# Bad suspension?



## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

I have a 2001 nissan frontier with about 84,000 miles on it. The ride is horrible, it is bouncy as hell, even with new (but cheap) monroe shocks. Why does it ride like this? What are some good shocks?


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## BTF/PTM (Oct 19, 2006)

Was the suspension riding better before you swapped out the shocks? I'm a firm believer in not cheaping out on maintenance, the extra money for good shocks is worth it. Did you at least get the Monroe shocks intended for trucks, or did you get the generic one size fits most units?

Also, if you had them installed by the monkeys at the Sears or Pep Boys or Meineke where you got them, make sure none of them are installed upside down and that all bolts were put back their places. I don't trust those goobers any farther than I can throw them, and most of 'em are porkers so I can't throw 'em very far.


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

No, they are made for the truck. And I installed them.


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## dvdswanson (Nov 6, 2005)

if your looking for a stiffer ride, go with an offroad shock like Rancho or similar.


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## Oldnissanguy (Jan 6, 2005)

Check your tire pressure. My truck is very senseative to tire pressure. It gets positively squirrely and hard riding if I put in over 33 psi with an empty truck. Rough pavement on a curve can stand your hair on end at 35 psi.


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## veesix (Jul 18, 2004)

"Also, if you had them installed by the monkeys at the Sears or Pep Boys or Meineke where you got them, make sure none of them are installed upside down and that all bolts were put back their places. I don't trust those goobers any farther than I can throw them, and most of 'em are porkers so I can't throw 'em very far."

Thanks BTF/PTM. That is the funniest thing I've read in awhile. 


THXdts,

This might sound like a strange question but, where are you finding all this rough road? The speed bump in front of my apartment is my biggest concern, and for that I slow it RTFD.


veesix


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

veesix said:


> THXdts,
> 
> This might sound like a strange question but, where are you finding all this rough road? The speed bump in front of my apartment is my biggest concern, and for that I slow it RTFD.
> 
> ...


The road is not rough. Just the shocks are that bad. If you go over a hill or something, it is very bouncy.


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## BTF/PTM (Oct 19, 2006)

Is the ride bouncy where it feels like the shocks are very stiff and limiting the spring motion? Or do you mean that the ride is bouncy where the shocks don't feel like they're working and the springs oscillate up and down without any dampening? Those two symptoms are caused by different things, but both will make the ride feel like a bag of ass.


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## nissanmadness (Sep 18, 2006)

You did state that you bought cheap shocks. You should have paid more to get a decent set of shocks.


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

BTF/PTM said:


> Or do you mean that the ride is bouncy where the shocks don't feel like they're working and the springs oscillate up and down without any dampening?


That one, where they bottom out.


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## BTF/PTM (Oct 19, 2006)

Sounds to me like the shocks aren't stiff enough. They're not doing enough to slow down the spring motion so your truck is just bouncing up and down until all the energy from whatever bump you hit transfers thru the springs.

As already said, going cheap on shocks isn't a good idea. You don't need to get the super snazzy big-dollar Bilsteins either, but get some good midgrade shocks that are equivalent to the OEM units.


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

BTF/PTM said:


> Sounds to me like the shocks aren't stiff enough. They're not doing enough to slow down the spring motion so your truck is just bouncing up and down until all the energy from whatever bump you hit transfers thru the springs.
> 
> As already said, going cheap on shocks isn't a good idea. You don't need to get the super snazzy big-dollar Bilsteins either, but get some good midgrade shocks that are equivalent to the OEM units.


Suggestions?


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## nissanmadness (Sep 18, 2006)

Dude, get yourself a set of GOOD gas charged shocks. You don't have to get the high dollar ones. Expect to spend at least 50.00 to 70.00 for a halfway decent pair of shocks. There are many manufacturers, ask for help at the parts counter if you have any questions.


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## jerryp58 (Jan 6, 2005)

THXdts said:


> That one, where they bottom out.


"bottom[ing] out" should be the springs or torsion bars (did '01s use torsion bars?). The shocks dampen movement; that is, they slow it down and keep the vehicle from oscillating (bouncing) up and down too much and too quickly. Is the truck sitting even from side to side at the front and the back (is any corner sagging)? Is just one corner bottoming out? Have you checked the torsion bars and springs for damage? I'd be shocked (sorry) if a new set of shocks that were made for the vehicle were that bad at installation.


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## BTF/PTM (Oct 19, 2006)

The springs might be bottoming out because the motion is undamped so that they just keep absorbing more energy on a rough road so the bouncing gets deeper and deeper until they bottom out. I dunno...

Anyway, here's a test you can do on your truck. I usually do this by standing on the bumper so I can get some good force on the truck, but you can just push down on the hood if you like. If you do stand on the bumper, do it with bare feet since shoe soles can damage paint.

Park the truck on level ground. Using as much body force as you can, force the front suspension down as far as you can (that's why I say stand on the bumper, you can really force your weight into the ground). When the suspension is down as far as you can get it, jump off and let the truck bounce back up under its own spring force. Watch what the nose does. If the shocks are correctly sized, the nose will come up smoothly and quickly and will NOT move back down more than an inch or so. It will just come up and stop becuz the shocks will absorb the upward spring force and keep the suspension from oscillating.

If the shocks aren't stiff enough, the truck will bounce up and then start to move back down again and then it might even bounce up a second and third time as the springs settle down. This means the shocks don't have enough energy absorption (they're made for a smaller vehicle) to handle the weight of your truck.

If the shocks are overly stiff, the suspension will resist you trying to force it downward and once you get the suspension forced down it will come up slowly. This means that the shocks are absorbing so much energy (they're made for a bigger vehicle) that the springs aren't being allowed to move with the bumps in the road. This will jolt the truck all over the road and can be very dangerous cuz the wheels might get bounced up over a bump and then not come down fast enough to meet the road again so your traction and steering is very eratic.

As already said, you should look into a good set of shocks. As I already said above also, find out what brand shocks Nissan uses. Yes, the shocks you buy at a Nissan dealer might say "NISSAN" on them, btu they dont' actually build them. Whatever brand Nissan uses for the vehicle, get a properly sized set of those. You could go the easy route and buy direct from Nissan, but you'll pay more for them cuz they say NISSAN on the side.


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

BTF/PTM said:


> The springs might be bottoming out because the motion is undamped so that they just keep absorbing more energy on a rough road so the bouncing gets deeper and deeper until they bottom out. I dunno...
> 
> Anyway, here's a test you can do on your truck. I usually do this by standing on the bumper so I can get some good force on the truck, but you can just push down on the hood if you like. If you do stand on the bumper, do it with bare feet since shoe soles can damage paint.
> 
> ...


Are there any aftermarket brands that you suggest?


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## BTF/PTM (Oct 19, 2006)

THXdts said:


> Are there any aftermarket brands that you suggest?


Nissan uses Bilstein for their NISMO vehicles, they're a huge name in performance shocks. Tokico is also a big name, but I don't know if they make truck shocks. I used tokico's in my SCCA Honda. Koni is another big one. All three of those brands have good reputations, and you can also check any of the offroad brands.

Do a little google searching, don't just take my word for it.


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## Z_Rated (Apr 29, 2006)

All four Nissans owned used Tokico as OEM, both cars and trucks, none of which was an '01. I went with Rancho 5000s on my '91 HB P/U which lasted a very long time. Got pics of the install? Please be sure to post back when you get this figured out. Thanks, Z


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## Oldnissanguy (Jan 6, 2005)

I put Monroe gas shocks on mine (2WD) and they work fine. I waited until Sears had them on sale for 1/2 off and got all 4 for $50.


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## azrocketman (Oct 5, 2005)

BTF/PTM said:


> Nissan uses Bilstein for their NISMO vehicles, they're a huge name in performance shocks. Tokico is also a big name, but I don't know if they make truck shocks. I used tokico's in my SCCA Honda. Koni is another big one. All three of those brands have good reputations, and you can also check any of the offroad brands.
> 
> Do a little google searching, don't just take my word for it.


Bilstein and Koni are considered "high end" or "performance" shocks. I don't think this individual is looking to spend the dollars for those shocks. I'd agree with "Oldnissanguy" and go for a set of higher end, e.g. gas, Monroe shocks.

Steve


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

azrocketman said:


> Bilstein and Koni are considered "high end" or "performance" shocks. I don't think this individual is looking to spend the dollars for those shocks. I'd agree with "Oldnissanguy" and go for a set of higher end, e.g. gas, Monroe shocks.
> 
> Steve


What kind are the other shocks? And I have monroe reflex's now I beleive.


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## nissanmadness (Sep 18, 2006)

You said on certain terrain your vehicle is bouncy. There is a bridge by me, that for the first 1/2 mile you'd swear you were riding a horse. The road bed was the problem. Either the concrete slabs didn't settle properly or they buckled. Once you get past that section of bridge (by looking at the road, you can't see any problems) the road smooths out and so does the ride. Just a thought.


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## himilefrontier (Jan 21, 2003)

Maybe I missed it in the thread, but which Frontier do you have? Is it a 2wd standard model, a Pre Runner, 4wd, etc? I have Monroe Gas Matics on my 2wd standard model and am happy with them. However, I do not like the rather loose feeling the truck has in general while going around corners, but I attribute this to soft torsion bars and a small factory sway bar rather than a shock deficiency. You may also need to reset the torsion bars and keep it off the bumpstops if they are out of adjustment.
Just remember that if you have one of the ones with high ground clearence it likely has stiffer suspension pieces which would tax the dampening ability of the shocks higher than they would on a base model.


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## Oldnissanguy (Jan 6, 2005)

What I got from Sears were 'LT SHOCK, GAS MATIC' and are Monroes (yellow). I don't know if Sears or Monroe still sell these. I got them in February 05.

It sounds like the shocks you have are a reasonable quality shock which I think only leaves two things to check. First the suspension which several people have given 'how to' advice. Second, have you verified that the shocks you have are correct for your truck? Sometimes parts stores just give you the wrong stuff.


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

They are acually Monroe-matic plus I think.


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## nissanmadness (Sep 18, 2006)

When you installed the shocks, did you put the washers and bushings in thier respective order?


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## THXdts (Nov 5, 2006)

nissanmadness said:


> When you installed the shocks, did you put the washers and bushings in thier respective order?


Yes, I did.


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## TonkaDriver (Jan 5, 2007)

*Shocking!*



THXdts said:


> Suggestions?


The OEM shocks were garbage to start with. Just like the tires. I replaced the junk single stage stock shock with the NISMO Bilstein's. They cost me $223 for all for after getting my local dealer to price match. The new shocks took less than an hour to install and the improvement was incredible. You get a lifetime warranty also. I tried the KYB Monomax and Rancho 5000 also. The fit and finish and overall quality was much better than any of the other brands I tried.


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## MrMorphine (Jul 15, 2005)

THX,do you haul a lot of stuff in your truck?


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