PS: 3-year warranted cats from here at £144+VAT
www.buypartsby.co.uk
They also do EGO sensors at £34+VAT, but I'm not sure how good they are. Might be better to pay a little more and get an OEM part from NKT.
All the same, I don't think you'll need any of these parts, I think you'll find your car is fine.
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Who is NKT and where I can find contacts of NKT to buy the OEM sensors from?
Thanks,
Gazza
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Thanks Aprilia, thank you very much for the information. The "check engine" light did not lit up. Just checked out the O2 sensors diagram, may I ask why UK cars does not have the post-CAT sensor?
Looks like two sensors + CAT = ~£300 fitted. That's not too bad.
However, the right-rear shock started to seepage. It does not adversely affect the damping yet but would need changing. Car-part direct quoted £135 for a rear pair. Nissan quoted £165 per pair. Which is better? That's around £200-£250 fitted.
That's around £500-£550 total. Is this worth spending on a 9-year old car not worth £1500? Or should I sell it while it has 12 months MoT and get a newer (1998-2000) QX?
Thank you very much
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Gazza
NKT are the ceramics division of NGK (the spark plug people). NKT make EGO sensors for most of the Japanese vehicle manufacturers. I think 'Fuel Part UK' sell NKT, but many other factors also.
US model Maxima-QX uses a post-cat lambda sensor to actually check that the cat is doing its job properly - this is part of the self-diagnosis and self-monitoring required on US (and now European) cars.
The company I quoted earlier (buypartsby.com) sell KYB (Japanese OEM) rear shocks for the QX at about £50+VAT (i.e. £117 inc. VAT a pair), That's an exellent shock at an excellent price. In fact I suspect that is the same part that you would get from Nissan. I have never changed one, but having looked at the arrangement they look an absolute doddle - you could DIY each one in no more than 1/2 hour I would think.
Personally I think your emissions are probably OK. Why not go back to the testing station when you know the car is good and hot - they shouldn't charge much more than £10 for a 'sniff' of the exhaust.
I would get the KYB shocks and put them on - run the car around a bit more - I'm sure there's another 30k left in it?
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30k left in it? I was hoping the engine and gearbox will still be in good shape even at 200k with 7.5k engine oil change and 30k autobox oil change.
Re: emission. I would not have time to run my car probably until mid-May where there would be a couple of rallies I would enter. Hence, I'd leave the emission problem behind for the time being.
Re: suspension. I am planning to buy the rear shocks. However, I do not have time to DIY until late August so I'll monitor the seepage for the time being. FYI, information I gathered from Maxima site in US in the last year is that,
1) front anti-roll bar is very under-spec for fast driving
2) rear roll bar can be left as it is
3) tower bar front and rear (does yours has folding rear seats? Mine doesn't but I understand A33 does)
*4) 6-setting adjustable shocks available from Monroe which is very good
*5) don't bother with lowering springs if you are not not concern with looks (I am not concern with looks)
*4)&5) are not necessary for road handling but recommended for race track.
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Aprilia, I remember you mentioned you have added tower bar at the front. How did it go? Did it transform the handling? What's the difference? I have not added tower bar to mine yet as the shipping from US very expensive.
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Yes, I think mechanicals should be good for 200k. I get oils at trade price so I tend to change mine often. I get Dexron III ATF at about £3 litre, so a yearly change comes cheap in my book and keeps the valve body clean. Similarly I can get 25 litres of fully-synth engine oil for £50, so I tend to change it every 4 months on all my cars.
Regards you other points - anyone with a trolley could change your rear shocks in no time - maybe drop by a local small garage and ask them to do it.
Not quite sure about front anti-roll bar. Stiffening the roll (larger diameter bar) would *increase* understeer - you don't want that.
Strut tower brace is highly desireable at the front, but irrelevant at the back (would be *very* easy to make one though). I machined brackets for the front tower bar and fitted the bar (25x25mm thick-wall steel tube). I only fitted it at the weekend so haven't fully evaluated it yet, but first indications are that it much improves the steering turn-in at high speed.
Can't speak about the 6-setting Monroes, they sound nice, but expensive! I don't think I'll be bothering.
I will give a fuller report on the front strut tower brace when I've driven the car a bit more.
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That's cheap oil, next time I am travelling north may I buy some oil off you. :)
Your point of larger roll bar increase understeer is valid. However, I noticed some roll-induced understeer from my car. I was wondering if larger bar, e.g. 27mm bar, would reduce this. My guess is the a tower bar would help as well. My second guess is that my front shocks @ 125k is a bit tired also.
Please let me know if the tower bar much improves the handling. If good, may I buy a set off you?
The thing is that I enjoy driving but I do not want to spend much as I am current saving towards buying my first home - I am paying too much rent in London. :(
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there must be something better suited to autotest and timetrial than a maxima?
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I manage and I regularly win in my class. It is the driving that counts, not the car, though having long suspension travel and LSD helps on mud.
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What kind of rallies are you undertaking in a QX you madman! Really what is involved in these rallies.
Re the anti-roll bar: it is very difficult to predict the affect a stiffer anti-roll bar may have. Some cars such as mk.2 golf 16v respond well to stiffer bars (ie more grip not just better handling). As Aprillia states in theory a stiffer bar should reduce grip as it will reduce the loading on the inside wheel during cornering. But this ingnores effects such as roll steer and camber changes. As a cheapo mod might i suggest you consider running a couple of degrees more negetive camber at the front. Also have a look and see if you can find some rock hard polly bushes for you anti-roll bar, this wil increase its effect for a fraction of the cost. Furthermore the anti-roll bar settings you desire will depend on the ride height. If its seriosuly low as you would use on a track. You might want to disconnect the front bar completely!
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I can vouch for the fact that Maxima-QX has very good traction. When we had the snow/ice bad a few months back I put my transmission in 'snow' mode and was able to get home. This involved driving up a steep hill - I drove past a lot of cars that were stuck and couldn't get traction, but I didn't have a problem.
Agree with point about front anti-roll bar. In theory a softer bar will increase weight transfer and help counteract understeer. In practice camber changes and limits of travel may cause problems.
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Now have i got it right, i thought a softer bar would DECREASE weight transfer in theory, but increase body roll? My understanding is that as a reaction to the force holding the car more upright, the inside wheels was unloaded, creating the weight shift to the outside wheels and hence more understeer (IF camber and roll steer effect are ignored).
If you are driving on mud i would be careful about increasing the roll bar stiffness. Moddified road cars i have driven with uprated anti-roll bars have had slightly less grip when cornering in the wet, even on cars that have responded well in dry condition giving more grip. Furthermore than handling has on occasin been more unpredictable in the wet.
Adjustments are easier on very low tracks cars with very stiff suspension. If i was to modify the anti-roll bars on a road car i would hope to have an adjustable bar at the back. I know H&R sell them for some road cars. Otherwise you will have to go to an engineer to get one made up.
Apprilia- what did you insurance company had to say about the strut brace?
I amconsidering running a banger for the next year or so. I am contemplating an ancient Pug 309 Gti for a few hundred. What would you do with the suspension? I expect bushes will need replacing and the rear beam thing will need renovation- i have jsut bought a haynes manual on ebay to reasearch that part. Ok. Now what dampers should i fit? And should i lower the car? In the past i have used Koni dampers and had nothing but problems with them. When i sent them back the third time i told them to keep them and replaced with Bilstein sport which were excellent but not adjustable and expensive. Would i get just as good results with KYB dampers for less money? I think Bilstein are cheapest at ECP as they are the importer, but i have lost the trade phoneline number for them and dont want to pay retail.
I have considered lowering the ride height slightly but i am worried i would be opening a can of worms, that i would not have the ability to sort out- ie would then require different anti-roll bar settings, camber and castor, tower braces, rake,brake bias etc etc.
I have seen brake modifications at www.highspecmotorsport.co.uk . All i want are some 280mm size brakes with standard calipers. High spec sell a conversion kit, this comprises two discs and two plates and bolts to reposition the caliper- cost £183 + VAT. I think this a tas excessive considering 280mm discs can be bought for about £25 each (ok , maybe not the same quality but perfectly adequate). Does anyone know somewhere that could make a bracket that would allow me to use readily available discs for less money?
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Now have i got it right, i thought a softer bar would DECREASE weight transfer in theory, but increase body roll? My understanding is that as a reaction to the force holding the car more upright, the inside wheels was unloaded, creating the weight shift to the outside wheels and hence more understeer (IF camber and roll steer effect are ignored).
All very well, but think about where the centre of gravity is going. If car rolls more then centre of gravity moves more toward the outside wheels.
As a general rule, 'softening' increases grip (i.e. softer damping, softer spring rate, less roll stiffness). This only works up to a certain (modest) point because of geometry changes and droop (i.e. downward suspension travel) limitations.
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Think i understand now.
"All very well, but think about where the centre of gravity is going. If car rolls more then centre of gravity moves more toward the outside wheels."
So as the body rolls the distance between the roll-centre and the centre of gravity increases weight transfer increases and hence grip decrease. I think i'm getting there.
So if i was to make an informed decision regarding lowering i would have to know where the centre of gravity and the roll centre were? I'm sure most of these companies selling lowering springs dont track test all their product, but like "performance" exhausts i suppose.
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I suspect most lowering springs are sold to alter the looks of the car, as opposed to its handling.
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Aprilia: one last question if i may- do you think fitting uprated gas pressurised dampers such as Bilstein Sport to a car with standard springs that the ride height could be increased due to the upward pressure from the dampers?
I have fitted dampers like boge turbo gas to knackered, otherwise standard cars. Once completed the cars look noticeably higher, but i have never been sure whether they are indeed higher, or just back to the standard height?
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Well, you can get dampers of the 'load assist' type that work in parallel with the springs, so these may increase the ride height slightly - they are mainly used for towing or for vehicles that carry heavy loads. The 'sports' type of gas-filled dampers should not noticably increase the ride height.
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Thanks, i wasnt sure- some "experts" had told me such dampers raise the car unless used with lowering springs. My only experience had been with my various sets of Koni dampers which i was never 100% sure were working properly. When the dampers are new i have noticed considerable force from the piston as it returns to the fully extended position. But by the time i had put some miles on what i beleived were a non faulty pair, this had become barely noticeable. I will remember to have a good drive before worry ing about increases in ride height.
When fitting your strut brace have you drilled holes through the "chassis"? (dont know correct word- suspension turret??) I wondered what preventative measures against rust you may have taken before bolting the brace in place? You may have a different type of brace to the one i imagine- i have only seen boy racer ones which consist of one or two bars attached to two circular plates which once holes have been drilled through the metal that huses the strut top, are bolted to the car.
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For the strut brace, I machined up a couple of 'crescent' brackets which install under the three strut mounting bolts. This is the usual way of locating a brace. I ideally you would triangulate it back to the front bulkhead for additional bracing, but I haven't done that.
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Thanks- i have only fitted to cars that dont have strut mounnting bolts- eg mk. golf/jetta.
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I had a look on the buypartsby site for rear shocks for my Primera. The total is £80ish inc vat & delivery! Does anyone know if I need special tools/is it a horrible task etc to fit them myself?
Thanks in advance
Paul
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Its a straightforward job.
You will need spring compressors, and strictly speaking you should get a new top plate gasket (from dealer, not expensive) and a new top nut for the damper (might actually come with the new damper).
There are a few things to watch out for, in particular there is a 'cut out' in the top plate and this must point toward the wheel.
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