Arx Suspension Experience

[crisis]

Guys FYI.

I recently had the Bilstein spring and shock kit fitted to my ARX.

The improvement in handling is everything I expected. It still has a 4WD feel, but is crisp and the floating feeling is gone.

On the negative side, the car is now too low for my taste, scraping on every speed bump in shopping centres.

To put this in perspective, it is worse than my 300ZXTT.

Ben from north shore prestige is looking at harder, original height, springs as an alternative to the Bilstein lowered springs.

Given the long wheelbase of these cars, I suggest you carefully consider your intended usage before lowering them.

I will keep you informed of our progress.

[KiwiRS4T]

Guys FYI.

I recently had the Bilstein spring and shock kit fitted to my ARX.

The improvement in handling is everything I expected. It still has a 4WD feel, but is crisp and the floating feeling is gone.

On the negative side, the car is now too low for my taste, scraping on every speed bump in shopping centres.

To put this in perspective, it is worse than my 300ZXTT.

Ben from north shore prestige is looking at harder, original height, springs as an alternative to the Bilstein lowered springs.

Given the long wheelbase of these cars, I suggest you carefully consider your intended usage before lowering them.

I will keep you informed of our progress.

Have a read of the SK suspension thread. You should be able to adjust the ride height by moving the position of the circlip on the Bilsteins (that is the shocks) unless you have very much shorter springs (presumably not Bilsteins). I lowered my Series I Stagea by about 30mm so I have plenty of ground clearance except when angle parking on old fashoined high kerbs.

[Jetwreck]

Guys FYI.

I recently had the Bilstein spring and shock kit fitted to my ARX.

The improvement in handling is everything I expected. It still has a 4WD feel, but is crisp and the floating feeling is gone.

On the negative side, the car is now too low for my taste, scraping on every speed bump in shopping centres.

To put this in perspective, it is worse than my 300ZXTT.

Ben from north shore prestige is looking at harder, original height, springs as an alternative to the Bilstein lowered springs.

Given the long wheelbase of these cars, I suggest you carefully consider your intended usage before lowering them.

I will keep you informed of our progress.

Mate I had the same problem. There is a cir-clip on the front shock.....the bottom setting is to low....I have set mine to the middle....the top setting is not to high either. Are your springs grey in color? If so there are eibach springs not the original Bilstein spring(PS Eibach are a better spring).....there is also an Eibach agent in Austalia and they can make your springs to any spec.

If you want the original ride height the cheapest way is to go back to the original springs or get them made.

Edited September 8, 2008 by Jetwreck

[crisis]

Thanks for the circlip suggestion - unfortunately, mine is already on the highest settings.

I will wait to see what Peddars want for their springs.

m

[pixel8r]

Just curious, anyone know what the standard M35 (non-arx) ground clearance is?

My previous stagea (s2) had 15cm clearance when stock...wondering if the M35 is different - meaning that yours may sit lower than a C34 with the same setup?

[Sydneykid]

Have some extra (higher) circlip grooves machined in the Bilsteins.

FYI, Eibach make many of the Bilstein spring applications.

Cheers

Gary

[Duncan]

I did what Gary just said, and run mine on the new top groove. its either 2 or 3 higher than the original top grooves.

[sven laptop]

This may be a silly question, but why would you buy a car that's built to be raised higher off the road than standard, then change the suspension so it's lower?

Why now just buy a different version that was made to ride lower to the ground?

[crisis]

The standard suspension on an ARX makes it float like a boat. Way too soft.

The Bilstein suspension upgrade option includes lower springs and the car I test drove was fine on speed bumps around Chatswood. I thought that just upgrading the shocks would leave the car still handling poorly and that since the kit has been specially designed for ARXs, it would be fine.

I was partially right. - The package is great, the handling is much improved.

I did not try it on speed bumps in shopping centres. So now I need to get it a little higher. - The circlip machining idea sounds promising.

The purpose of the post is to warn others who may be thinking of taking the Bilstein option of what I see as a problem.

mm

[andy65b]

I did not see your answer to the colour of your springs that came with your Bilstein Kit? I know Jetwreck got the grey springs with his kit and his car sits lower than mine. (tested on his driveway, his scapes, mine doesn't)

I got the blue springs with my kit in the Bilstein box that I believe are the original shock for this kit.

I agree the kit drops the the car about 40mm from standard ride height of 180mm to 140mm. I have not had any real problem with speed humps and scraping other than when I have had my car loaded with 5 fat arses and then it is an occasional scrape.

I also just loaded my car to the hilt and did a tour of Victoria including a trip to the top of Hotham and many country roads and had no issues with the ride height scraping.

If you are buying the suspension upgrade check what springs are being supplied. This seems to be the difference in the ride height.

Cheers

Andy

Edited September 11, 2008 by andy65b

[Jetwreck]

This may be a silly question, but why would you buy a car that's built to be raised higher off the road than standard, then change the suspension so it's lower?

Why now just buy a different version that was made to ride lower to the ground?

Which is the other model that comes standard with a wider track, V-Hicas, Attessa and 18" rims? An is easy to find? On top of that all the luxury items? I know the AXIS does but it's $5,000 more expensive and still does not always get the Attessa or V-Hicas.

Also my shocks were gone when I got mine...have you seen the price of the standard Nissan shocks for the ARX?

The grey springs are Eibach not Bilstein.

[awd2.0t]

Which is the other model that comes standard with a wider track, V-Hicas, Attessa and 18" rims? An is easy to find? On top of that all the luxury items? I know the AXIS does but it's $5,000 more expensive and still does not always get the Attessa or V-Hicas.

Also my shocks were gone when I got mine...have you seen the price of the standard Nissan shocks for the ARX?

The grey springs are Eibach not Bilstein.

That’s my dilemma, do I buy an AR-X and go to the hassle of lowering it, colour code the moldings and maybe upgrade the front to look like the AXIS. Or just be done with it and buy the AXIS?

Still haven’t decided…..

[iamhe77]

That’s my dilemma, do I buy an AR-X and go to the hassle of lowering it, colour code the moldings and maybe upgrade the front to look like the AXIS. Or just be done with it and buy the AXIS?

Still haven’t decided…..

So you want a car that looks like an Axis & handles like an Axis?

Why don't you just get an Axis then?

You can get all the luxury trimmings of an AR-X in an Axis.

[sven laptop]

Thanks for the answers to my earlier question & sorry if I'm hijacking this thread.

To those of you who have bought ARXs, can you tell me more about the suspension?

Is it a case of "this suspension isn't sporty enough for my liking", or is it more like "this suspension feels like it belongs on a crappy American family sedan"?

And also can you tell me if the car meets your expectations?

I've got my eye on one, but I'm facing the same dilemma - ARX or spend the extra on the (better looking, in my opinion) Axis?

Cheers - Sven

[Jetwreck]

I went through the exact same thing.....AXIS....ARX....AXIS.....ARX.....I was bidding on both but what I got was a great deal so I ended up with the AR-X....and a lot of change in my pocket to get the car to how I wanted it.

In the answer to sporty or a bus on cross-pliers(american shitbox).....The AXIS is the more sportier model being 100kg's lighter and is already set up pretty good.....but that is nothing a good set of springs, shocks and swaybays cannot fix on the ARX. Remember at the end of the day this is a station wagon so if you think you are going to end up with some sort of R34 GTR you are mistaken.....in saying that I don't think you will ever see a Ford Territory, Falcon Station wagon or a Adventura/Commodore keeping up to one of these in the wet......and they will be battling in the dry as well.

In answer to the standard suspension on the AR-X....it's actually not to bad.....but you do feel the weight of the car......let's put it this way, it was better than the Turbo Territory and Holden Adventura I test drove when I started looking for a new car.

Edited September 13, 2008 by Jetwreck

[crisis]

Thanks for the circlip suggestion - unfortunately, mine is already on the highest settings.

I will wait to see what Peddars want for their springs.

m

Got the new Peddars springs installed.

She doesn't scrape any more and retains the outstanding handling.

If anything, it has improved the turn in and the car has more tendency to over steer than the previous under steering.

Sway bars are next on the list.

Can anyone recommend someone to install them for me?

m

[zei20l]

yourself?

sway bars are a piece of piss. really!

[andy65b]

Got the new Peddars springs installed.

She doesn't scrape any more and retains the outstanding handling.

If anything, it has improved the turn in and the car has more tendency to over steer than the previous under steering.

Sway bars are next on the list.

Can anyone recommend someone to install them for me?

m

As long as you can get under the car it is easy. SK actually posted a thread on how to install them on the M35 (done on my car). It is literally an unbolt and bolt new ones back in place.

Which ones are you looking to buy. I fitted a solid 32mm front (same size as original but was hollow) and solid 24mm rear (original was 22mm hollow), it is also the adjustable one. I found that the rear needs to be on one setting harder than the front. I am thinking of backing off the front as it can still under steer on throttle at low speeds and the tuck in when you lift the throttle is a little slower than I would like.

Cheers

Andy

[crisis]

As long as you can get under the car it is easy. SK actually posted a thread on how to install them on the M35 (done on my car). It is literally an unbolt and bolt new ones back in place.

Which ones are you looking to buy. I fitted a solid 32mm front (same size as original but was hollow) and solid 24mm rear (original was 22mm hollow), it is also the adjustable one. I found that the rear needs to be on one setting harder than the front. I am thinking of backing off the front as it can still under steer on throttle at low speeds and the tuck in when you lift the throttle is a little slower than I would like.

Cheers

Andy

I don't have access to a lift.

I have read the threads on how to, but have heard that there are some mobile mechanics who can do the job for me.

m

[andy65b]

I don't have access to a lift.

I have read the threads on how to, but have heard that there are some mobile mechanics who can do the job for me.

m

ramps would be enough, mind you I don't have those either. :LOL

may have to get some....