[C2SNerves]

Comfortable ride but not on potholes??

I am enjoying the comfort of my SL. I didnt want sport suspension. It is one of the smoothest rides I've ever experienced even on a car....BUT:

strange enough, if you run over sizable potholes at low speeds, the wheels/shocks seem to hit hard into the potholes giving a disturbing bang or pound. Nothing seems to be wrong with my shocks, i hope.

the dealer said (and I seem to agree) that because the wheels are too big and heavy, they tend to fall hard into pot holes at lower speeds and give that pounding noise. at Over 40mph, the SL rides smooth and treats most potholes like pebbles. It is important to mention that IF THIS THEORY IS CORRECT, it means that lower psi would make the tires more sluggish with heavier downforce, which would worsen the effect of pothole pounding sounds.

At smaller bumps and holes, the MO rides very smooth at any speed.

Is this common with anyone? Please send your comments on this, before I get any ideas that I have a problem.

 

[dmako]

Not sure but your MO is new right? Check your tire air presure. It may be too high.

 

[Nissmo]

I am new to my 05 SE and have to agree. I was driving a few days ago hit a hole and said out loud "what was that?". In the rear view mirror it wasn't much. Since then I have been audtioning holes of varing sizes and depths. Your concept of wheel wt is a good one.
I come from a Touareg which was better on potholes @5,300lbs. I prefer the firmer, more car like Murano ride and reliaility.

 

[zebelkhan]

That has also been my experience with my MO. I quickly learned to avoid any and all potholes of any size. Now when I drive I plan my "lanes" as well as the road to make sure I am driving on the smoother pavement.....

 

[C2SNerves]

my tire pressure was 33, then i brought it down to 30 since that is the minimum recommended, but no difference

you agree with my theory of tire weight causing these bangs?

 

[Eric L.]

I do think the heavy wheels are a factor in the rough ride over potholes. The Murano, even in SL form, is rather tautly sprung with very firm damping on the shocks. Its a tradeoff between good cornering and a soft ride over bad roads.

 

[GripperDon]

C2SNerves

You are the first guy to use pressure as low as I do. Sometimes when the MO has been in the Air Conditioned garage for a while I even get a Flat tire warning.

If you look at he weight of the wheels + Plus the weight of the tires (posted here somewhere Box Designs I think) you will appreciate the effects of unsprung weight.

True Mag wheels and a non truck tire construction like Falkens ( still high load rating and nice sidewall construction for responsive steering) you would be amazed it floats. There is a place here in town call Wheel Specialists that has such stuff and I went there for precision balancing and a tire shave. The owner got interested in My MO and bought one for himself. He called and I went down to ride in his with the tire wheel setup as above on 2005, SL, FWD, Woo Whee Nice.

 

[C2SNerves]

GripperDon
for the record, my MO is a SE AWD not LE, but i refer to LE bec i do not have the sport suspension.
for a while i believed i had a problem with front shocks, but it seems the pothole rough ride is normal-considering the shared experience on this thread-, although i thought a nonsport suspension should be different (softer on potholes). funny how the ride differs so much at variable speeds. do u think more air in the tires would reduce weight?
i would love to see pics of different wheels.

 

[GMTURBO43]

How did you get an SE without the sport suspension?

Changing the amount of air in the tire will not change the weight of the wheel/tire. The only way to do this is to go with a lighter wheel. One thing to keep in mind is load rating though.

Forged wheels are generally lighter and strong/stronger than stock. www.tirerack.com will sometimes list the weight of the wheel if it is considered lightweight.

One other thing to consider is the punishment your suspension takes when hitting potholes. I realize you can't miss all of them but it is a good idea to try to.

 

[Eric L.]

Yeah I wonder how you could get an SE without the sport suspension as well. Did you swap suspension with someone?

 

[C2SNerves]

my dealer specified that there was a SE batch ordered without sports suspension, but I am begining to doubt this.. My SE does get very stable at high speed which is the main function of sport tuned suspension. It may have been a marketing swing or most probably ignorance from dealer's part.
Can anyone tell me how I can find out? from inspecting the shocks? Is there any mark on the shocks and if so, where?

 

[GMTURBO43]

Sounds like a load of poo to me. I don't know of any way to tell. You might be able to compare two vehicles side by side - but I'd guess even that is a stretch. Maybe a part number on a spring/shock.

 

[Eric L.]

Yeah I think the only way to verify is with the part number. What is the point of the SE if you do not get the sports suspension?

 

[GMTURBO43]

6-spoke wheels - but I don't know if you can consider that a benefit

 

[Eric L.]

6-spoke wheels - but I don't know if you can consider that a benefit

Hey I like my six spoke wheels!

But only because it means I have the uprated sports suspension.

 

[GMTURBO43]

I would have gotten the SE if I could have the SL wheels. Oh well...even with the SL I can't complain about sloppy handling.

 

[zebelkhan]

On the way back from a movie last night I missed a speed bump going about 10 mph. I had 4 people in the car so it was fairly heavy. The MO sounded as if it was falling apart. The sound and the jerk I experienced I would expect from a truck with absolutely no suspension loaded with tool boxes full of loose tools. It was terrible and upsetting.....:3:

 

[Gonzo]

I think Nissan would have sold more SE if they had the 5 spoke wheels....

 

[jaak]

The ride on both the SE and SL is rough over potholes, especially at low speed. However, neither one of them leans much in corners, so I'm not surprised that it's a bit nasty on rough roads. Especially considering the height.

At speed, it's quite smooth.

Yeah, Gonzo, I'm with you, the 6 spoke wheels detracted from the SE appeal for me, but that's completely personal taste, just like colour. However, I do have a set of SL wheels, in case anyone's got the problem... Doesn't look like I'll be needing them!

 

[GMTURBO43]

I think the more 'sport' we put in to suspensions the worse the ride on rough surfaces is going to be. There isn't much you can do to change that. If you want a car that doesn't jar you when hitting a pothole - you get a 1976 Cadillac Seville and enjoy the body roll.