Many questions. Please help so I won't think I will die driving on these.
I bought some gc/agx for my b14 used from a fellow member for really cheap (car was in accident and had been sitting for over a year).
As you can see they are pretty jacked up.
The threads on 2 of the coilovers are totally worn at the top and the other 2 have some gashes in the threads. I want to lower the car the farthest I can and still have a safe ride (I think it was 1.5" front and the back 1", someone correct me if I'm wrong.) Can I do this with these threads like this?
Are these ground controls safe to put on? Should I just replace the threaded parts? The top hats look ok, right?
The part where the GC threads sit on the bottom of the AGX shock looks rusted and maybe pieces missing. Are they suppose to look like this? Do these AGXs look safe to drive on? How fast is the shock suppose to come up when you press down on it?
All comments very appreciated.
http://i11.photobucket.com/albums/a170/afdj006/DSC00624.jpg
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ewww...mine are worn like that on the threaded collar, but it looks like he cut away the lower spring perch which isnt needed with the GCs. But the rust and the cracks on the fronts look pretty bad.....those I wouldnt use. I hope you got them REAL cheap, cause the only thing that looks okay on them is the springs, perches, and rear struts......

Not to mention the front perches are as LOW as they can go. If the car was driven like that for a period of time I bet the front struts are done. Take them apart and compress them and see. I also do not like the look of the collars...

I can push the all 4 shocks down and it takes a little bit for them to come up. How fast are the shocks suppose to come back up after they are compressed?
The collars are the parts with the threads on them correct?

I looked at the shocks again yesterday and the rust on them is only surface rust from the paint being chipped off. I still don't know if the shocks are good.
How will I know? How fast are the shocks suppose to come back up after you compress them?

Are the collars siezed on?

No the collars are good, I could move all of them. I'm probably gonna use the GCs and just move up the front collars so they are just below the saved down part.Are the collars siezed on?

I looked at the shocks again yesterday and the rust on them is only surface rust from the paint being chipped off. I still don't know if the shocks are good.
How will I know? How fast are the shocks suppose to come back up after you compress them?


As long as they return to normal position without serious noise and it doesn't take them 5 minutes you should be fine.

What do you mean "normal position"?As long as they return to normal position without serious noise and it doesn't take them 5 minutes you should be fine.

You can buy new threaded sleeves from GC. They are like $10 each or something like that.

What do you mean "normal position"?
So that the rod or shaft is all the way out (fully extended)

Well, I checked them last night. Only 1 back shocks comes up. The rest of them take 5 minutes or more to come up. Looks like I might have to get new shocks all the way around.
I know you not suppose to lower the front more them 1.5" to be safe. How do you know if you lower it more them that. Do I measure 1.5" down on the sleeves? Or do I have to just do a before and after measurement with old setup to new setup?
What is the maximun height I can lower the back (to be safe)?So that the rod or shaft is all the way out (fully extended)

I went to a usto shop on my Air Force base yesterday to take the GCs off of the AGXs, they mechanic their siad if I had push compress the shocks by hand they are bad. Is this true? I don't have to put all my might into compressing them, but its not that hard.

I went to a usto shop on my Air Force base yesterday to take the GCs off of the AGXs, they mechanic their siad if I had push compress the shocks by hand they are bad. Is this true? I don't have to put all my might into compressing them, but its not that hard.


Those are HP gas so they should have some decent resititance. Many other for the Sentra are not even gas so you can't use that test. Measuring a 1.5 inch drop is a total drop. You need to go from stock ride height. Even 1.5 will cause some bottoming. You really need short struts to make a good 1.5 inch drop work right. BTW, all those parts are usable. They are just ugly from being poorly installed.

So, what can I do with those AGXs that are blown? Only 1 or 2 shocks come up when I compress them.Those are HP gas so they should have some decent resititance. Many other for the Sentra are not even gas so you can't use that test. Measuring a 1.5 inch drop is a total drop. You need to go from stock ride height. Even 1.5 will cause some bottoming. You really need short struts to make a good 1.5 inch drop work right. BTW, all those parts are usable. They are just ugly from being poorly installed.