# Kyb Gr2 + Gc



## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

i know that you can't/shouldn't use GC with stock struts...as they'll be shot within a year or something... so are these KYB GR2s beefy enough to be used in conjuction with coilovers? what do i need to know when looking for struts to know that they can handle a GC kit w/ eibach springs?

thanks.


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

GR2s are considered OEM replacements....so consider them like you would stock dampers.


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

cool, thanks.


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

ordered a pair of GR2 to go with H&R springs... the dude said that they will be okay for anything up to a 2" drop, and the H&R is about 1.5". these struts won't be shot on me after a year or so right?


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## Jason92Classic (Mar 16, 2004)

phreako said:


> ordered a pair of GR2 to go with H&R springs... the dude said that they will be okay for anything up to a 2" drop, and the H&R is about 1.5". these struts won't be shot on me after a year or so right?


No, KYBs are good struts but they could fail more quickly since you're dropping the vehicle. I had a set of To"crap"kos on my SE-R and lowered the car 1.5" and they failed in 2 years. KYB AGXs are a great route to go for your car IMHO. I'm betting you can find some custom springs/coilovers on the sentra.net website, also.


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

Jason92Classic said:


> No, KYBs are good struts but they could fail more quickly since you're dropping the vehicle. I had a set of To"crap"kos on my SE-R and lowered the car 1.5" and they failed in 2 years. KYB AGXs are a great route to go for your car IMHO. I'm betting you can find some custom springs/coilovers on the sentra.net website, also.


i was under the impression that basically the AGX was more or less the same strut as the GR2, except adjustable. at least that's what the rep i was talking to had said...maybe he was full of shit.


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## Jason92Classic (Mar 16, 2004)

phreako said:


> i was under the impression that basically the AGX was more or less the same strut as the GR2, except adjustable. at least that's what the rep i was talking to had said...maybe he was full of shit.


That's the exact reason why it's not the same, e.g. the ride quality of the GR2 is not the same as the default setting of the AGX -- the AGX is a better ride AND it's adjustable. I've heard mixed reviews on the GR2 ride but w.r.t. quality I think you'll be okay.

The one bit of wisdom I can give you from personal experience is if you're looking for a great ride, great handling, and something that you plan on customizing or changing from time to time, spend your money properly and do the AGX/GC combo. It's a great start and you'll be "doing it right the first time". If you can get some custom springs for your SEL, try that route, too. I got custom Hypercoils with my AGXs and they kick ass. Folks that didn't do that got the GCs but they eventually ended up setting them to the setting of the custom Hypercoils. I think in your "experimental mode" of just starting out you should get the GCs and have fun changing the two of them up.


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## Jason92Classic (Mar 16, 2004)

phreako said:


> what do i need to know when looking for struts to know that they can handle a GC kit w/ eibach springs?
> 
> thanks.


let me be assertive on this question -- SR20 folks have been using the AGX/GC combo for a long time as a good bang/buck starting position on our rides. YOU CANNOT GO WRONG so you better change your order!


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

no ground control involved anymore, just new springs, H&R


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## morepower2 (Apr 19, 2002)

phreako said:


> no ground control involved anymore, just new springs, H&R


H&R's are too low.

Mike


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## DreSEL (Aug 28, 2003)

This is interesting. I will be getting a set of Hyperco springs for my SE-L within a month or so and I was thinking about using GR-2's. The drop is minimum, 1" front and 5/8" rear, so GR-2's should be OK right?


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## chimmike (Oct 17, 2002)

phreako said:


> i was under the impression that basically the AGX was more or less the same strut as the GR2, except adjustable. at least that's what the rep i was talking to had said...maybe he was full of shit.



no. dude....when I said think of the GR2s as OEM replacements, thats EXACTYLY what i meant, in terms of quality. they definitely will not last long when dropped. the AGX are specifically made for dropping.

go back and re-read what I said, and think about it. OEM replacements: GR2's, bilsteins, etc.


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

well god dammit...the dude specifically told me that they would be just fine with H&R springs, and i told him that the springs would be dropping it about 1.5"....and he said that's fine. and i asked him, "are they going to be shot after a year though?" and he said, "nope, they'll be great with those springs, as long as you don't exceed 2" drop". so this guy was just BSing me then? that pisses me off, now i have to get this crap returned and order different struts.

since i have the H&R springs already on the way...will i be okay just using the KYB AGX with them, or do i need to be looking into a ground control kit. and if so, can i use the H&R springs with that kit?


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## ReVerm (Jan 13, 2003)

phreako said:


> well god dammit...the dude specifically told me that they would be just fine with H&R springs, and i told him that the springs would be dropping it about 1.5"....and he said that's fine. and i asked him, "are they going to be shot after a year though?" and he said, "nope, they'll be great with those springs, as long as you don't exceed 2" drop". so this guy was just BSing me then? that pisses me off, now i have to get this crap returned and order different struts.
> 
> since i have the H&R springs already on the way...will i be okay just using the KYB AGX with them, or do i need to be looking into a ground control kit. and if so, can i use the H&R springs with that kit?


You can kill dampers in a number of ways, but the two things we should be worried about in terms of matching dampers for drop springs are:
1. Excessive force going through dampers because they are bottoming out
2. Insufficiently stiff damping characteristics which causes excessive stress on the dampers and wears them out

The guy who you spoke to was mostly likely talking about the former. What chimmike is talking about is the latter. It really isn't a question of quality per se, but how the dampers are valved (or in more general terms, what the application they were designed for). The problem with GR2s is that few of us have the time, money, and knowledge to find out just what sort of rates they can take without seeing accelerated wear. What we do know however is that they are far from being in the same class as AGX's, and that they can't even take pro-kits on our cars without blowing out. There's no sense in saving $50 a damper when they're going to die within a year or two and won't even have the right damping for the springs.

As for your options, yes, you can put H&R's on KYB's, though as morepower2 mentioned, they may experience wear as a result of the first kind of damper wear I mentioned above. Unfortunately, you can't really use your drop springs with ground control coilovers, because they both take up the exact same spot on the chassis (=they're both springs). Good luck. I hope things work out.


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## phreako (Mar 4, 2004)

well, i called up the place i ordered the struts from, and said that i had talked to people that said these would/could be shot in a short period of time. the guy told me that they are under a limited lifetime warranty and if indeed after a year for some reason they are shot, i would just need to call the place i ordered them from, and let them know. as long as they stay on my car, and don't exceed 2" drop he said, they're covered under that warranty.

so, fuck it i guess, i'm going to see what happens. i'll install them with the H&R. hopefully i can fit enough Dr. Pepper in the sentra to pay Bluebob to help me out.


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