Dropping My Car, And Then Regretting It

The mechanic at my tire place may as well have just whispered a sweet sonnet in my ear when said to me "you really need to get those shocks and struts replaced." I tried to hide my smile, but it was no use. 

 Ask any real car guy, when something's about to go, it means a rare opportunity to replace boring stock parts with much better, cooler aftermarket equipment, and get your hands dirty in the process. As an additional bonus, if you do it cheaper than paying a mechanic, the wife acceptance factor does not calculate into the equation.

I know I wanted to drop my car just a little bit, in order to get the handling and fuel efficiency benefits. And, let’s face it, the Nissan Maxima has enough wheel gap to rival most 4x4’s.

That Instagram photo that never happened

 I started researching the best spring and shock combinations, and after much deliberation, purchased a set of KYB Excel GR2’s shocks and a set of Tein S-Tech lowering springs. Everything I read on the forums said the drop wouldn’t be too aggressive, and at 1.5” in the front and 0.5” in the rear, I figured I would be safe. It was like Christmas morning when my lowering springs arrived; they were in a huge box, sitting on my doorstep with a big Tein logo on them. I unwrapped the bright green springs from their box like a kid getting his first Nintendo, and resisted the urge to Instagram a shot of them, because, well, no one cares but me.

The worn strut after it blew

A few days later, I rolled over a bump, and heard a snap and a pop, and realized I blew my worn front strut. When I got home, fluid was splattered all over my wheel well, and I had to hose it off. The car literally bounced at every bump and didn’t feel safe to drive more than 40 MPH. Despite that, I packed up my shiny new car parts, and headed upstate to my friend’s house, where he had the tools to do the job.

Putting in an entirely new suspension was only about a three beer job, and my friend and I did it over the course of a Sunday. The old struts and springs had to be taken off, while the hardest part was working through a few rusty bolts. We used a spring compressor to get the new struts onto the new springs, mounted them, and we were done. It wasn’t the most difficult job, but it is something that needs to done with at least a little mechanical experience, and a lot of YouTube videos.  Additionally, it was extremely cost effective. An entirely new suspension cost me about $450 in parts, vs. the $1200 or so I would spend to have a mechanic do it with stock parts.

new suspension and springs

Riding home, I felt like the car was on rails. The car was so planted to the road with absolutely no body roll, I felt like a Ferrari blasting through the backroads with new found confidence. But the ride quality was jarring to say the least. I felt every little bump in the road like a slap, and I kept telling myself to wait until the springs settle…

Now it’s a month later, and the springs have settled. The drop on the car looks amazing; it has an aggressive stance that i love, but I’m starting to think it’s just too low for metro NY. I have to creep into my driveway at a perfect 45-degree angle to minimize the scraping, and speedbumps have become my new worst enemy. The parking garage at my office is doing construction, and we are now routed through a series of the nastiest bumps I have ever seen. Even at 2 MPH, I can hear my catalytic converter hitting them. I am now officially “that guy” who comes to a near complete stop before every speed bump, lest I do serious damage to my undercarriage. On the bright side though, the ride quality has significantly improved since the springs settled, and the handling is better, but not as good as when I first installed them.  Eyeballing it, I would say that the lowering rate was a mild suggestion, as I think it’s more like a 2’5” drop.

For now, I’ll live with it, although in a constant state of fear, vigilant of every pothole, railroad crossing and speedbump in the road. I'll embrace it because the car looks great, and the handling is much better. As for fuel efficiency, well that has yet to be determined.  I have to be careful when I park head-in to a curb, so I don’t rip off my front bumper. I’m looking for my next flip car, and I find myself passing over every entry listed as having “lowering springs” installed just because now I know this horror. My advice to anyone who does long commutes is to not drop your ride unless you are willing to deal with the consequences. 

                         

                           But damn it looks good. 

P.S. - Big shout-out and thanks to my buddy Ryan for helping out on this job.

Even Bloomberg feels the sting of metro NY potholes

Spring has officially sprung. The birds are chirping, the weathers wet and it’s slightly warmer outside. The slow creep of water combined with the temperature swings wreak havoc on pavement and can mean only one thing: It’s pothole season.  I’m sure there are a few people who rejoice in this time of year, including alloy wheel repair shops, tire dealers and cold patch manufacturers. The rest of us have to deal with bent rims, blown tires, screwed up alignments and traffic jams as sinkholes get filled by road crews. Ever had a rock fly from broken pavement and go through your windshield at 50 MPH? It sucks. So does sitting in traffic behind a crew blocking two lanes for a repair.

Mayor Bloomberg’s office just announced exciting news in that they will be testing a new machine called the Python, which is made by Python Manufacturing in Saskatchewan, Canada. The new Python is an all-encompassing pothole fixing machine, utilizing only a one man operating crew, and taking up only a single lane of traffic to repair a hole in the pavement. The machine carries its own load of hot asphalt, and fills and tamps the pothole in a matter of minutes.

I haven’t seen one of these out on the road yet, but it’s only a matter of time as the roads start their inevitable seasonal decay. They should probably have one unit solely designated to the Cross Bronx.

See below for Release from Bloomberg’s press office.



Mayor Bloombergs website posted a press release talking about new technology

MAYOR BLOOMBERG AND TRANSPORTATION COMMISSIONER SADIK-KHAN UNVEIL NEW POTHOLE FILLING MACHINE AND BEGIN ROAD PAVING SEASON

 

 Mar 19, 2012  |  NYC.gov

 

 

Mayor Bloomberg and Department of Transportation Commissioner Janette Sadik-Khan today unveiled a new pothole filing machine and launched the start of road paving season, a months-long, dedicated campaign to resurface streets citywide to maintain them in a state of good repair. The new pothole machine is currently being tested and is designed to fill potholes with fewer crew members and only block one lane of traffic while making road repairs.

Last fiscal year, Department of Transportation crews filled a record 418,000 potholes citywide following extreme winter weather and crews have filled nearly 164,000 potholes so far this fiscal year. The mild temperatures in the past few months enabled crews to extend paving operations through the winter in streets in all five boroughs through targeted resurfacing, strip-paving and wear-and-tear projects that address larger surfaces along key corridors. The department has resurfaced nearly 650 lane miles across the city this fiscal year. The City also is deploying new environmentally friendly treatments such as green asphalt and Aquaphalt Water Curable Cold Patch. The Mayor and Commissioner Sadik-Khan made the announcement in Flushing, Queens today, where they joined a roadway repair crew.

 

 

“Keeping our streets in good condition is essential to our economy and to our quality of life – and that’s why we are always looking for ways to do the job more efficiently,” said Mayor Bloomberg. “We’re debuting new technology to repair city streets faster, while closing less lanes to traffic. We also took advantage of the mild winter this year and resurfaced additional key corridors to get a jump on repaving season, and we are on track to repave 1,000 lane miles of city streets this year.”

 

“While DOT crews work to repair streets across the city, we’re testing new technology that can help achieve smoother streets in faster, more efficient ways,” said Commissioner Sadik-Khan. “By applying innovative techniques to street repairs, we are stepping up our efforts to make sure our roadways continue to be in a state of good repair.”

 

The new Python pothole filling machine uses a telescoping arm to place and compact the material used in pothole repairs. It is operated by a single crew member, and allows potholes to be filled from inside the vehicle, maximizing efficiency and safety. The self-contained unit has an arm that can apply the asphalt patch and features a one-ton roller that increase the durability of the repair. Additionally, the Python carries its own hot-asphalt for repairs, eliminating the need for a trailer for materials and other construction equipment. The Department of Transportation will test the Python for several weeks, and observe and monitor the results of its repairs over the coming months.

 

The Department of Transportation continues to invest in technology and research and development to improve street conditions. The agency introduced Green Asphalt into its operations this year for pothole repairs. It is composed of 100 percent recycled asphalt product from New York City’s streets. The agency also is testing a Rosco, another all-in-one pothole repair machine, and a Falcon Asphalt Trailer, which more heats asphalt more evenly to further optimize its pothole repairs. The department now uses electric screeds in resurfacing operations, as well as cold patch, temporary pothole-repair material made from plant-based materials. It also is testing new roadway treatments such as porous asphalt material that provides more traction during inclement weather and Aquaphalt Water Curable Cold Patch, a plant-based, water activated quick-curing pothole filler.

 

Earlier this year, the City introduced the new street ratings map that allows New Yorkers to see a particular street’s rating and when it was last repaved. This builds on the agency’s ongoing efforts to share information about the important work to restore streets and roadways across all five boroughs. The Department of Transportation also continues to chronicle its roadway repair and maintenance work on “The Daily Pothole” blog. The site tracks the agency's pothole-filling efforts with photos of crews making repairs. The number of potholes filled and lane miles resurfaced are updated regularly, and it allows the public to report potholes easily.