I know i might stoke the ire of you guys but i just spent an hour searching and couldnt find what i was looking for

My question is: Doesnt the GLE have a wishbone rear suspension?? and what parts would i need and total cost for the conversion????

 

All 4th gen Maximas have a beam or I-Beam in the rear no matter on trim level

 

95-03 all maximas gxe se gle have the same rear one piece beam axle, or wishbone suspension, the spring height on the trims are diff.

 

correct term is a watts link,and they are all the same..even the 5th gens

 

There's no difference between the GLE and GXE suspensions period.

 

that sucks, is there anyway to put in a custom honda type susp in the rear??

 

Why in the world would you want to re engineer the rear suspension?


Not exactly. They are the same design but they are not interchangeable. The Scott-Russell linkage is on the rear side on the 5th gen, front side on the 4th gen.

 

From what i know and have seen they are exactly alike. i have a 95 gle and 96 gxe and nothin changes at all.

 

Because i'm not looking for performance, just the most comfortable ride period.. and our rear suspension just cant offer that. I've driven accords, wishbones are very comfortable going over sh1tty roads. Thats all.

 

Get better dampers.

 

thats weird because my buddy has an accord and it rides like sh*t on bumpy roads and he just had all the suspension parts replaced. my max on the other hand you can barley tell the difference between bumpy roads and a newly paved road and its really quiet going over bumps and outside noises.

 

I have the slightly stiffer SE model, and I can honestly say it rides fine, even compared to all of my previous Honda's and Acura's. Of course some of my previous cars rode differently, but the Maxima is fine. I've heard it was the best implementation of that type of suspension, and I have to agree it's good enough.
Maybe your car has worn, defective components?

 

it's possible your shocks are bad.
i have an SE model the ride is stiff and when i go over bump it does'nt ride like crap.
plus your talking about a honda accord.

lets assume your talking about a 95/96 accord dx lx hell even a ex.
the suspension doesn't compare to the 4th gen.
the 4th gen was designed to be on the sporty side... and imo all of the trim lines.

 

???????? It's identical! why not GR2's or AGX?

 

anything is possible. it might cost you more and a lot more dangerous than actually just getting a honda though

 

Toss a set of Tokico Blues in and it will ride like a caddy.

 

Cant afford tokicos right now, so i'll take a road road i've travelled before. Monroe sensa tracs, softest shocks out there, soft as hell- just what i need. I know some people say that they crap out too soon but my experience was great with them.

 

because the i-beam suspension sucks. with very little aftermarket support and a ****ty rear suspension the maxima is just made for daily commuting.

sporty? where did you get that conclussion from? a stock honda can handle turns better than a maxima with a RSB and sway bar (since thats all you can get for a maxima). i honestly dont know who and why the maxima is labled as the "4dr sports car", it handles like a freaken boat.

^^^smooth or like a boat or both?...

 

I'm currently on the Monroes, they are not soft!

I've installed and rode on every spring strut combo out there. Including the Monroe matics and Sensatracks. The Monroe matics ride just like the KYB GR2's Sensatracks are about the same with a bit more ride control. I'll be swapping them out for the Tokico's shortly as I want that Tokico ride back!

There isn't a shock out there that rides as good as the Tokico's do on a 4th gen Maxima.

 

By soft, i meant the ride. The ride is very smooth because they must be the hardest working shocks. They absolutely live up to monroe's claim that they "adjust more rapidly to changing road and weight conditions than any other available shock absorber."

I dont know how many people here have tried the sensa tracs with lowering springs but i think the stock springs allow for the maximum travel and therefore comfortable ride.

 

LOL! Its not a performance suspension by any stretch. It was cost effective and space saving. I know what you are getting at. Solid axles are less comfortable over uneven pavement compared to independent. Im wondering where you came up with the wishbone idea in a GLE.

You have 2 options.

1 Sell the car and get what you want, apparently an Accord.

2 Install a different set of struts. HPs ride great, but they are stiffer than stock Tokicos. Perhaps Monroes will do the trick.

You will never get a different suspension working correctly if you are asking how or if it could be done.

 

I don't know where i read that either lol, guess i thought GLE's had it.

That's what i thought too, hard to pull off.

I dont like an accord over my maxima, just the independent suspension.

 

It'd be easier to get an older Accord and drop a J35 swap into it.

 

maxinone if you think about and look back. look at the 3rd gen. then in the promo video look what they put it up against.
car's that seem to be on the sporty side...and luxury.

the reason and accord or a civic can handle turns better than a maxima...they're lighter. and i belive nissan did'nt have the funds to keep the irs on the 4th gen.
try putting an acura legend against the maxima when it come down to handling.
one of the things that turns me off about the 4th gen is the i-beam.

 

EXACTLY! It sucks that they made such a great car with such a legendary engine and cheaped out so miserably on the rear suspension, i think they should have at least offered an irs on the GLE- for me Luxury means a more comfortable ride over performance, and thus the need for an IRS.

 

If they're cheap enough to give 2 infiniti's the beam, GLE luxury makes a pretty weak point to give IRS.

But thats not really out of the norm - it is very rare for a company to give you a different suspension setup for a higher trim level (except the old mustang). It's a very big deal requiring modifications to the unibody itself. What they do is change out the shock absorber or springs - the SE and i30t's "sport turned suspension" are just stiffer rear springs.

 

it's said that the 3rd gen offered so much for so little that it almost made nissan go "bankrupt" thats what this person told me...who seems to be big into nissans.

the bright side is though compared to most companies that has this set-up...at least the 4th gen has a rear sway bar.

 

maximas were a good car for the money.. the i beam was not a bad shortcut