# How much suspension travel should a B14 have?



## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Ok here is the deal
I have a 99 B14 and I am looking into coilover kits. I want to have good suspension travel to decrease the chance of bottoming, but I want my CG to be as low as possible. So my question is how much travel do I need? All of the coilover kits I am looking at use shortened struts. One kit in particular uses shortened struts and 30% larger case bodies. Problem is I have yet to figure out how much shorter they(Tein HA) are. Would it be safe to say a stock Sentra has enough travel? If so, if the HA's are 2" shorter I should be able to drop 2". Another thing to remember is I am going to run hella stiff springs, on the order of 450lbs front and 400lbs rear. With those rates would I be able to comprimise my travel slightly because it will be harder for the car to bottom, oh yea I will be running sway bars as well. Most likely a Stillen rear and a 200sx front or a ST front.
Thanks in advance


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

damn 450/400lbs. thats nuts. you're going to need to drive on roads paved in glass because it's gonna feel like ralley pullin into your driveway. anyway, I wouldn't drop it more than 2" for normal use. might even want to get some camber kits from Ground Control when you get the coilovers if you decide to go more than 1.5". with struts, KYB AGX shocks are gold for use with GC's. anything else?


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

oh yeah, the Ground controls will go to a 3" drop, but DON'T go that low unless you're preparin for a car show.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Damnit man read my posts before you reply I said nothing about GCs and stock length struts...j/k im only fooling with ya.
Anyway those are good options, but not ones I am considering. Lowering more than 2" is not a prob if the struts are more than 2" shorter(like i said, i dont know how short the HA's are yet). The HA's also come with their own camber plates and a rear mount similar to the ME one(gives added travel). So you see what I am getting at here: I will be able to lower my car by at least the the difference in strut length and I am thinking probly more due to the fact that I am running really, really stiff springs(of course I will be experimenting with different rates). Anywho, Thanks for the input.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Here is some pics of the kit I want to get 


























And some info:

Type HA Damper has an adjustable function for its expansion / contraction level so that the driver can select his / her own choice of damping force needed. The varieties of different levels of damping force covers wide setting range from that of the original shock absorbers to the level of race cars. A minute orifice which characterizes the suspension of the vehicle is fully controlled by the special formed needle with high response at steering, braking, and throttle control.
Furthermore, the damping effect reacts linearly to the adjusting dial. It is valid for all 16 levels.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

well the shortest I know of are still the AGX's but I'm not too sure about length and many other brands. I've never even heard of HA's but I might look into it. Anyhow, what are you using the 400/450 springs for? That's one tough spring. are you trying autoX?


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

PatScottAKA99XE said:


> *Here is some pics of the kit I want to get
> 
> [img]
> [img]
> ...


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Ahh ha, I have found our confusion.. I said CG not GC as in Center of Gravity not as in Ground Control


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

PatScottAKA99XE said:


> *Ahh ha, I have found our confusion.. I said CG not GC as in Center of Gravity not as in Ground Control *


there we go. Guess I read too fast. I still didn't catch that the second time I read that. I was wondering what you were talking about. Now we have a different story here.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Yes those are sweet  
AS for the rates..get this when you buy the kit it comes with 448lbs front and 280lbs(i think) rear, I want to keep my front to rear spring ratio around 1.1:1, The reason for this is every well set-up B14 I have seen runs a ratio close to this. If some VERY knowlageable suspension freak sees an error in my thinking, please correct me


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

those are some crazy numbers(?). Why the hell would they want softer springs in the back AND THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE? Most people I know would want the back ones to be a little stiffer than the front. What's the deal with that?


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

1997 GA16DE said:


> *those are some crazy numbers(?). Why the hell would they want softer springs in the back AND THAT MUCH OF A DIFFERENCE? Most people I know would want the back ones to be a little stiffer than the front. What's the deal with that? *


I dont belive I have EVER seen a B14 with stiffer rear springs, I think that would cause CRAZY oversteer. Think about how much weight difference there is front to rear on a car and you will see why they always have stiffer springs in the front. The reason for the big diff IMO is so that the car is stiffer, yet still understeers(for liabilityreasons)


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

Well I'm not sure what the stock difference is (someone who has the specs...) but I know that the autoXers around the forums are trying to reduce that difference. a little oversteer wouldn't be too bad I'm thinkin about getting some rear sway bars for myself to correct some of this understeer. I'm thinking of trying some autoX myself.


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

oh yeah, have you tried the battery relocation mod? it's not a major change but for what you're talking about, it's not too bad for about $15 and an hour on a weekend.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

1997 GA16DE said:


> *oh yeah, have you tried the battery relocation mod? it's not a major change but for what you're talking about, it's not too bad for about $15 and an hour on a weekend. *


Thats on my list, but have you seen whats in my trunk? hehe I got all the weight back there I need for now. hehe


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

Ahh.. Damn you Mike Y. Why you gotta bring me down(just spent 20 min chatting with Mike Y about B14 suspension) After a very enlighting discussion(thanks for your time Mike). I may be swaying away from this kit. Well at least I am going to go back to reasearching some of my other options. Or like I told Mike "I am just going to shut the hell up, wait until your car is finished, then copy it or shell out the big $$ and get GC's and AD struts/shock"


Fire-starters ramblings:
My world is crumbling around me, I think I may be having a mental break down. Is there anybody out there that can help me stop this B14 induce madness? Obsesion is an awful thing. Maybe I should ask my car what it wants, needs, desires. Then I would have a better ideal of what I can do to help it become the most feared car here in hillbilly country because I know thats what it wants. Ever since the day I brought it home it tried to desimate all, but I had to hold it back, tell it that it wasnt time yet. Poor, poor car will I ever get it to where it wants to be?


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## Ninety-Nine SE-L (May 5, 2002)

there you go. the weight difference is now much better.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

1997 GA16DE said:


> *there you go. the weight difference is now much better. *


Belive it or not, I think the subs made my car handel better..well sorta. I have noticed a lot less understeer with them in. I have on occasion experienced lift-throttle oversteer. You know what...I like it!
But it sorta a "band-aid" for a problem that I REALLY need to get sorted out.


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## PatScottAKA99XE (Apr 30, 2002)

All this and yet no one has really answered the question... How much?


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## nak1 (May 17, 2002)

*well i will go out on a limb...*

i am by far no suspension expert (or anything else for that matter) but it would seem to me that your theory about the shorter struts would be right... if you droping it 2" than if you struts are 2" shorter than stock suspension travel would still be there. Dont forget also that the pillow ball mounts will give you an extra 1/2" to an 1" in travel if im right.... havent seen the mounts. but they are mounted on top of the strut towers which makes the mounting point for the strut just that much higher.

just my .02... hope i didnt tell you too much that you already knew.


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