Anyone ever replace their front and rear coil springs?

I am looking to do so when redoing my entire suspension this spring. I am aware of OME and Dobinsons but they also lift the vehicle. I am not sure yet if I want to go that route. I dont go offroad so I wouldnt really be utilizing a lift really.

I saw some AcDelco coil springs online for the front and rear (professional series). Any thoughts on those?

A1218 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 02, 2021 6:33 pm

I saw some AcDelco coil springs online for the front and rear (professional series). Any thoughts on those?

I bought the ACDelco Professional, variable rate, rear coil springs for my '02 about two and half years ago. Compared to the constant rate springs available from Moog and others, the ACDelco Pro springs have better cargo and trailer load resistance to bottoming out yet they do not feel stiff and jarring during normal unloaded driving. I am very pleased with the springs I purchased.

mdmellott wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 02, 2021 7:40 pm

A1218 wrote: ↑

Tue Mar 02, 2021 6:33 pm

I saw some AcDelco coil springs online for the front and rear (professional series). Any thoughts on those?

I bought the ACDelco Professional, variable rate, rear coil springs for my '02 about two and half years ago. Compared to the constant rate springs available from Moog and others, the ACDelco Pro springs have better cargo and trailer load resistance to bottoming out yet they do not feel stiff and jarring during normal unloaded driving. I am very pleased with the springs I purchased.

Thanks for the response.

Were they any height differences after the install? Did you ever replace your front coils?

I still have my original front coils. They were fine when I replaced my struts 5yrs ago and they still behave well. My old rears were shot. The new springs brought my ride height back to normal, which was previously only .5" and .75" lower than normal on each side and they were very soft from warn out spring tension.

Well, after seeing the great experience you’ve encountered with them and having no issues after a couple years, I’m probably going to order a set for the front and rear.

A1218 wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 03, 2021 9:24 am

I’m probably going to order a set for the front and rear.

Plan on replacing the upper and lower rubber seats as well. I went with OEM for those because there appears Nissan had so many variants that aftermarket 'one size fits all' alternatives were a disappointment when at first I ordered non-OEM. Those didn't fit. The lower rear spring seat on mine is more of a sleeve on the end of the coil and there is no aftermarket alternative, despite AM suppliers selling me something completely different. The jounce bumpers in the rear are very likely worn out as well if yours are original. Febest had a set that are identical to my originals so I saved a bit of coin purchasing those. Oftentimes I find that OEM is best for seemingly minor ancillary items made of rubber. (e.g. bump stops, spring seats, seals, gaskets, bushings)

I’ll check out the Febest bumpers for the rears. Do you have the part number still by any chance?

I am going OEM with the rubber seats for the front and rear coils. I think there is only upper rubber seats for the front and rear coils at the top and then sleeves at the top an bottom of the coils. I don’t think there are any seats at the bottom.

But I’ll check back the diagram.

Hopefully they still have the sleeves in stock and they’re not discontinued.

I am also getting kyb strut mounts, bellow, and the bumper for the struts. New kyb gas struts and excel g gas shocks for the rear.

The Febest jounce bumper I bought is ND-020. It is identical to the Nissan part number 55240-0W010, which is the same one your '97 uses. You're right about the no actual seats at the bottom of the front and rear springs. There is only a type of rubber sleeve that cushions the spring against the metal where they sit on the frame, for the rears, and the strut, for the front springs.

I bought KYB struts and shocks as well. However, I was very disappointed with their bellows and bumper parts as well as the strut mount kit bearing. The bumper did not fit well into the pocket where the OEM bumper/bellows part fits so it kept sliding down, exposing the polished strut rod to the elements and the bellows cracked in less than 2yrs. The mount kit bearing wore out even faster. I ended up replacing the mount kit bearing with an OEM part and I replaced the separate KYB bellows and bumper parts with the integrated OEM bumper/bellows part.

Everything I needed was in stock at Nissan.

Thanks for the heads up on that. I actually saw that Febest has the integrated bellow and bumper, so I might check those out. Probably will be better than the kybs.

But did you have any issues with the kyb mount itself? I know there is a spacer provided. But depending on the kyb strut some required the use of it and some not.

I know the oem Nissan mount had the spacer welded onto the mount directly. But kyb was separate.

No problem at all with the steel parts of the KYB mounts but I would have been better off financially if I just kept my old mounts and simply replaced the bearings with new Nissan OEM parts to begin with. The original steel pieces of the mounts I had were not rusted so they were just as good, at 13yrs old when I replaced them, compared to brand new parts.

Good find on the Febest NSHB-001 bumper/boot part. It looks identical to Nissan's 54050-0W002, which is what I bought for 75% more from Nissan.

mdmellott wrote: ↑

Wed Mar 03, 2021 8:46 pm

No problem at all with the steel parts of the KYB mounts but I would have been better off financially if I just kept my old mounts and simply replaced the bearings with new Nissan OEM parts to begin with. The original steel pieces of the mounts I had were not rusted so they were just as good, at 13yrs old when I replaced them, compared to brand new parts.

Good find on the Febest NSHB-001 bumper/boot part. It looks identical to Nissan's 54050-0W002, which is what I bought for 75% more from Nissan.

I received the coils in the mail today. The ACDelco front and rears. The rears look good and the new Nissan upper seat fits into the coil properly. I didn’t install the coils yet. But the rears are looking like an OEM fit.

However, the front ACDelco coil has a pigtail end on the top. I don’t think that would fit with the Nissan strut hat and rubber top seat. So I was checking out the Moog one also and I see one website stated that coil also has a pigtail end. How are these companies saying OEM fit if it has a pigtail?

From what I can recall when I installed a new KYB Strut a couple years back and reused the original coil I didn’t see any pigtail.

A1218 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:45 pm

However, the front ACDelco coil has a pigtail end on the top. I don’t think that would fit with the Nissan strut hat and rubber top seat. So I was checking out the Moog one also and I see one website stated that coil also has a pigtail end. How are these companies saying OEM fit if it has a pigtail?

From what I can recall when I installed a new KYB Strut a couple years back and reused the original coil I didn’t see any pigtail.

I don't recall mine having an eccentric or reduced diameter pigtail at the top end of my springs either. I just looked but didn't find any suppliers describing ACDelco or Moog springs with a pigtail. From what supplier did you see that information and what ACDelco part numbers did you order from them?

mdmellott wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 28, 2021 7:16 am

A1218 wrote: ↑

Sat Mar 27, 2021 9:45 pm

However, the front ACDelco coil has a pigtail end on the top. I don’t think that would fit with the Nissan strut hat and rubber top seat. So I was checking out the Moog one also and I see one website stated that coil also has a pigtail end. How are these companies saying OEM fit if it has a pigtail?

From what I can recall when I installed a new KYB Strut a couple years back and reused the original coil I didn’t see any pigtail.

I don't recall mine having an eccentric or reduced diameter pigtail at the top end of my springs either. I just looked but didn't find any suppliers describing ACDelco or Moog springs with a pigtail. From what supplier did you see that information and what ACDelco part numbers did you order from them?

I ordered it from Rockauto with part number ACDelco 45H0454. Every single website I searched says it fits the 4wd Pathfinder. The back is 45H2157

I searched on CARid and it says it fits also but when I look under specifications I saw it says end type spring 1: pigtail and end type spring 2: Tangential. It also said this for the Moog 81302 coils for the front.

I placed a order for the moog just to see if it would be different when it arrives but after I stumbled upon this info I cancelled that order. I want to say maybe it’s an error with the Delco part sent but they came in the box with the correct part number stamped on it.

Here’s a link to the pics of the front and back spring. As you’ll see one of the pics is the back spring and it’s perfectly fine.

https://imgur.com/gallery/DWTNKBT

Curious and concerning. That's the same ACDelco part number my '02 would take. I just took a look at my originals. They do not have pigtail ends at the top. Both ends of the original springs are tangential. I don't know how these pigtail ends could possibly fit. Something is definitely wrong with this.

mdmellott wrote: ↑

Sun Mar 28, 2021 9:59 am

Curious and concerning. That's the same ACDelco part number my '02 would take. I just took a look at my originals. They do not have pigtail ends at the top. Both ends of the original springs are tangential. I don't know how these pigtail ends could possibly fit. Something is definitely wrong with this.

Yeah I’m not sure either. But on an Amazon review for the Moog 81302 coil a user who installed it provided specs. He stated tangential one side and pigtail on the other. And it was installed on a 97 or 98 pathfinder from the pic he posted.

I’ve asked another individual and they claim that the pigtail works. Not sure how..... but I placed an order for a set of Lesjofors coils to see what that will be like when it comes.

If not I’ll return both and try to get a set of Nissans.