How low are you?
02-08-2012, 01:12 PM
#1
How low are you?
Ok so I have heard through numerous people that after a certain number of inches of a drop the axels start to give issues so how low are you and do u have any axel issue. Reason why i ask i recently purchased coilovers and don't want to start to have issues with axels.
02-08-2012, 02:03 PM
#10
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Jacksonville, FL
Posts: 10,349
02-08-2012, 02:06 PM
#11
02-08-2012, 02:17 PM
#12
Impossible question to answer, I hope you understand that right?
In reality, any deviation from stock height will shorten the life of the axels. The lower you go, the lower the lifespan of the axels, it's really that simple. Once the axels are pointing up on the outside (wheel end) when you're sitting still, you are going to be eating axels prolly on a semi-monthly basis.
All that said, I can give you a general estimate for the Maxima, 2" is pretty safe territory, but you WILL wear components out faster. not just your axels either. 1.5" would be very safe/conservative territory. This level of drop would have minimal effects on lifespan of components. Certainly not measurable ones anyways.
In reality, any deviation from stock height will shorten the life of the axels. The lower you go, the lower the lifespan of the axels, it's really that simple. Once the axels are pointing up on the outside (wheel end) when you're sitting still, you are going to be eating axels prolly on a semi-monthly basis.
All that said, I can give you a general estimate for the Maxima, 2" is pretty safe territory, but you WILL wear components out faster. not just your axels either. 1.5" would be very safe/conservative territory. This level of drop would have minimal effects on lifespan of components. Certainly not measurable ones anyways.
02-08-2012, 06:01 PM
#14
I am on S-Techs with GR2s, drop is about 2.2" on the front & 1.8" on the rear ... measurement from the ground to the top of the wheel wells is 25.5"all around. I have running this setup for over two years with no ill effects on any components.
02-08-2012, 06:50 PM
#17
02-08-2012, 09:41 PM
#22
When I first started in on my suspension about a year ago I did like most people probably do and slammed it. Then I realized it handled like crap and my suspension guru basically laughed at me prompting me to do an overhaul. I have a 4th gen which might vary a little bit in the right ride height but Im a little over 26in for both front and rear and I find this to be a happy medium. I went ahead and bought some HD Raxles ahead of time because its only a matter of time for the axels to wear down and give you problems when your lowered more than about 1.5". I believe the stock ride height on 4th's is about 28.4" IIRC so by my theory anything under about 26" and your more rapidly wearing your components and it certainly doesn't improve handling to over-lower either. As long as you have the right suspension components and with modern CO's then in reality you can go as low as you want if its a "look" kinda thing your going for but your driving will have to become more conservative over speed bumps and the like.
Last edited by ShocknAwe; 02-08-2012 at 09:43 PM.
02-08-2012, 09:47 PM
#23
When I first started in on my suspension about a year ago I did like most people probably do and slammed it. Then I realized it handled like crap and my suspension guru basically laughed at me prompting me to do an overhaul. I have a 4th gen which might vary a little bit in the right ride height but Im a little over 26in for both front and rear and I find this to be a happy medium. I went ahead and bought some HD Raxles ahead of time because its only a matter of time for the axels to wear down and give you problems when your lowered more than about 1.5". I believe the stock ride height on 4th's is about 28.4" IIRC so by my theory anything under about 26" and your more rapidly wearing your components and it certainly doesn't improve handling to over-lower either. As long as you have the right suspension components and with modern CO's then in reality you can go as low as you want if its a "look" kinda thing your going for but your driving will have to become more conservative over speed bumps and the like.
02-08-2012, 09:52 PM
#24
I will not lift off my over-lowering is terrible for handling. I think, on a 4th, that anything under about 25" is over lowering unless of course you have those big money CO's which is another case entirely. Your stock ride height? In your sig it looks lowered but I guess its the lip adding a few inches
02-08-2012, 09:56 PM
#25
I will not lift off my over-lowering is terrible for handling. I think, on a 4th, that anything under about 25" is over lowering unless of course you have those big money CO's which is another case entirely. Your stock ride height? In your sig it looks lowered but I guess its the lip adding a few inches
02-08-2012, 10:11 PM
#26
I dont know if its possible but the stock 5th gen ride quality actually seems worse stock than the 4th's stock ride quality. In the 5th's I have driven, at about 90mph the suspension gets dangerously floaty.
02-09-2012, 01:54 AM
#28
I'm slammed as fawk...
axles sound like they're doing the river dance.
bushings and ball joints are shot.
but the car rides and handles better than any spring/strut combo ive came across. And it looks great.
axles sound like they're doing the river dance.
bushings and ball joints are shot.
but the car rides and handles better than any spring/strut combo ive came across. And it looks great.
02-09-2012, 04:13 AM
#29
Yeah, until your tire rolls off when you hit a bump..I don't have a 5th gen but my 4th gen sits with a 2.25" drop in the front and 2" in the back. I have smaller tires (205/45/R16) so my car sits a lot lower then some of the guys with 17"+ wheels. I don't have any problems with binding axles, or bad bushings/joints yet. The car has already been dropped for over a year, so I don't see it having any add normal ware at this point.
My buddy's 5th gen has a 1.5" drop all around and doesn't have any issues at all. It's not as stiff as my 4th gen but does give a sportier feel over stock. Honestly I'm not sure what he's dropped on though.
Last edited by infinimax96; 02-09-2012 at 04:21 AM.
02-09-2012, 04:20 AM
#30
Any coilover set up will ride better than spring/strut on the 5th gen. Well, pretty much any CO
Shocknawe is right about lowering too much adversely effecting the suspension. On paper, the only benefits to going lower are better COF and lower COG. The adverse effects going past 2" are obvious, suspension geometry gets fcuked, which causes excessive wear and worse handling.
Shocknawe is right about lowering too much adversely effecting the suspension. On paper, the only benefits to going lower are better COF and lower COG. The adverse effects going past 2" are obvious, suspension geometry gets fcuked, which causes excessive wear and worse handling.
02-09-2012, 05:09 AM
#31
My drop is modest.....I got Eibach Pro Kit with 1.3" drop in front and 1" in back. I have 245/45 18" wheels. Looks great to me:
FRONT:
REAR:
For me I dont like to slam the car down to the ground scrapping ants off the street as I'm driving with the tire all under the fender wall. But everyone has different taste.
FRONT:
REAR:
For me I dont like to slam the car down to the ground scrapping ants off the street as I'm driving with the tire all under the fender wall. But everyone has different taste.
02-09-2012, 05:10 AM
#32
I'm lowered 1.5 in the front and 0.5 in the rear sitting on 22's,18's and 17's for different modes. No axle or front end issues since i've installed it about 10mths ago. The ride is pretty comfortable but I feel the cracks in the road due to the low profile tires.
02-09-2012, 06:14 AM
#37
I don't have proper measurements of the drop, but I'm sitting at a one finger gap all the way around on 245/40-18s. I love the look and stance... and it's easy to drive, handles pretty well (except for the constant shield rubbing on hard turns), etc.
However, axles hate me. Combined with the ES mounts which drop the motor a bit lower, it's obnoxious how many times my axles have been changed. The car does not have proper suspension geometry, and doesn't handle as well as it could. I'm definitely a preacher of function over form now, and will be raising the coils to the highest height which should still give me an inch drop.
However, axles hate me. Combined with the ES mounts which drop the motor a bit lower, it's obnoxious how many times my axles have been changed. The car does not have proper suspension geometry, and doesn't handle as well as it could. I'm definitely a preacher of function over form now, and will be raising the coils to the highest height which should still give me an inch drop.
02-09-2012, 06:16 AM
#38
02-09-2012, 08:11 AM
#39
02-09-2012, 08:15 AM
#40
3 years later stretching a 235/35 on a 10" wide wheel and have never had an issue with tires. And its my daily, and I drive aggressive as hell. 
That first pic is teh sex!
lmao. what he was up against...
