BUM STOPS!!! Advantages + disadvantages

[chingaling]

just wanna know all the things about it.. confused to get those.. heard alot of different opinion.. so i need help :) thanks

[DomenEK]

I've just put a set of super-low polyurethane bump stops on my car. To be honest I love them - since I've fitted them, I've had zero scrubbing issues (compared to scraping on every turn before), and whenever I go over a bump I don't get the huge crash like I did before.

Previously when I've hit big bumps, the upper control arms have hit the top of the wheel well (on the front), which isn't good, and also means the shocks are bottoming out <- not good.


I reckon they're an essential part of the sussy set up as they protect your shocks from bottoming out. If your car is lowered, I highly recommend a set of these (http://undergroundimports.com.au/ecommerce/os/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=50_130&products_id=368).

[chingaling]

but i heard... when the bum stop goes over a big bump... it bounces the whole car off the track... .. did that happened to urs?

[Ru$kI]

I've just put a set of super-low polyurethane bump stops on my car. To be honest I love them - since I've fitted them, I've had zero scrubbing issues (compared to scraping on every turn before), and whenever I go over a bump I don't get the huge crash like I did before.


I've got the same car as u, an EK1 sedan. Sussy wise i've got Tein SS coilovers...dropped bout 1.5" - 2" all round. When i take corners at speed I get scrubbing on the guards. You're suggesting that if i get these bump stops the scrubbing will go away? Coz all this time i thought my only solution was to either roll guards (not happening), or to get a larger offset rim (rite now theyr 40).

[fly_vti]

will getting these make your car lower also? at the moment im 2.5inches lowered. so if i get these will it make my car lower? as its replacing OEM bumpstops?

[DomenEK]

These won't affect ride height - they go over the piston on the shock and basically stop the shock from bottoming out by acting as a physical barrier between the shock body and the top mount. See the picture below - the red thing on the old shock is the bump stop:
http://www.callum.orcon.net.nz/shockcompare.jpg


Ru$kI:

I would have thought your Tein SS coilovers would have bumpstops included. I managed to fix ALL my scraping problems by fitting the low-profile bump stops. That and I bashed the ridge that is under the guards up, so it doesn't cut the middle of my tyres to shreds. Ghetto mods FTW!
Although, my car is sitting lower then yours, so you really shouldn't be having any scraping problems. What wheels have you got (mine are 17s, +42 offset with 205/40/17 rubber)? I've had my guards rolled, but I don't think it actually did anything, seeing as it was still scraping like a bitch up until I installed the bumpstops.

chingaling:

I've heard the same thing. I've hit several big bumps at speed since I've had these fitted - felt it, but I didn't bounce off the road like I normally would, and the hit wasn't quite as sharsh as what it would have been without them. I haven't experienced any loss of control due to boucing off the road when hitting a big bump.

[fly_vti]

if your car isnt sitting on bumstops, its not low enough.

[Ru$kI]

my rims are 17s with tires of 205/40/17 with offset of 40. Guards aren't rolled. Ill ask the trader whom i purchased them from if they had bumpstops, but when i was purchasing, the only option given was with pillow upper mount or without...and i chose without. Btw im also running the coilovers on the stiffest setting...this helped the scrubbing alot...but i still get it from time to time.....shits me coz every time i think its my front lip scraping against the road....n i just colour coded it!

I know getting a larger offset rim such as 42 or 45 will definately reduce if not eliminate the scrubbing...but i dont feel like forking out another $k or 2 just coz ov scrubbin. How did u bash up the plastic? what tools did u use? did u take the wheels / guards off?

[BlitZ]

WTF...

My car is super low.. it had only 12 cm of clearence at one point..

Even then i didnt ride on my bump stops (i cut my original bump stops as advised by koni)



and having no bump stops is like the dumbest thing to do unless u want to blow your shocks..


if your hitting your bump stops.. its time to either get harder sprigns.. or shorter shocks

[fly_vti]

do coilovers have bumpstops? or shocks? how do they work

[DomenEK]

my rims are 17s with tires of 205/40/17 with offset of 40. Guards aren't rolled. Ill ask the trader whom i purchased them from if they had bumpstops, but when i was purchasing, the only option given was with pillow upper mount or without...and i chose without. Btw im also running the coilovers on the stiffest setting...this helped the scrubbing alot...but i still get it from time to time.....shits me coz every time i think its my front lip scraping against the road....n i just colour coded it!

I know getting a larger offset rim such as 42 or 45 will definately reduce if not eliminate the scrubbing...but i dont feel like forking out another $k or 2 just coz ov scrubbin. How did u bash up the plastic? what tools did u use? did u take the wheels / guards off?
Not plastic mate, the metal ridge underneath the splashguards. I pulled the wheels off, ripped off the plastic liner in the wheel well, then got my fav tools out (my trusty hammer and sledgey) and went for gold.

I did this because the ridge hits the tyres whenever I hit a big bump, and this tears strips out of the middle of my tyres.

Mind you, it shouldn't go anywhere near this now that I've got the bumpstops in.

[Ru$kI]

fair nuff...im gonna give my the trader whom i bought the sussy from a call sometime today to ask if these came with a bumpstop...but id imagine the coilovers should have bumpstops built in, since they are a necessary component.

I'd imagine u installed the bump stops on yourself when you took the shocks off???

Also where did you source them from?

[DomenEK]

Yep, not a hard job to do.

I was planning on adjusting my shocks to a stiffer setting while I was at it as well (I have Koni reds, which are internally adjustable, meaning I have to pull the suspension out to adjust them).

Got them off Trav (egsi) - Underground Imports (http://undergroundimports.com.au/ecommerce/os/catalog/). Shoot him a pm and he'll sort you out.

[bennjamin]

as said - you NEED bumpstops in any shocks. its obviously to prevent the shock bottoming out. Aslo as said above - if you are bottomign out , time to rais e the car or get stiffer springs or better shocks :)

[Ru$kI]

thing is i dont think its bottoming out....like i've never really known what bottoming out feels like. Only thing is scrubbing on the guards...thats it...no bang sound or whoteva it is that some people say that happens when u bottom out. if say i hit a pot hole or there's a ditch in the road r sumfn then i may occasionally hear scrubbing as the guards come in contact with the wheels due to sudden compression of springs...but in general i hear scrubbing when taking corners or when there are dips in the road...situations where the springs suddenly compress for one reason or another.

Hence my question is once again...would replacing the bumpstops that came originally with Tein SS, with these superlow ones fix my problem?

[DomenEK]

If there are no bumpstops in the Teins, then yes. If you find you don't have any bump-stops, then I'd suggest you fit some ASAP, and while you're at it, set the front shocks a little firmer. This *should* solve your scrubbing problems. Worked for me.

[Ru$kI]

Shocks are already on stiffest setting front and rear...this (and more careful driving) did help eliminate most of the scrubbing...but i still get the odd occasion where I hear it.

As far as Tein SS coming without bumpstops...that shuldnt be so...rite? i mean as ben said...every shock should have a bumpstop...and id assume since Tein SS are a pre-assembled shock-spring combo...there would be bumpstops present...rite??

[aznpsuazn]

the tein ss do not come with bump stops from what ive seen
Buddy clubs do come with bump stops

[bennjamin]

the tein ss do not come with bump stops from what ive seen
Buddy clubs do come with bump stops

WRONG
Tein ss com with bumpstops inside the upper black rubber boot. (ontop of the shock)
Most if not all shocks/coilovers etc have bumpstops.

[Ru$kI]

ben....so then would you reckn changing from tein ss bumpstops 2 these superlow ones will make a difference in my case??...im being rather speculative of this idea

[DomenEK]

If your coilovers have bumpstops, then it'd be pointless changing them over unless they had fallen apart. How old are your Teins?

[T-onedc2]

but i heard... when the bum stop goes over a big bump... it bounces the whole car off the track... .. did that happened to urs?

Basically if your car touches it's bumpstop only rarely when you hit a nasty unavoidable bump then that's acceptable, but if it rides on the bumpstop regularly then this is is not good, as the suspension is not able to absorb the car's movements and the bumpstop quickly rebounds against the shock which can cause dangerous handling.
This is usually only a problem if the car is lowered and the spring rate is not suitably increased and also fitted with matching shocks.

[Ru$kI]

If your coilovers have bumpstops, then it'd be pointless changing them over unless they had fallen apart. How old are your Teins?

They are something like 2 months old, so id imagine they are in a near new condition

[Muzz]

if your hitting your bump stops.. its time to either get harder sprigns.. or shorter shocks

amen:p