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Motivational Engineering for B13: owner experiences?
I've have Motivational Engineering coilovers in my B13 for about five years now, and have recently had two shocks blow - not just lose damping, but break to the point of failure with fluid leaking from them.
I'm not pointing any fingers, laying blame or claiming problems with their design or components. But I'm wondering if others out there with the same setup have had any issues - happy, sad or otherwise? Anybody with ShigSpeed, Tein, Progress or other coilovers ever blown them up? I know that Motivational bailed out of the import suspension business a couple of years ago.
I have probably put too many miles on these, and expected them to be worn out. I've just never heard of shocks failing so badly that they "explode", under normal daily driving. My car has never seen the track, just been driven spiritedly every day. It is lowered from stock but not obnoxiously so.
man! they where really blowned up? i guess you should point at least one finger, because that's not normal at all, i've had coilovers that worned out, and also people that belong to my racing community they've had coilovers and nothing like that ever happened, but i could ask around if something similar has ever happened
I don't know how common that is. However, if you check the classifieds present and past, a lot of the m.e setups being sold are blown. Granted, atlease you got 5 years out them. I only had mines for 2 years w/o any problems.
Motivational coilovers simply use Koni inserts. They are rebuildable and will fail over time. Most people don't realize it but daily driving is often harder on suspension setups than dedicated track driving. This is because of road condition and the elements.
It has nothing to do with the fabrication on motivational's part as they simply build the housing. The insert is a Koni product that has a limited life and will have to be rebuilt or replaced over time.
I had the Moti's for 6 or 7 years until I sold them and put on some GC Advance Designs. When I sold them, they were still in perfect working order and I had mostly street mileage on them, but did do 3 lapping days and 5 or 6 autox days.
I loved that suspension and regret selling it! Let me know if you want to unload those because I'd be interested. And I live in Kent too!
Motivational coilovers simply use Koni inserts. They are rebuildable and will fail over time. Most people don't realize it but daily driving is often harder on suspension setups than dedicated track driving. This is because of road condition and the elements.
It has nothing to do with the fabrication on motivational's part as they simply build the housing. The insert is a Koni product that has a limited life and will have to be rebuilt or replaced over time.
You may have owned them for 5 years but I'm sure they are older than that. Like these guys said they are designed to be rebuilt. Just insert some fresh Koni's and you will be good to go.
Motivational coilovers simply use Koni inserts. They are rebuildable and will fail over time.
The insert is a Koni product that has a limited life and will have to be rebuilt or replaced over time.
Some Motivationals were reported, in the very first SCC article, as having Bilstien inserts. Other times I read, again in SCC, that Motivationals were using Konis.
Maybe they switched during the production life or the SCC article(s) was incorrect?
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2004 Tahoe, stock and fully loaded.
'93 Classic - Original Owner, "OEM Plus" modifications
Dan_93SER, I just might take you up on your offer to buy the Motivational parts. Nice to know there's another Nissan guy in Kent to help fend off the riced Hondas. I haven't decided what to do about the blown shocks yet - maybe swap for Progress coilovers, maybe buy a different car with that money and cobble together one great car from mine and the other. My car has good aftermarket parts all over it but has 245K miles, leaks oil and power steering fluid and now has two blown struts. Plus it was originally an Ohio car so it has some mild rust issues.
I can't afford to have the car down for a prolonged period, sitting on jack stands while I rebuild the Motivationals...or am I blowing that job out of proportion? After five years I don't even remember how the Motivationals look up close. I have generally liked them except for the whole "blown up" thing recently. I'm competent with a wrench and my best buddy is very good, with a whole slew of tools between us. If rebuilding the Konis (or Bilsteins?) is easy...I'm in.
They didn't use Bilstein inserts unless they used larger housings (maxima) because bilstein inserts are larger diameter than Koni inserts and don't fit in B13 housings.
Brent
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1993 NX 2000 -- Slate Grey Metallic
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