ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

After looking through the advanced suspension threads I noticed nobody has posted much about the KYB AGX Adjustable struts. I ordered the rear pair today to see how they work out($140/pc), Im pretty confident they will be high quality. Im considering putting some Tokico's on the front because I can get them for cheaper than the KYB's and they seem to be better suited to the front wheels anyways. Has anybody tried these yet? Anybody heard anything bad about them? Please post away and be critical if you think they are bad, Im just looking for actual personal experiences not opinions because its not the brand you have on your car so therefore it sucks lol

djfrestyl

iTrader: (89)

Great struts, known as an alternative to Illuminas. You shouldn't have an issue. What springs are you mating them with?

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Everything you heard about them being temperature sensitive is T R U E .

They handle like a champ when it's cold outside (like under 60).

But when it's warmer (like 80+) they'd need to be re-adjusted to get the same handling.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Bumping up again....

Stiffened them up last weekend.

Not bad... Not bad at all, I can see why people think that they can get away with not getting coilovers.

I still say Coilovers > Springs/Struts any day but I can't hate on the AGX's any more.

Maxidave?

i was thinking about coilovers but ive seen that you need to mantience them more just because there not for your DD cars, more for track cars, so i wasa thinking i should get the agx's and lowering springs. btw which lowering springs should i get i still havent found the "right pair"

VQ'rInWLA

iTrader: (83)

My homie has agx/stechs for sale. They ride pretty damn well. http://forums.maxima.org/west-coast/...s-s-techs.html

renots

iTrader: (5)

I was highly impressed with them, I love the drop an the handling. To me they are almost as comfy as coilovers. Just a tad bit stiffer IMO. Here's what agx's an s-techs look like installed on my 96.




Shoot me a pm if you interested in more info on my struts/springs, an yes I'm the one who is selling them.

Maxidave?

i love that drop, okay pm sent

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

lol forgot about this one. I still have them and paired with ground controls. Forgot the spring rate I got but they are linear springs. Loved how you get get a custom rate from Eibach and the drop you can get from GC's is plenty enough for me. I love them personally but of course I would rather have CO's not going to lie. For future readers dont believe the hate AGX struts get. THey are not exactly comfortable but I bought them for performance not comfort after all. I have my front on 3 and rear on 6 I believe

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

AGX are stiff, its not hate. Its the truth. They ride like crap. Since they adjust both compression and rebound with a single **** its pretty much impossible to dial them to the springs. The ride is either stiff/harsh, which most ricers translate to sporty, or they bounce all over, which ricers must think looks cool since nearly all of them I see bounce around town on blown stock dampers and S(uck)Tech springs. And yes I have owned AGX and paired them with a hand full of springs. Unless you get them free or nearly free, buy something else. BTW GR-2 are the same as AGX set 2f/4r, or half. Still pretty dang rough if you ask me.

Illuminas are not much better. They just cost more.

Konis are king. The adjust only rebound so the ride is never harsh. Also you can shorten them which is imperative with a lowered car.

carsnwomen91

i see this similar post from you on some strut/spring threads lol

c/o's are expensive at about a grand+ for the set. while i realize that illumina/agx aren't bomb-*** suspension they're ALOT better for someone on a budget with 17 year old struts and springs. btw 2 front shortened koni's cost $500 used, so you might as well go c/o at that point.

the only track i'll be going on is the drag strip... and all i wanted from my suspension is something firmer and a strut thats slightly better to hold up the 2" drop.

i still want bc/tein/jic i could really care less now... got almost no money for modding and all i really want is an equal length y pipe for a proper sounding vq

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

Konis for $500 used? Are you sure that's not my new CSK setup ready to bolt in? There is no one offering this service for the Maxima community. They are worth it vs coil overs any day. A daily driver with true c/o setup is a complete waste of money. They are not made to take that kind of abuse. They blow and need to be rebuilt. The adjusters seize, camber plates fail, parts wear out or break and need to be replaced. Why spend $1000+ on something that needs that kind of maintenance? I bought my Konis used in 06. Over the years I have paired them with a few different springs, including slammed Ground Control coilovers. No problems. I bought a set of GR2 paired with stock springs for parts because they were blown. KYB is JUNK.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

So you dont like CO's...you don't like spring/struts....are you riding stock orrrrrr? I have AGX's paired with Ground Controls and I love them. Now I would much rather have a suspension set-up that is more adjustable but I wanted a set-up that will last and this will. I will try Konis when these blow in a year or so and see if you are correct

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

I had Koni with Sprint springs for a years back in 98 rode like crap with Sprints. Another problem with Koni is that they are inserts and the bolt that holds them in place kept getting loose on one side, I had to reach behind the tire with a small adjustable to tightened up the bolt.. probably due to a bad install on my part years ago.

I eventually replaced them and went with KYB AGX which were ok... I still kept my Spring spring because I like the 2" drop you get with them. Now I need to replace my front struts again.. Any recommendations for struts with Sprint springs? Need to replace them ASAP.. Black Lion is down for the count.

njmaxseltd

iTrader: (19)

Umm, no?

Surprised anybody still runs that crapy spring.

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

I have been running Sprints since 2000. Crappy ride yes... sexy look? In opinion the lesser the wheel the gap the sexier the look.. so yes.. sexy look. I have sacrificed ride quality for look...I know that. I wanted to go as low as I can without a coil over setup. Any thoughts on S techs? I think they are 2.2 drop in front and 1.8 in rear. Maybe time for a new set of springs.

JSutter

iTrader: (46)

I had Ground Controls, shortend Konis, Stillen Caber plates, and Motivational Engineering rear mounts. That is the best setup money can buy. Its just overkill for a daily driver. All the maintenance involved to keep the parts working correctly is just too much work. I didn't need that.

I dropped it all the way down for ****s and giggles and it was



You can't even drive a vehicle that low. It's stupid.

I now have CSK's paired with Eibach Prokit and the rear Konis are set on the upper setting. No saggy *** thank you very much. I don't like it low.



Looks great to me.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

<<< This guy is not a fan.

Red in the summer is nowhere near as stiff as Green in the winter.

And after all of that? Still don't hold a candle to my BC coilovers, handling or comfort.











For whom it may concern my suspension setups have been....

-Blown Stock SE Struts + Dropzone Springs
-Energy Suspension Control arm + sway bar + end link bushings

vs.

-KYB AGX Struts + Some brand's black springs, about a 2" drop front and 1.75" Rear, the springs are stiffer than most, definitely a handling spring and not for looks.
-Stillen RSB set on the stiffer hole
-Energy Suspension end link bushings

vs.

-BC Type BR coilovers
-Energy Suspension Control Arm Bushings
-Front Sway bar delete

vs.

-Ksport Kontrol Pro
-Energy Suspension End Link Bushings
-Stillen RSB (about to get removed)

And I still rank the KYB setup below the dropzone setup

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

FWIW and future readers, I bought the AGX's front and rear after I made this thread and paired it with GC's of a custom spring rate I cannot recall at the moment. I have the front struts set to 2 and the rear's set to 5. I only have a moderate drop and with new Nissan CA's and some ES bushings I honestly cannot complain. I bought this set-up because I wanted something that would last without having to be re-built at a high cost and above all else perform when I wanted it too and it has done just that. That being said, do not think I wouldn't trade it for some JIC's in a second but at the time it is what I could afford. My set-up, even with mild strut settings, is not what I would call comfortable on the highway but around town it is fine and that is on city streets. Paired with the 235 wide sport comp 2's I would say my car handles better than average with a lot of that handling ability attributed to the tires which I highly recommend. As a side note, the only component that has failed is the OEM strut bearing and likely the insulator on the passenger side.

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

I feel ya man, I also have a bad insulator and bearing on the passenger side and Im currently running KYB AGX on Sprint springs (2" drop).The KYB's are falling even on max setting for firmness, I have noticed I have been scraping my fender even over mild bumps in the road which shreds my tire a bit each time. This never happened when the struts were new. That being said, Im buying another set of front KYB already in the mail. They are not bad for the money.

I wanted to go with JIC but here in NJ the climate is crappy and from what I read the salt and snow will cause coilovers to fail on record time. My max is a DD so I cant afford the down time of rebuilds nor do I feel like dealing with the headache of the maintenance.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

So yours creaks when you have to turn kind of sharp too lol? I could be wrong about the insulator but Im fairly certain my insulator is bad especially because it makes a rattling noise over bumps. CO's are the end-all be-all product for performance but eventually they will fail on a DD and I DD my car so I had to juggle reliability with performance and GC's paired with AGX's is what I decided on and I am not at all disappointed.

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

I have creaks.. squeeks.. you name it... the noise is so annoying. Im sure its the insulator because the strut shaft is off centered on the top poking out of the insulator. So im doing bearing, insulator, dust boots, and endlinks. That should take care of the noise problem. How are the GC's heard about them but never looked into them. heard the ride was crap but couldn't be much worse then the Sprint im on.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Yea it is pretty bad, Sometimes when I jack my car up it goes away fro a few days but then usually just changes when it creaks. It used to creak when I turned right and now it does it on left and right turns. Eibach springs are just about the best IMO and with GC they are made for a specific strut and you can get whatever spring rate you want. I like then. Best coil sleeves out there IMO

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

So I've heard. How easy is it to change the height with them? Do the need to come off the car? Im assuming no. How low are you now on them?

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Im not low at all, about 50% of what the GC's can achieve I would estimate. Old picture but ride height is the same:


Extremely easy to adjust. An allen wrench loosens a bolt which releases the clamp the spring seat has on the cylinder. It is a very well engineered system with top quality materials. You can see the allen nut here and how it sits even though it is upside down and this is for a civic:

98SEBlackMax

iTrader: (9)

Funny I was thinking of AGXs earlier today and saw this thread. I bought my '96 used and it had AGXs paired with Eibach pro kit. This was almost ten years ago and I recall the AGXs were pretty harsh even with squishy stock rubber bushings, 15" wheels, and 225/50/15 tires.

Eventially swapped out to ES bushings all around which made things ride worse and the car still handled like ****. The heavy 17" MooMoo rims helped handling but made the ride more harsh.

Ended up going back to a used set of stock SE springs and struts, this was the best ride overall. Paired them with some lightweight 17s with sticky tires and this was an ok car to drive until the struts blew out on a track day.

Now I am running shortened revalved Konis, GCs, Stillen camber plates, custom rear mounts, panhard swap, blah, blah, blah. I won't argue that this setup has insanely more road noise than my original AGX setup but it rides better than the AGXs. The Konis are valved to handle the stiff springs and the car doesn't jiggle over bumps like a stripper with DDs. Handling compared to the AGXs isn't even in the same league. The two draw backs are the noisy front and rear pillowball mounts along with the lack of suspension travel over bumps, but that is a problem with all 4th gens.

If I had to pick a good DD spring/strut combo go with Koni yellows, Eibach pro or some decent springs, and stock strut mounts. From the shock dyno testing I had done on my Konis, if the springs are rated under 350 lb then you shouldn't need to revalve the Koni yellows. For 350~500 lb rated springs the yellows need a revalve IMO, above 500 pounds and the Koni yellows don't work well. Also go with a lighter wheel & tire package, if you can. This helps reduce unsprung weight and cut down on the impact going over bumps.

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

Sweet I would like my max a bit lower but at least you have the option to do so if you choose. Im interested in some Ground Controls.. I wonder how much worse the ride would be if at all over using Sprint springs. 2" drop is where I wanna stay. Thats where im at now and with driving carefully even with snow, I have no problems.

98SEBlackMax

iTrader: (9)

You can select the spring rates for the GCs, if you buy them new from GC. Their default rate is a 450 pound 7" length 2.5" diameter spring in front & a custom made 375 pound 6" length 2.5" diameter spring in the rear. This is a bit high IMO and probably why GCs where considered to be a harsh upgrade when paired with regular struts. I opted for the 400 pound front and the 375 pound rears, which didn't work well with my driving style along with the FWD weight bias and panhard swap so I had to find a softer rear spring.

The options for 6" length/2.5" diameter springs were low, until I found this company called Swift springs and they have a catalog of 6" CO springs available. I am now running a 400 pound GC Eibach front spring with a 280 pound (5 KG) rear Swift spring on my GCs. Much softer on the rear suspension and more predictable at the limit when I corner.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Question:

How much do you guys spend for AGX's + GC's?


Personal Opinion:

A strut is a strut, if one lives in a climate that is hazardous to struts it would blow all kinds of struts especially the they're crappy ones (EG. Ksport... KYB.... etc.), if you do not take care or maintain your vehicle and it's parts... Guess what kind of results you would yield?

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

You can get KYB AGX and a set of GC's for just shy of 900. I didnt want to deal with the maintenance of full Coil over set so i went with the springs that would give me the lowest height at the time. Now Im kind of eyeing up some GC. Im just not sure if the ride will be worse than my current set up. .. AGX with Sprint springs.

Crusher103

iTrader: (10)

Have you given BCs a shot? You will be quite surprised at how good they are as all rounders, people use to rave about tien basics in terms of being good at everything but honestly the BCs **** on them.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

I cant agree that AGX's are crappy. They do exactly what they should for the money

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

I agree... I think what makes lousy is the Sprints springs Im on. But like I said I wanna keep my 2" drop.
.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

Lol yea sprint springs are pretty terrible but I have only gone for a ride in 1 car with a set of them installed. GC's with good struts and a mild drop is a very good handling set-up. I just cant bring myself to pay what you have to pay for new CO's, I would never buy them used, then to possibly have to send them off at a very high cost to have them rebuilt in a year and a half. There are pros and cons to CO's just like there are for strut/spring set-ups. I dont know a single person who would call Eibach springs crappy and with the ability to get a custom rate it makes it versatile to all applications.

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

Man your making me want a set of GC's Im just wondering if the salt and snow would damage the threads where you turn for adjustment.

ShocknAwe

iTrader: (3)

as long as you clean them before you adjust it is fine. Have to do the same thing with CO's anyways

dtholmanmax

After reading this thread, I was curious about the KSport springs...2.2 in front & 2.0 in back. My budget (Set of twins plus 1 more, all girls) won't allow me to drop $1000 on full coilovers...Anybody running these? ARe they poor quality (like worse than Sprints, as that's what I used to run). I'm interested in low factor & a little less ride factor as it won't be my DD...

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

You know you're spending more money on AGX's + Good springs then a set of BC coilovers right?

Maintenance? I mean what are we talking about????

Lets just say hit it with water every once in awhile to get the road grime and salt off?? Is that really that hard?

Coilovers have been on both of my dailies, will always remain on my dailies, when one blows I will simply spend $100 and have it fixed.

Won't go any further because that strays away from the topic, I am only speaking about coilovers because I owned the struts in question from January 2012 to errr October 2012?

The setup I had wasn't bad, and is certainly better than GXE stock struts/springs, but if we're talking about performance and cost? You better be talking coilovers then.

I'm posting a pic, threads love pics....

The White Nightmare on AGX+Unknown Black Springs



The current owner of the forementioned combo...


The current setup on rebuilt k-sports



The Ksports are still more comfy and handle better..... My BC's were even better than the ksports...

I'm sure by now my point or opinion on the matter is clear, no reason for me to post any further here.

I'm out

maxprivate

iTrader: (12)

[QUOTE=aackshun;8674413]You know you're spending more money on AGX's + Good springs then a set of BC coilovers right?

Maintenance? I mean what are we talking about????

Lets just say hit it with water every once in awhile to get the road grime and salt off?? Is that really that hard?

Coilovers have been on both of my dailies, will always remain on my dailies, when one blows I will simply spend $100 and have it fixed.

Won't go any further because that strays away from the topic, I am only speaking about coilovers because I owned the struts in question from January 2012 to errr October 201
The setup I had wasn't bad, and is certainly better than GXE stock struts/springs, but if we're talking about performance and cost? You better be talking coilovers then.

I'm posting a pic, threads love pics....

The White Nightmare on AGX+Unknown Black Springs



The current owner of the forementioned combo...


The current setup on rebuilt k-sports



The Ksports are still more comfy and handle better..... My BC's were even better than the ksports...

I'm sure by now my point or opinion on the matter is clear, no reason for me to post any further here.

I'm out [/QUOTE

I guess it isnt to hard but is it that simple? I have heard you had to take them apart and grease them up.. with work and school I dont have the time for all that. Really I dont wanna spend the money on the coilovers. JIC is about 2000 grand and those are the only ones I would consider from what I read on coilovers but that's just me.. I spent about 250 just for front AGX I already have em in the rear and they are fine. Im keeping my current Springs for now and maybe I'll go with GC's in the spring. Hopefully its a better ride then riding on these Sprints im on.

aackshun

iTrader: (3)

Coilovers.

Simplier, cheaper, performs better, easier to maintain.

Especially compared to my AGX's, the whole point of my rant.