking better handling??

 

Yep. Stage II SFC should be next on your mod list if you want better handling.
http://forums.maxima.org/5th-generat...installed.html
If you're still not satisfied by it then get a cage I guess..
Also get some better tires with stiffer sidewall.

 

What they said plus the front solid sub frame bushings they are selling in the GB section. Add some camber to the front 1-1.5* if you haven't already. Beyond that theres front fender bracing and bending the rear beam too 0* toe.

 

that's peachy but is there anyone still making them?

 

ES LCA Bushings
ES Trailing Arm Bushings
ES Subframe Bushings (on crossmember)
LTB Stage 2
Better Tires
SFCs
New: carnal_c20 Subframe Collars (check GB section)
Fender bracing
Camber kit
Lighter Forged wheels

 

Here is the best tip I can give you, if you want a good handling car, get a BMW. /thread

A 5th gen Maxima with every single suspension upgrade possible, still can't handle as well as a regular 3 series with or without sport package. Nor will it be as comfortable.

Like you said your setup is better than stock and that is pretty much the extent.

 

how do we get SFCs anymore?

 

You're putting them on a pedestal isn't THAT high. You can get a 5gen to handle as well as a stock BMW. My Max out handled my mothers 3 series when I had it modded. But the ride just was in no way near as good. I couldn't even pretend it was. The Bimmer would glide over the bumps and my max would catch air.lol

 

Exactly my point, what's the point of having a super modded good handling 5th gen that you can't daily drive? One which send passengers off their seats going over bumps

 

Makes the passengers think its actually a sport sedan man. With all the chassis stiffing you can do to a max, cuz lord knows it needs it, it would ride pretty well. But in the end you'd add what like 200lbs too it in the process. Stage II lower tie, FSTB, RSTB, RSB, SFC, fender braces..gotta be around 200lbs.

 

I do that now on D2 coilovers

 

where can I buy these at, and is this different from a lower tie bar? should I get both SBC's and a LTB?

honestly just around my suburbian house/work....nothing crazy I just notice that my car still doesn't handle as well as I would like it to, although I think I am beginning to understand the limitation of ours cars. The maxima isn't what I would call responsive, and when I turn the steering wheel there is still a decent amount of body roll. Although when my friend gets in my car he thinks it handles great...it's all about what you're used to....

for the most part I agree, but I just cant justify having a bmw right now..

 

Gut it, make coilovers a little softer if you have them on the firmest setting, but then it wont be a family sedan. Too heavy and too stiff can cause some nice understeer. My 2cents.

 

Check WarpspeedPerformance.com

Yes, they're different. An LTB bolts to the front suspension SFCs are welded into the frame rails. Get both if you want, if you want to get headers an LTB will not clear the Y-pipe unless you modify it to fit.

One thing I noticed about my car is it leans a tiny bit on turn in (coilovers set to soft) but it doesn't lean any more afterwards regardless of how much I crank the wheel. My butt stays firmly planted in the seat around turns

 

\

I do plan on getting headers later this year, so I guess that's not an option then. Where can I get an SFC? Do they help that much, are they worth getting?

The car handles good but could be a little bit more responsive and have a little less body roll imo

 

if your wheels arent flush already, get wheel spacers. Make sure that your coilovers are set correctly. If you dont know how to do this, find somebody who does. Strip some dead weight, lower the center of gravity of everything you can. Including putting the seat at its lowest level. Other than that, what everybody else has said is good

 

i liek how it says this on the warpspeed website, because it's definitely me haha

"If you have the need to take 30 mph turns at 65-70 mph you may need these."

 

for the SBC's it says:

The Stage 1 and 2 requires that the car be placed on a 4 post lift or ramps to prevent adding camber to the car. The sfc’s need to be installed so the suspension is as it is sitting normally on the tires, a 2 post lift will not work as it will change the camber of the body and your doors may no longer close after installation.

Will my local shop be able to do this install for me? I have no idea what a 4 post lift is, and it sounds like the car needs to be sitting as it normally is, that is, with load on the suspension/wheels, so how can they install this if the life only lifts the car up by the sides!? lol

 

The "dead" weight has already been trashed, the center of gravity is as low as it can go with my car being 4 inches off the ground, and my racing seats only have 1 setting, which is pretty low...i already know about this basic stuff

 

what they mean is that the car needs to be on a drive on lift so that the car is sitting normally and now with the suspension relaxed. Its pretty likely that you will be able to find a shop somewhere near you that has one of these lifts.

 

likely not true. Have you lowered your engine at all?

 

I can vouch for sfc's. They are an awsome upgrade. My car takes bumps a lot better without the car is breaking apart feeling. It is a shame they never really caught on except for the hardcore guys as they are not a bolt on affair.

 

Then stop wasting money on mods and start saving up for an M3

 

So his axles can crap out even sooner than they will being lowered in the first place?


Although they won't make your car lean any less, tires are the single biggest improvement you can make to your handling. Some sticky 245s with stiff sidewalls would probably make a big difference. You may have to roll fenders in the rear depending on your drop and wheel offset with 245s, though.

 

LOL +1

Turning radius sux, rear beam design it a drag... You need a DWB and something with a tighter front end... Fighting against a design of the car is a money lo$ing battle.....

 

ok cool, I'm going to do this next then, where did you buy yours from?

 

I can tell you the lower tie bar is a great mod. I had the same problem, yea the car handled a lot better than factory. But it always was leaning left or right going into turns or any quick movement of the wheel. I talked to another guy on the forum and he told me about the lower tie bar. And I mean to tell you it was night and day difference. No more leaning. What I used was Matt Blehm stage 1 they also make a stage 2.

Heres the link www.mattblehm.com
Hope that helps.

 

Oh. Get lightweight rims too.

 

good tires will do the trick for you.. when i got my toyo proxes, i could feel much more of a difference than with my RSB, FSTB, or illuminas.. the car took turns WAAY better, and felt much more planted.. the only thing is, good tires are an on-going cost.. as they wear, the quality will diminish, so you have to keep buying tires to keep your handling top-notch.. but you have to buy tires anyway, so if handling is a big priority for you, why not spend a little extra and make them good ones?

 

This would only happen if he has his car lowered way to far on the coilovers. Which wouldnt be a surprise cause a lot of people that get coilovers think that lower = better handling, even thought thats very very much not the case. If the coilovers ARE so low that he would be ruining the axles by dropping the engine, then we just found the cause of the bad handling anyway

 

1. BC coilovers are meh. What spring rates are you running?
2. FSTB, RSTB do virtually nothing
3. you need SFCs, preferably cross-braced
4. you need blehm stage 2 LTB
5. tire width is irrelevant. WHAT tires do you have? If your answer isn't Star Specs, RE01R/RE11R, or a few others, the answer is wrong. Those look like Nexens...that is one of your problems right there....go to any road course or autocross event...you will not see anyone running Nexens. There is a reason for that.
6. upgrade the pathetic brakes. Braking is part of handling and determines how you can take a turn.
7. please don't tell me you have 200lbs of subs and amps in the trunk
8. lose those heavy-*** stock wheels. Unsprung weight is the enemy of handling. If you want to run 245s, find an 8.5" width wheel with an offset in the mid-30s.
9. search and search for camber plates if your COs don't have them. Front camber is your friend.
10. have the beam bent to zero.
11. weight is the enemy of handling. Lose as much as possible.

after all this, the car will handle about as well as a 3200-lb FWD sedan with a beam axle rear suspension can handle. Which is to say, it will be decent but nothing special.

And since you don't know me probably since I'm not in here much anymore, I'll note that everything that I have stated above, I also have done personally.

 

AMEN! I wish we could still get them somewhere

 

Got mine from someone off the org who got them from Traux Motorsports. Not sure if he makes them anymore. Shoot him a PM, can't hurt. Fitment was great. It took a shop close to 5 hours to weld the thing on. They grinded the undercoating where it had to be welded, welded it (obviously), attached cross sections then undercoated anything exposed.

Everytime my car is on a lift lke in a normal shop for inspection or something its like a celebrity. Everyone looks around it and asks questions. Anyway, the LTB stage 2 I know is supposed to be great (had one on my 3rd gen), but I could not get it to fit properly on my 5th gen with the huge auto tranny in the way. It would of been a pain to take off and put back on if doing any work underneath there. If your a 5-speed then its a must.

 

any shop that builds rollbars/cages can make them pretty easily. All they are is essentially steel tubing with "ears" welded to the subframe rails. Check any race shop (I mean RACE shop, not "tuner" shop).....

 

or drive a jeep cherokee for a week then jump back in your maxima.

It will handle like a sports car for a day.

 

Also lighten the front and add weight in back to balance out the weight bias. Lots of ways for that -bumper, battery, FSB, etc. I found over 75lbs myself w stock hood.

Oh and shameless plug for wheels & tires that will completely change the way your car handles. $750+ship for (4) wheels & tires incl 245 Hoosiers on 8.5" rims, and 225 Hoosiers on 7.5". It's a reverse stagger of an S2000 setup.
for sale here

 

you have a good memory, lol....