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Springs
I put together a lot of notes on springs/struts for my own purchase
decision, so I thought I'd pass this along. There's a wide variety
of spring options out there for the 5th gen Maxima owners looking
for a drop.
Ride, height, and handling vary greatly between manufacturers and
there's a flavor for every personality and priority, so there's
no answer to the "which is best" question, just different
answers depending on what's most important to you. I see people
say "I want it slammed low and a good ride." Sorry, you
can't have both. Like many things in life, lowering springs are
all about compromise. You generally have to accept a degradation
in ride quality to gain a better stance, handling, and reduce body
roll. For the less aggressive drops, the ride sacrifice is generally
minor.
Generally, lower equates to a rougher ride and less body roll,
but be forewarned that some springs with similar drops ride better
than others due to superior engineering. A prime example is H&R
vs. Maxspeed - here are two springs with a similar drop, but most
have found H&Rs offer superior ride and handling. Why? You're
paying for H&R's research and expertise. Multiple owners who
have switched from Maxspeed to H&R have attested to the fact
that the H&Rs better ride and superior control make them a notable
improvement over the cheaper Maxspeed springs. Enough of an improvement
to justify H&R's much higher cost? Your call. Great thing is,
reselling springs on the forum is easy and you can typically get
back most of what you paid, so trying a couple different sets is
no big deal (at least financially). But hopefully this helps you
make an educated decision.
Okay enough rambling. Here's the list sorted by amount of drop:
Spring Comparison Gallery:
Have an opinion? Post a comment.
Stock:
Photo by housecor |
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28 1/16" |
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27 1/4" |
H-tech:
Photo by lv6speedmax |
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|
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26 1/4" |
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26 1/2" |
Eibach:
Photo by Audtatious |
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|
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26 5/16" |
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26" |
Maxspeed:
Photo by Lumbee1 |
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|
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26 3/4" |
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27" |
H&R:
Photo by bcknblk |
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|
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26 3/4" |
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26" |
| |
|
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Vogtland:
Photo by bigfatty |
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|
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26 5/8" |
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25 3/4" |
Progress:
Photo
by housecor |
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|
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26" |
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25 7/8" |
Tein S-Tech:
Photo by Lithiumax |
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|
| 
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| 25 1/2"
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26 3/8" |
A few tips:
- H&R offer best ride
- Eibach & H&R typically receive the best handling reviews.
- Eibachs often considered rougher riding, stiffer spring
- Progress & Vogtland offer the most even drop. Tein H-tech
are a close second. Tein S-tech are slightly lower up front. H&R
are slightly higher up front.
- Some (myself included) have found manuals appear to sit slightly
higher in the front than autos (I would assume the manual transmission
weighs a bit less).
- Maxspeeds are considered a inexpensive alternative to H&R
since the drop looks similar, but some have reported Maxspeeds
ride rougher and make the car feel less stable.
- Progress is the lowest you can go with factory struts - but
any drop can wear out your factory struts quickly and is generally
not recommended. Upgrading to an aftermarket strut when springs
are upgraded also improves the ride/handling. However, for whatever
it's worth, I've been rolling with H&Rs on the front only
with stock struts for over a year with no issues.
- There hasn't been much info available on Vogtland springs until
recently. Here's a great
thread with impressions.
- S-tech, Sprint, and Progress are aggressive drops and will lead
to bottoming out on potholes and large road irregularities. As
such, if you live in an area with poor roads, going this low isn't
generally recommended due to the unforgiving ride and risk of
rim damage.
*All the above are subjective to some degree, but I've found the
above to be the general consensus from my reading of countless impressions
from owners over the years.
For spring popularity, see this
thread.
Struts
| Strut |
Price shipped |
Adj. ride height? |
Adj. compression/rebound? |
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| Tokico HP (Blues) |
$299 |
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| Tokico Illumina: |
$438 |
|
Yes |
| KYB-GR2 |
$304 |
|
|
| KYB-AGX: |
$400 |
|
Yes |
| Koni Inserts |
$550 |
|
Yes |
| JIC FLT |
$1100 |
Yes |
Yes |
A few tips:
- AGX have been accused of being rougher in cold weather.
- Illuminas require a flathead screwdriver to adjust both front
and rear while AGX have a knob in the rear.
- Blues and GR-2 are OEM replacements.
- JIC's allow you to drop very low without compromising suspension
travel.
- Some argue that adjustable struts are the only way to go since
they assure the strut will be a proper match for spring's rate allowing
adjustment of the struts rebound and compression.
For strut popularity, see this
thread.
Given all this, what did I choose? Progress & Illumina for
the even drop, adjustability, and good ride reviews from owners.
The ride is very close to stock when set 2F/2R. Handling is noticeably
improved, particularly when running settings of 3 or higher. Body
roll is greatly reduced and the "floaty" feel of the stock
suspension is eliminated.
UPDATE 11.09.04 - I blew an Illumina on the front
driver's side. It's unclear if the Progress drop had anything to
do with the quick failure - I only know of one other person to blow
an Illumina so far. Nonetheless, I sold the Progress springs and
installed H&R springs on the front only. Pics
here
One thing to consider: Illuminas (and I assume other struts) are
only warranted for a 1.5" drop.
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