I'm considering modifying my stock 1999 TL.
I would like, especially to modify the suspension but lack of serious funds will minimize all modifications. So in terms of suspension I have decided that sport springs are the best way to go. I've considered H&R sport springs or OE sport springs. I think the OE might be a better option due to the fact that I will be driving in some heavy winter weather conditions (B-lo NY). I'm just wondering will the OE springs be sporty enough to improve cornering (seat of my pants) or would the sport springs be better. I've also considered Comptech Sport springs but I am concerned with ride height during winter as well as the inflated price over the H&R. I have also heard good things about the Neuspeed springs, it will be a low ride height but the price splits my previous options.

Any comments will be much appreciated.

Also I'm considering an intake mod. I thought a cold air intake would help but I am not sure which brand I should go with. I've considered Injen and AEM with the addition of the Air By-Pass valve.

Again, any comments will be appreciated.

I was also wondering if such modifications as above could be installed by my local trusted mechanic?

Thank You

 

If you want improvement on cornering, you should definitely get the sways whether you want H&R sports or OE's.

I would recomend AEM for CAI. Good luck on your mod and welcome aboard.

 

I totally agree with songoku, Sways give you such a better ride, you can really tell from the handling characteristics. the downfall to getting sways is, you can really tell how bad your stock tires are. you'll want to replace those after you get the sways. as far as the intake goes, you might as well get the CAI instead of just the short ram, there is a difference between the two, and you can just do a search on that topic. and you should go AEM. good luck.

 

Just some thoughts in no particular order :

Well, the H&R OE's will lower your car a little bit... but it won't make a huge difference in handling. You'd be better off going with the H&R Sports.

Sways will make a huge difference, but you'd need to get new tires immediately as they do not provide the necessary grip when you add the sways.

Comptech's are the #1 choice on this board as they keep the ride closest to stock.

As for the intake, I went with the Injen. Not only did the blue match my car better then the AEM, but it was cheaper. Honestly they are so similar you should be good with either.

A mechanic could easily install either mod.

Your best bet would be to save up and get coilovers. That way, in the summer you can lower your car and in the winter you can raise it up. It seems that ride height in the winter is one of your biggest concerns, so coilovers would be the best way to go for you.

Good luck

 

With sways do you feel more of a difference in handling than lowering? I have H&R sports and I don't think there is that much of a difference from stock...could be my sh itty stock tires tho.

 

I think it's the tires... I just had the springs installed on Sat. and the car handles like it's on rails. I'm sure with sways it's even better!!

 

The sway bars might be to expensive for me to get if I'm going to get the cold air intake.
I have new tires on the car right now. I don't think they are stock tires. They have less than 5000 miles on them right now and are all seasons X tires. X is the speed rating? I'm not quite sure, but with these and the springs alone, would that help cornering ability?
Keep in mind I have a limited budget so would it also be possible to have the sway bars alone w/o springs or no?
Thanks again!

 

screw the air intake and buy the CT swaybars and h&r sport springs stage 2. oem wont do crap for you looks or handling. they made them for old people. i went springs, strut bar (did nothing just looks apparantly) then sway bars. i do have stock rims but yokohama tires. this changed the handling to the good. i was so happy. i was disappointed in the springs for handling but loved them with the oem aero kit. so in order of my opinion i would get sway bars, springs, denso iridium plugs, cold air intake long no short ram. good thing is you can make the aem long into a short ram any time.

 

Before you do that, please read this post by Astroboy in an older thread:

 

I'm going to get sway bars first before I get springs and shocks.

 

Then would it it be a good idea to just get the sway bars if that is the only thing I can get. That will make the car handle better?
See I don't want to sound like a non-TL loyalist, because I am. But before I got my TL I had wanted a Maxima due to its performance over the base TL. I liked the way the Maxima handled in the turns and now i'm wondering if adding sway bars might allow the car to handle tighter with less body roll such as a Maxima.
????

 

will sways work even if u dont lower ur car? I cant lower my car so i cant do that. but i do have some nice tires.

 

What is the difference between anti-roll bars and sway bars?

If i'm going to get sway which would you guys recommend...
Comptech: $300
Neuspeed: $162 ?

 

Some members just have sways without springs and the handeling is much improved.

 

ABDomega, if you do a search you will see what I had to say about sways....

In a work GET EM !!! FAST.... RUN...

I waited for a year before doing it... but that was beacuse up here in TO, its a little difficult to get COMPTECH parts locally... If I had to do it again, I would not even pick up the car from the dealer without the SWAYS..

TLS RULZ
PS> Whatcha doing reading this !!! Did you order the SWAYS YET

 

Some things that I'd suggest as a fellow 99 TL owner:

1- 6000k
2- chrome shift plate mod
3- mesh fog holes
4- exhaust tips
5- sways
6- remove resonator
7- k&n drop in

All that above a easy to do and cheap. Chrome shift plate is a "free" mod

Tatewaki

 

Could you explain 2, 3, and 6?

Jung

 

2 - remove the shift plate (painted gray) and soak it under paint remover. It'll expose the shiny chrome under it

3 - Get some mesh (Home depot or auto accessories shop), cut to size to fit your fog holes, crazy glue/silicone them in place. You can do your grille like that too

6 - Remove bumper, in front of left front wheel is the intake resonator. Take that off to make some hissing sound when you are accelerating and improve air flow

You can see 2 and 3 in the blow pictures:





Tatewaki

 

i just got h & r sports! very good, my dad thinks its a bit too low, but his old so yea...
handling isnt as good as i thught, ride quality im very satisfied with, because it just made it a lil tad bit more solid...

now im kinda worried cuz my rear right wheel seems to since inwards...

 

Wow... thanks for the info! Nice pics too!

Jung

 

Hahaha,

Another Mashimaro member.

 

If you are on a budget (which it sounds like) heres what I would do: H&R OE Sport (I prefer comptechs, but they are also twice the price)
Mod your OEM intake, buy a drop in filter, you aren't gonna get any massive gains from just having a CAI, in fact, you will probably lose hp and torque in the low rpms

 

I have more mashimaro stuff now: 2 seat belt pads and a liner for the rear view mirror. I want to get two more mashimaro things for the rear, maybe one to hang on the rear window or placed next to the sub

Tatewaki

 

the first handling mod for the TL is to get new tires. the oem tires are HORRIBLE. you will not be able to truly enjoy any other new suspension mod while rolling around on oem rubber. After that I personally chose to get springs before sways because I liked the look of the drop as well. Springs helped to cut down alot on body roll, but the car was still left with alot of understeer. Sway bars absolutely eliminated what body roll was left, and made the steering MUCH more balanced and responsive. If I had to choose between the two I would take sways.

Sway bars and anti roll are the same thing.

the price on that neuspeed is only for one bar I believe while teh comptech includes both

definitely get a CAI over the short ram, and they're all pretty much the same, only differing in the filter really. the CAI is a fairly easy mod to install yourself to save some cash and dont mind spending an hour or two working on your car

I've also done cheap cosmetic mods like meshed grill, fog holes, chrome shift plate, and tips. if you install your CAI yourself you can do the fog holes at the same time since you take the bumper off, and as an added bonus you'll give the CAI more air as the filter will be exposed to the air through the mesh and get some more performance from it

 

I don't have stock tires. When we bought the car we put brand new all season radial michelin MX4 tires. They are decent tires, but will they give me the grip that I need if I install the sways?

 

That's too much mashimaro's... :o


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