nisan maxima 96(help)

I assume you bought the car used, with the 18" wheels, and have no idea what difference that made. It might help to know if you have an SE (which has a tighter suspension), or a GLE or GXE (which is softer). It might be a good idea to go test drive a couple of unmodified '96 to '99 Maximas so you know how it feels.

I'd check the struts first. Worn struts frequently make the car ride very hard, slamming on every little imperfection in the road. It won't necessarily rock up and down excessively. It may be as simple as needing to replace them.

If you want a softer ride, either get Koni adjustables and lower the firmness setting to the minimum, or use stock OEM Nissan, which are quite good and made by Tokico. I think using KYB's may be a mistake, because they are slightly harder than stock and harder than Koni at the lowest setting. (Anybody with a contrary opinion, please jump in here.)

Any other suspension mods would be cost-prohibitive on a '96 in my opinion. You would probably be better off just trading it for something that rides like you want, rather than experimenting.

If the struts aren't the problem, then you'll probably have to live with the ride or ditch the 18-inchers. New cars are frequently delivered with 17" wheels now, and have had everything tweaked to allow it without a bad ride. Most aftermarket mods that are possible will actually make the ride harder.

JM

thanks jm i do have KYB struts on them and from the looks on them they where just replaced a onth or two ago, also i just have a maxima. is the oem cheaper?

It's funny you mention that KYBs might provide a harder than stock ride - I just got KYB GR-2's put on all-around on my 96 GLE with 96k and I am quite happy. Agreed,the ride is slightly firmer, but the original struts were so worn the car would lean severely and understeer was excessive. I was debating between the factory-equivalent (or so I've heard/read) Tokico Blues, but they were more expensive and I didn't mind a little sportier feel, so I went with the KYBs. The ride is not jittery at all and the car holds a straight line and follows curves with more precision and control. Mind you, I still have the original 15" rims on the car, with lots of rubber (relative to the low-pro's that an 18" rim would have) - so this probably helps immensely with ride quality. If the original poster has KYB AGXs - these are adjustable and he can try to set them at there lowest (softest) setting and see if that helps.

Cheers, Nirav

If the KYB's are new, then I don't think struts are your problem. The KYB's are a little more firm than stock, so it would influence my buying decision, but the difference is marginal. Hmmmm, I just had a thought: I am only familiar with the AR-2 made by KYB, and I think there is also another that they make for the Max. I think the other variety may be more firm. You might check that out.

Are you in the U.S.? Because here, there are only SE's, GXE's, and GLE's for your model year. Maybe the previous owner took the letters off the car. If you go to Maxima.org and start comparing the features on your car, you should be able to determine which it is. For example, do you have chrome door locks or plastic? Auto climate control or not.... those things are listed on that site somewhere. And there are people on this news group that can tell you just offhand. I actually have a '96 I30t (same chassis as an SE), so I'm not totally up to speed on Maxima varieties.

I would say that OEM struts are fairly pricey. Unless you can do the job yourself, the labor will be also. I've seen comments leading me to believe that there are good deals, at least in some parts of the U.S., but an average strut replacement, with labor, is typically in the $700-900 range. This is semi-major maintenance. It isn't terribly hard to change them out yourself, but the springs can be dangerous (deadly) so be careful and understand what you are doing.

If you've got an SE, which has a firm suspension, and 17" wheels, and firm struts, and tires with stiff sidewalls....... well, it can all add up. And have you checked your tire pressure to make sure it's not too high?

JM

I typed AR-2 but I have GR-2's, just so we're all on the same page. And there is definitely no jitter, I agree. But when you go over undulating pavement, it seems like the tires just want to skip over, rather than stay connected to the road like the OEM struts allowed. The OEM's were impressive, but they only lasted me 50K (and were pretty harsh by 40K.)

JM