Total newbie is looking for guidance

[timecurve]

Hello all,

I have been leasing cars for the past 14 years and while was always interested in modding it never made sense with a leased car. My IS 250 lease has expired a month ago and I picked up (purchased this time around) a 2007 M35x. Now that I actually own a car the desire to mod it came back stronger than ever! There is one problem however: I have absolutely no idea about pretty much anything related to modifications. The one mod that I did so far (and it was really easy one) is to drop off the car at Infiniti dealer to install an aero body kit.

I have been reading various forums for the past month and picked up a few things here and there. I have a gazzilion of questions and was hoping that some of the experienced modders on this site will take 10 minutes of their time to educate me. So, here we go....

1. The first thing I want to go after is to drop the car. I've read some confusing posts on a few forums that it is either not possible or much trickier to do on AWD M35, is this true?

2. I saw people referring to lowering kits like Eibach and to coils (coilovers). Are these two different things or the same? If different then how? Which is used for which purpose?

3. I would want to eventually put 20 inch wheels on the car. Do I need to worry about it before dropping the car? I'm not into the so called VIP look, so I see that typically people drop the car about 1.5 inch in the back and 1 inch in the front, which is not too aggressive and I think this is what I want to do. Having said that, will that cause a problem putting 20 inch wheels in the future in terms of fitment?

4. If I put 20" wheels on, will that cause any issue with the tire pressure monitor?

5. I don't have money right now to invest into new set of wheels (that aero kit wasn't cheap), so I will have to stick with stock wheels for some time. However, I want to push them out a bit. I saw a nice guide from lawman which enlightened me a bit in regards to this. I understand that you use spacers (between the drum and the wheel??) to push the wheel out. Putting these spacers is not a permanent change is it? They can be put on and removed at any time? I personally don't see how you can put a spacer between the drum and a wheel because then there will not be space left to bolt the wheel down.....I'm sure I'm not picturing in my savage modder mind, what the spacer really is correctly, please forgive my ignorance.

6. What will dropping the car and putting on 20 inch wheels do to a ride quality? Is it a dramatic change? I really like how it rides today, smooth yet firm, but not rough at all. Will the ride get a lot rougher?

7. Will dropping the car have any impact on VDC, what about AWD?

8. Where do typically people drop cars? At small private shops? Is it a good idea to do it at Infiniti dealer (given that they do it at all, I'm not sure about that)? More expensive I'm sure, but guaranteed quality?

9. I also have Elite Wrap warranty. Do I need to worry that it could be voided by any of these mods, especially if mods were not done at Infiniti dealer?

10. Can someone recommend specific parts/kits/spacers etc. that would work for M35x specifically?

I truly appreciate any help and guidance that can be provided. Thank you all in advance!

[Andrew224]

I wanted to welcome you to the forum... I see that you're from Wheeling, IL. I grew up there, it's a nice little town to live in.

I can't answer all your questions but I can help with a few...

3. If you put 20s on the car, you'll need lower profile tires so the overall diameter of the wheel tire combo will be the same. Otherwise the speedo will be off.

4. You'll have to transfer the TPMS sensors to each of the new wheels.

5. The spacers aren't that thick that you wouldn't be able to get the lug nuts on the wheels. They are not permanent.

6. Yes, your ride will be firmer.

8. I don't think an Infiniti dealer would be a good option. They are very expensive and the work probably wouldn't be guaranteed as you're not using Infiniti / Nissan designed parts.

9. Anything you mod could void the warranty on the parts that were affected by the mod. i.e. your struts go out in 2 months but you have lowered your vehicle.... Will not be covered.

Sorry, can't help you out with the M35X specific questions but check into previous posts as I know many of the topics have been discused.

Good luck,

Andrew

[M45Runner]

Welcome to NICO.

Let me put in my 2 cents about modify a car:

First of all, there is a reason for changing a car - if you like the way it drives/looks, leave it alone. When you go with the route of modifications (other than simple cosmetics), they can be expensive - parts, labor and reserve to fix issues caused by the modifications etc... So, now that being said, here are the answers to the questions:

1. Yes, it will be much harder to lower a AWD car, there are more involved and risky if anything is not done perfectly.

2. Eibach is the brand name and to coils (coilovers) are the thing you replace to lower the car - it is part of the suspension.

3. See Andrew's answer. There is a very strict range (for wheel diameters) on M35X, it you exceed it, the AWD system will not work and can mess up with the tranfer case and the whole AWD system for power transfer.

4, 5 & 6: See Andrew's answer.

7. See my above answer.

8. There are specialty shops that do suspension works, especially someone have past experience on Infiniti and AWD would be my best choice - you have to check with your local areas.

9. I am pretty sure the warranty will be voided if anything broke due to the modification - Most Infiniti dealerships will simply not do it due to the liabilities.

So, overall, the M35X is not a good car for modification simply due to its AWD and real time power transfer. You might be able to do some bolt on or simple cosmetics and that would be it.

[timecurve]

Thanks for the update Andrew! Since you are from IL, do you know any good shops that do quality suspension work?

[Andrew224]

Sorry, I don't have any recommendations on shops. I've stuck with the dealer; my car is for the most part bone stock.

Andrew

[elmatador]

1. It is possible to drop it but the installer needs to be careful. The shop that did mine messed up a seal on front passenger strut and leaked really bad. They replaced it for free but it was a hassle. So make sure you go to a reputable shop incase they mess anything up then you can have them fix it.

2. Not sure. You can use Espelir 4WD springs. Burtman Industries have them. These springs are specific for the AWD3. No.4. Not sure about spacers but I wouldn’t recommend any spacers.5. The ride quality is not too bad, it is a little bumpy but not too rough. I would have preferred to stayed at 19” rather than 20” when the car is lowered. The ride was really good when it wasn’t lowered and had the 20’s.

6. I haven’t noticed anything with the VDC yet. I will be able to test it out properly in winter.7. Yes, you should take it to a place that works on infiniti’s. I don’t think you can get it done at the dealer. It will cost about $400 with alignment.8. Mods such as lowering will void your suspension warranty along with wheel bearings. It doesn’t matter whether Infiniti modded it or not. Since the parts are not official parts the warranty is void.9. Lowering Springs: Espelir 4WD, burtmanindustries