Skunk 2 Sports Shocks Really Bumpy! LIKE REAL BAD!

[NDU19E]

i have an ek civic hatch currently sitting on skunk 2 shocks with kmac springs 1"5 in lowered. Just had them prof. installed.

Car sits reasonable. About 2 cm arch to top of wheel. When hitting bumps and stuff in the road, it feels like the car has no travel in the shocks. It is really hard.. you feel and bump on every bump, hole or anything..

Any ideas how to fix? I really doubt it would be the shocks being so hard that would cause this ??

[flipfire]

Did the installer cut the bumpstop to accommodate the lowered springs?

[NDU19E]

i have no idea mate. the springs have been in there for 2 years. Had the oem shocks on her and it was a good ride untill it started to sag. So i had to change the shocks. It should all be the same???

[TheSaint]

im about to get skunk2 shocks myself because my stock ones are dead ... im using Tein S-Tech springs for about the same height as you on my EG sedan

the skunk2 set come with new bump stops and new rubber mounts ... in order to use them you need to cut the bump stops to the specification that your kmac springs came with ... if they have been left at full height than it will cause the car to feel really harsh and bumpy with a lowered spring in place

have a look here for more information:
http://www.skunk2.com/installation/541-05-1220.pdf

i cant clarify if this is the problem or not though .... ill let you know how mine go when i install them myself next week

[VTi_b0i]

LOL sounds like all skunk2 items.
I had Skunk2 Pro coilovers on my civic for 2years or so, it was the worst ride ever.

[NDU19E]

ok i know for a fact he wouldnt of cut the bump stops... you really think thats the reason for being so hard?? im literally getting headaches from the bumps lol i was seriously considering coils after this experience..

[flipfire]

Dunno, but get the installer to cut the bumpstops and try it out for another week or two

Those shocks should just be a bit firmer than OEM.

[NDU19E]

in theory, if the shock is compressed and has all those rubber things on the pole (whatever its called) it would hit that before hitting the shock when compressing... so yeah it could be that..

ill have to give it a go...

[TheSaint]

let us know how it goes ... but flipfire is right ... it should be similar to OEM but a bit stiffer

[blabla]

i have an ek civic hatch currently sitting on skunk 2 shocks with kmac springs 1"5 in lowered. Just had them prof. installed.

Car sits reasonable. About 2 cm arch to top of wheel. When hitting bumps and stuff in the road, it feels like the car has no travel in the shocks. It is really hard.. you feel and bump on every bump, hole or anything..

Any ideas how to fix? I really doubt it would be the shocks being so hard that would cause this ??

I am currently installing them on my coupe with the springs that came with the car pedders i have completed the install. I still have plenty shock travel

[NDU19E]

I decided to push it a little and went a bit fast over some speed humps.. you can literally hear the bushes on the rod compressing and squishing making little noises.. lol

[vinnY]

just an fyi, sitting on bump stops won't really make the ride harsh

are the shocks adjustable at all rebound/dampening wise? my current setup is designed to work while resting on the bump stops and it's much more comfortable than any adjustable coilover setup i've been in a honda

[NDU19E]

well it sounds like it is .. i duno bro.. to be honest i just bought them off jdmyard and thts it lol they are standard Skunk2 Pro Street series shocks with kmac springs..

Would i be right in saying if i took out those bump stops that my problems will all go away lmao haha or is that bad? forbidden even lol

[TheSaint]

it will make it worse ... there will be nothing to cushen the shock when it is fully compressed

[WA-EG]

Interested to hear the outcome of this. I'm trying to decide between shocks and springs or coils...... Skunk2 would be the direction I was looking for shocks, but don't want them if they super hard. I already got one car with no suspension, I don't need my daily like that too.

Keep us posted.

[NDU19E]

Ok so i will have to just cut them then... i have it booked in next week to get it done.. i will up date with the outcome.. thnks guys

[TheSaint]

do you know how much you have to cut them?

the info should have come with your springs

[NDU19E]

yeah i got this skunk2 installation sheet from you.. Eitherway, i know ill have to cut it ....It says cut it in half.. so ill just cut it a little bit more than that... seriously.. its soo hard its like they are just full on compressed.. resting on the bump stops lol

[vinnY]

i wouldn't cut anymore

i can tell you now when my bump stops were cut i'd have a harsher ride because there WAS a gap between the bump stop and the dust boot/washer
it'd appear more harsh because it would suddenly hit the bump stop instead of constantly being dampened by the bump stop

bought 4 new itr front bump stops and whack it in all round, much much softer
the little bump stops act as a smaller second spring too so they also in essence increase the spring rate too

more on bump stops here (http://www.fromsteve.net/tech/Bump-Stops-Bump-Travel-and-Lowering-Springs)


As it turns out, this is quite common- many popular cars actually ride on their bump stops at their factory ride height. Manufacturers use long bump stops to create a very progressive spring rate. This allows the manufacturer to use much softer main springs for better overall ride quality. Usually, the bump stop itself is very progressive- starting out soft but increasing in resistance until it won't compress anymore.

the more you cut the bump stop, the harder it'll actually be and lose it's progressiveness

[flipfire]

Wouldnt cutting the bump stop give the shock more travel seeing as he has lowered springs? Sounds like hes bottoming way to quickly

btw is the skunk2 bumpstop polyurethane rubber? looks like wood on the pdf lol

[vinnY]

which is gonna be more harsh
progressively compressing the bump stop or hitting it with couple hundred kg's of force from 1"?

[TheSaint]

the skunk2 bumpstops are the same as OEM ... i juss bought some from honda so i know that OEM 'look' the same lol

those instructions i linked you are for skunk2 springs only ... its your SPRINGS that effect how much to cut the bumpstops NOT the shocks ... you need to find out the bumpstop specifications for your SPRINGS

so you need to find out how much you are suppose to cut the bump stops for KMAC springs ... NOT skunk2 ... because you have KMAC

[NDU19E]

ahuh!!!!! ok well kmac are gone under i believe??? ill have a look around guys.... thanks for this.. great help from every1!!!!

[vinnY]

doesn't look like they've (http://www.k-mac.com.au/) gone anywhere

[NDU19E]

they went from a big place in banksia to a little garage behind banksia station.. just thought they were gone..

[skunk2tony]

The Skunk2 Sport shocks will be slightly firmer then then OEM shocks. There are a few things you might want to do and not do... I wouldn't suggest cutting the bump stops since they will prevent you from bottoming out and blowing the valves in the shocks. Second you might want to take a picture of your ride setup. Even though the springs might say it is a 1.5" from it might have sagged to 2.5" because of poor materials and it may have caused the spring to perform differently then when they are new. Please take some pictures and post them up so that we can take a look and further evaluate the situation. If you have any questions please feel free to send me a PM and we can take care of this for you.

Thanks!

[~Sp33~]

just an fyi, sitting on bump stops won't really make the ride harsh

That's the most bullshit statement ever.


which is gonna be more harsh
progressively compressing the bump stop or hitting it with couple hundred kg's of force from 1"?

What do you think dampers are for? :thumbdwn:

If what you're saying is true (which i know it isn't) Why do cars even bother having a damper? They might as well just have a bump stop.

The shock will compress to absorb the bump, the more travel the shock has the better ride you will have. The bump stop is there as a last resort at preventing a crash of metal to metal contact.

[vinnY]

read my post (http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?134204-Skunk-2-Sports-Shocks-Really-Bumpy!-LIKE-REAL-BAD!&p=2770052&viewfull=1#post2770052) again and follow the link

and fyi my h&r cup kit recommends me to not cut my bump stops for my springs(h&r)

dampers help but they aren't your last defense, bump stops aren't just there to save your shocks they're like a mini spring to help the suspension too

you can also check my another one of my posts (http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?132115-riding-on-bumpstops-v2) to see what i'm talking about in regards to h&r's paperwork
follow the link in there too that leads to 55exx's experience

i'm currently using full length bump dc2r front bump stops on both front and rear and dropped until the wheel arch is sitting on the tire, i'll bet my left nut that they're sitting on the bump stops right now as the cars slightly higher now than they were with my old cut bump stops and it's just what h&r recommend
harsher ride? no, not at all
this is my experience only however

if you follow the link and read on, it goes to say

Because bump stops are designed to be very progressive, the behavior of a car drastically changes if a person replaces the factory springs with springs that lower the vehicle's ride height. This is because lowering springs don't just put the car onto the bump stops at ride height- they put the bump stops past their initial soft phase.

now sure it'll be a terrible ride if the bumpstops are horribly compressed but at this point it should only be slightly compressed if anything

in the OP's case if they weren't cut at all then my guess is that they're barely compressed given that he says there's a 20mm wheel arch gap which sounds about right if skunk's shocks are 20mm shorter than stock plus he's got 1.5" lowering springs
as thesaint said, follow the directions for your springs

not a personal attack at sp33, just wanted to clarify my statements

[~Sp33~]

read my post (http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?134204-Skunk-2-Sports-Shocks-Really-Bumpy!-LIKE-REAL-BAD!&p=2770052&viewfull=1#post2770052) again and follow the link

and fyi my h&r cup kit recommends me to not cut my bump stops for my springs(h&r)

dampers help but they aren't your last defense, bump stops aren't just there to save your shocks they're like a mini spring to help the suspension too

you can also check my another one of my posts (http://www.ozhonda.com/forum/showthread.php?132115-riding-on-bumpstops-v2) to see what i'm talking about in regards to h&r's paperwork
follow the link in there too that leads to 55exx's experience

i'm currently using full length bump dc2r front bump stops on both front and rear and dropped until the wheel arch is sitting on the tire, i'll bet my left nut that they're sitting on the bump stops right now as the cars slightly higher now than they were with my old cut bump stops and it's just what h&r recommend
harsher ride? no, not at all
this is my experience only however

if you follow the link and read on, it goes to say


now sure it'll be a terrible ride if the bumpstops are horribly compressed but at this point it should only be slightly compressed if anything

in the OP's case if they weren't cut at all then my guess is that they're barely compressed given that he says there's a 20mm wheel arch gap which sounds about right if skunk's shocks are 20mm shorter than stock plus he's got 1.5" lowering springs
as thesaint said, follow the directions for your springs

not a personal attack at sp33, just wanted to clarify my statements

http://carphotos.cardomain.com/ride_images/3/2780/361/31947680011_large.jpg

on the shock rod, the red bits are the bump stops, and the yellow thing is what you're talking about?

Is this also called a bump stop? If so I apologise.

[vinnY]

aren't those red bits the top hat bushings?

[~Sp33~]

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/5534/skunk2sportshocksandcoi.jpg

Shitty pic, but wouldn't they sit above the washer if they were top hat bushings? My Tiens came with an upper mount, so I'm not sure what they come with without the top mount.

[vinnY]

nah they do, you just remove them and install them into the top hat
yellow bit itself is the bumpstop/jounce bumper

you usually have the bump stop>washer>dust boot>washer>spring>tophat

maybe the skunk2 rep could clarify? to me they look like a urethane version of the oem top hat bushings, may be wrong though

[~Sp33~]

nah they do, you just remove them and install them into the top hat
yellow bit itself is the bumpstop/jounce bumper

you usually have the bump stop>washer>dust boot>washer>spring>tophat

Yeah that's how i'd have it, just didn't see a washer between the red/yellow sections.

So do all skunk2 shocks come with this 'jounce bumper'? If the OP's are /aren't equiped with them will depend on if/if not he should cut them.

I replaced my Tiens bump stops in the rear (car was resting on them) with smaller ones and the ride improved dramatically. I don't have any experience with the 'jounce bumper', so i'll take your word for it. :)

[vinnY]

they're both the same thing, just different names

in my experience it improved my ride quality drastically
in your experience it made it more harsh

moral of the story is your milage may vary OP, but it's best to find out how your configuration is supposed to be used as your setup is different to ours

[TheSaint]

skunk2 sport shocks come with new stock honda bumpstops and stiffer top hat bushes

the bump stops should be cut to suit the spring ... but the skunk2 shocks are shorter ... so i dont know if you need to cut them more or less than the springs spec to adjust for the shorter stroke

im about to fit skunk2 shocks with tein s-tech springs, i had to cut just under an inch off the oem bump stops with oem shocks ... but i dont know what to do with the new ones =/

[blabla]

I completed my install and took the car for a quick spin is a little stiffer but bumpy at all I have pedders springs. I didn't cut anything off the bump stops. The red rubbers are a lot thicker then oem. And trying to fit all the washers with is a bit difficult so I used the oem washers. Ride quality is much nicer. I'm sitting on 17's as well. Need to reinstal sway bar now.

[skunk2tony]

The red bushings are new top hat bushings and not bump stops. They should not be used together as bump stops with the new bump stops supplied with the shocks.

The bump stops should be cut on the upper portion when using with lowering springs.

Please see our installation instructions below:
http://www.skunk2.com/installation/541-05-1220.pdf

[blabla]

The red bushings are new top hat bushings and not bump stops. They should not be used together as bump stops with the new bump stops supplied with the shocks.

The bump stops should be cut on the upper portion when using with lowering springs.

Please see our installation instructions below:
http://www.skunk2.com/installation/541-05-1220.pdf

have had the trader say there is no need to cut the bump stops.

[vinnY]

^ depends on the springs, generally it's safe to assume that if you use lowering springs then you should cut the bump stops to suit to give you the advertised ride height

[DNY*BOY]

im running skunks also , wither ur bumstops have been cut , or you need to adjust to them as youve more than likely aquinted to driving with used shocks kmac springs are fairly soft , skunk2 shocks are shorter stroking shocks , and there still new so hearing squeaking etc is normal also ur other bushes are now getting a workout!