Y33 Suspension Upgrade + Other stuff

[BadQ45t]

So I finally got the Tein Springs and KYB Specials installed today. I have only driven it about 45 miles but that 2" is a big difference! Just sitting down into the car it felt much different.

City streets were a bit more impact but those KYB shocks are sweeeet, by far the best shocks I have ever felt. The car handles alot different, being that i was in LA on freeways at 9:45pm there was not much room yet to play, but the car corners totally differently, any hint of body roll is GONE. I was pleased with the freeway ride, still very smooth and feels like a luxury car, but what a difference.

Two things I did notice, speed bumps REALLY suck now and I have to be more careful, I did bottom a liittle big going out of a driveway that I had pulled out of many times before without having to be careful.

I also decided to change to Synthetic transmission fluid. I thought my mechnic could flush the whole 15 quarts but he doesn't have that machine but he did get 12 out and 12 of the Red Line in. The transmission drives really really smooth, almost spooky smooth. Almost seemed to run lower RPMs with the Red Line, but hard to tell in LA where the traffic at 10:00pm was still really bad.. Is that even possible that it would lower the RPMs, I think not, maybe just an aberation or me not being able to drive normally due to LA crazy traffic? The transmission has been well maintained since I had the car, this was it's 3rd flush (well the first two were total flushes) in 40k of driving a 6 years of ownership.

Any other Red Line transmission fluid stories like this. I'm driving it 400 miles home on Saturday and plan to really see what the car can do with the new suspension. Also replaced all drive belts, fuel filter, air filter, oil (mobil 1), balanced, alignment etc.

Next upgrade in the fall, 19" M45 sport Rims with SO3 Pole Position 245/40 19 (unless someone talks me into other tires these are my leading candidates right now) with 1" spacers, than I'm done for awhile.

Oh, PS, pictures coming soon, the car is filthy right now, but I'll shoot some tomorrow and post, it looks so cool 2 inches lower.

[qship96]

I also use Redline d4 transmission fluid-shifts like new at 176,656 miles on original transmission.Have been using their oil and diff. fluids also for the last 76,000 miles{ first 100,000 was done on mobil 1} Redline is one of the very few oils that is a group 5,poly ol ester based oil-unlike M1 and most other full synthetics which are mostly pao based. supposivly the redline base oil is extremely high in natural detergency,and by the looks of my engine internals,I believe it.,

[Falkdesigns]

Glad to hear it Jeff. I know you'll be even more impressed with the road trip back north. And wait till you get your wheels on it and go for some twisty canyon drives.

I'm gonna go dump some more Redline in my transmission tomorrow, change the Amsoil oil filter (6 months) put in the new air filter (dirty after 6 months) and cabin filters. Amsoil is also a group 5 polyol ester.

[BadQ45t]

I know i just have to get the cash for the damn tires!! I have 4 or 5 more quarts of the Redline that next trip down for the tires I will get him to drain out and probably get that last bit in, really interesting how the car does feel alot smoother. With synth oil I never could say I "felt the difference" no matter which brand I have used.

Pics later!!

[elwesso]

Glad you like the springs.. They sound really great... The FY33 certainly needs help in the body roll department... Kinda scary sometimes.....

[paranoidjack]

Glad you like the springs.. They sound really great... The FY33 certainly needs help in the body roll department... Kinda scary sometimes.....

so, what's our compromise between bottoming out teins and truck-like stock?

[maxnix]

Maybe the extinct Eibachs? I'll let your know when I get them on.

Personally, I think the roll is better controlled than the G50. It is the ride that is sprung more softly, so pitch is less controlled.

Ultimately, it is not stationary percieved fender gap or degree of roll that is important to handling dynamics, but suspension travel and suspension geometry, and most of all, tires.

[BadQ45t]

I now drove the car 400 hard miles. First off on highway is great, it was very high wind and I didn't even notice except for a slight pull to that direction and getting out to see it was like 45mph to the right.

The ride is very low. I made the mistake of visiting my brother's private water ski lake out in the middle of no where and it bottomed out twice on his ugly road, let's just say that was first and last trip there.

Cornering, it is like a completely different car, feels like the front end is hunkered down and it just grips like nobodies business. Body roll is GONE and the ride actually overall is better than before, probably due to the rear shocks being toast, the front struts FYI my mechanic reported as "not so bad, but the rear was gone". I would do this again in a heartbeat, the bottoming effect is about the same as my 84' 300ZX with Eibach's on it. If I had the choice to get the extra inch I might have taken it but the wheel well gaps are history, the front tires are now tucked into the wells and the rears just have a whisper.

The car is completely a mess, driving in the San Jaquin Valley (where my brother's private like thing is) I went through 2 or 3 swarms of bugs, OMG, I literally could not see a think....wipers just made it worse.

I will post pics once it is washed.

[Falkdesigns]

Sweet, nice report Jeff. FWIW, I have only bottomed out on one steeply angled garage ramp *once* and if I don't crawl over some of the SUV friendly speed bumps we have out here, the secondary cats will scrape, but that is honestly it. I pretty much drive like a mad-man most places and it's fine everywhere. When my wife drives (after I've had one too many) sometimes she doesn't slow down as much as I do on dips, or whatever, and it always surprises me when it takes the bump without issue.

[BadQ45t]

The change in the way the car drives is easily worth the extra care in driving. plus for me now I have an X-Terra so from here on I will make sure to take the truck when there are rough roads, etc.

I get home this weekend and I will finally shine it up and post pictures.

[BadQ45t]

So here is a long view of the new stance, pardon the cloudy tires, they had just got a shot of no touch tire stuff.

[BadQ45t]

From the front, the front is really tucked in there now.

[BadQ45t]

And rear, looks like there is plenty of room for the 19" rims as Kevin has found out, wish I'd taken a before shot, what a difference...still got that milky stuff on the tires.

[deepsouthq]

jeff, what size and offset on your wheel/tire combo?

[BadQ45t]

Those are 245/45 17" Yokohama ES100 and the offset is the stock offset of the Y33. I have not put spacers or anything and those rims bolted directly on. There is still plenty of room in the wheel wells, I have set of M45 96 Sport rims that will require spacers going on later this year when the tires wear out.

[Solini]

It sits nice Jeff. I can't wait to get mine put on today, but it's supposed to rain tonight, so i'll most likely take pictures the day after tomorrow.

[BadQ45t]

I drives better than it looks, but I love getting those huge wheel well gaps out, especially with the low profile tires. When I had the 215/65 16" rims it wasn't so bad, but the smooth ride of the SR's and the way it corners just rocks. It took me awhile to post as I had more bugs on my front than you can even imagine, I'll be pulling bugs out of places for weeks. I wish my Colgan mask had worked out, it flaps over 75 mph so I cannot use it for exactly the type of rides I need it for, long drives on I5.

[elwesso]

First thing i thought of that it looks like an MB S class from the side.. Much sleeker, i like it..

Someone needs to bring a Y33 to indiana with the springs so i can see what theyre like!!!!!!

[ddrumman]

It looks VERY good. I love the posture of the car when lowered.

I think the difference is bigger/better in looks, when you lower the Y33 vs. the G50.

[BadQ45t]

You know I thought the same thing about the S-Class...it made such a big difference in the way it looks for the better! I'm loving it more, just wish I could get off the road so I can drive it (I'm traveling alot for work now).

Thanks for the compliments, it was a long time coming. Think of what it will look like with 19" M45 rims with spacers pushing the rims out, cannot wait, just need the green to buy the tires.

[Falkdesigns]

It definitely gives it a much sleeker look like the S-class (too bad it doesn't add the rear seat leg-room too, lol). The Y33's body is long, sleek, and sculpted looking, but unfortunately, car makers know US drivers suck, and know that 90% of them won't slow down AT ALL for speed bumps, pot-holes, RR tracks, random logs in the road, etc. and they expect the car to be able to handle it otherwise they complain. So that leaves it to those of us that actually enjoy driving and understand different types of cars to have to do it ourselves.

[Solini]

Here are pics of my car finally lowered

[BadQ45t]

Nice, it should have come out of the factory that way!!!!!

[ddrumman]

Nice, it should have come out of the factory that way!!!!!

Absolutely.Solini,The car looks great. I love those wheels, hehehe. Did you use spacers?

[Solini]

Nice, it should have come out of the factory that way!!!!!

Thanks The funny thing is I got my mechanic at Infiniti to put them on, he put a fake repair sticker on, so afterwards other people in the shop all start helpng out, it only took like 2 hours. The cost was the best part, 125 and a 12 pack of Heinken

Absolutely.Solini,The car looks great. I love those wheels, hehehe. Did you use spacers?

Thanks a lot. It's odd because now I keep getting people looking at my car, and I'm thinking what the hell are you looking at, lol. And those lil civic tuners that are lowered give me the odd look like oh no you didn't. But yeah I didn't use spacers, not really going to bother with them until I put my Vienna's on at the end of the month, like Jeff I need to save money for the tires. I bet none of you will guess the tire size i'm running on them now... 235/55/17 The reason I have them so tall are because they're the recall wheels, I got them for free so i figured why the hell not, and only paid 100 for the tires, I thought it was a good deal

[Falkdesigns]

Looks great man!! Can't wait to see w/ Vienna dish wheels though!

[Solini]

Looks great man!! Can't wait to see w/ Vienna dish wheels though!

Thanks Falk!! Yeah I would've bought the tires this past weekend but I saw something on e-bay I couldn't help but buy, once I put them on I'll post pics