It appears that there may be no off-the-shelf front struts marketed for the G35X (mines an 04). Does anyone know of any (aside from having Koni or someone custom make them for you)? I spoke to the Tech Rep from Tokico today and he said neither the Tokico HP HU3746/47 nor the D-Spec would fit on the front of the G35X. Koni doesn't list anything as applicable.

There are plenty of lowering spring choices (aftermarket, Z, coupe), but it cannot find any strut choices to go with them for the AWD. Any ideas?

 

Nope, like you said either Koni or someone other company like Truechoice revalve them for you. I been working with a company to do some coilovers but its going to take awhile. Lots of R&D. When you talk to the Tokico rep, you should have asked them if they could revalve a stock shock to their specs. I tried and contact them and never got a call back.

 

Well that explains why he started the conversation with "This is such and such from Tokico and the good news is I'm calling you back". Of course the bad news was he could not help me.

I have yet to get this stuff apart to understand what is different about the struts on these and the other G35's. Maybe a light will come on when I get it in pieces in front of me. Wonder if it can be modified to take a strut cartridge.

 

If you can, let us know. I talk to gsedan35 and he metion that he broke of of them stem off a normal g and oil came out. So my theory at that time was to cut it off, my theory was crushed. LOL

Do you remember the reps name that called you. I would like to get ahold of him and talk to him. I been trying non stop to get us something. I am close but like I said it going to take awhile.

 

Maybe this will give you an idea. For my old maxima, this was the only way to get Konis for it. You cut the oem housings up and insert a Koni cartridge inside. The pain of it was you have to remove the spring, push down on the Koni and twist the shaft to adjust the rebound rates.
http://scott92282.tripod.com/scomax/koni.html

Fronts: You cut the top of the housing to get the guts out. Then drill a hole at the bottom so you can secure the insert (ie.. bolt threads into the Koni)

Rears: Much easier. Just like replacing cartridges in most strut type cars.

 

Don't remember his name, but I sent them a couple emails detailing the issue first, then I left a couple of messages.

There's got to be some way to deal with this. I've got to believe the only thing 'special' about them is the strut base. You'd think there'd be someway to just replace a portion of it, but again - you guys know more than I do as I haven't taken it off yet (and won't until my springs arrive). Until I can determine if the strut can be addressed, I just went conservative on the drop plan and got coupe springs for the front (on their way - shipped today).

 

Jeff - that's just what I had in mind (drop a new cartridge into the housing and secure it), thanks for the link.

 

OK, that seem like a great ideal, but..... You have to take the strut and spring off to adjust when you want to. When you get it done by Koni, you can adjust when its on the car just by turning the **** on top. But thanks for the info. Just another thing for us.

BTW I have 350z s-techs in front. Yeah I sometime hit the bump stops, but it ride really nice. Alvin who owns a 350z loves the ride.

 

If you can get a set of top adjustable cartridges in there, that might work. but for now, it's better than nothing.

 

You know I am going to look into that. I rather try and do it myself than send it off and have to wait. But then again, I really dont know what I would be doing. LOL

 

You would need to research the right shock length, dia and valving. If you can measure your shock tube and length, you might be able to do some intial research on Koni's site depending on what they show you for cartridge dimensions. In the end, you will probably have to give Koni the shock dimensions or send them one. Then ask them to make a cartridge for you.

 

On a related, confused note, I just finished installing coupe springs in the front. Since this is an X, I was expecting .75 to 1" drop. What I got was 3/8inch for all my sweat (and the chunk of my head I knocked off when I slipped off a bolt while working under the wheel well).

Whoopie, that was really worth the effort (not). Height to the painted edge above the well used to be 28", now it is 27 5/8". I give up.

 

They might settle alittle down the road, but you should have maybe put z springs up front and coupe in thre rear.

 

That was my plan (1 inch front, 1/2 rear), but then I heard the X was 1/2 inch higher than the RWD sedan. Maybe some of them are, but mine doesn't appear to be. Now I have sport sedan springs on the way that will likely be the same height as what I already have in the back.

 

There has got to be a way to modify RWD shocks to fit AWD sedans, won't that bottom strut mount bolt right up to a RWD shock if the RWD bracket is removed?