What I'm asking is, when I feel the truck bottoming out bouncing over the toughest bumps and holes, am I feeling the suspension just hitting the beginning of the bumpstops, or am I completely compressing them to the point that they just stop compressing any more and hit the frame? I'm wondering if I take the bumpstops out if I'll bottom out less, if the bumpstops are that rock-hard... I know for one thing that I can't squeeze them or deform them at all by hand...
Some applications work well with no bumpstops if there is very minimal clearance. Also depends what shape yours are in. If they are original, they may be rock hard. They could also be dry and brittle or oil soaked and falling apart. A lot of newer vehicles have much softer 'progressive' bumpstops. You can also get Energy Suspension standard and low profile bumpstops which are urethane and very firm, kind of a last-minute protection.
Yeah, mine are the original bumpstops... _____ I'm just worried that if I take the bumpstops out, and I hit a m***ive hole in the road, I'll whack my frame so hard that my spine will snap.
there is no mention of the truck being lowered, if it is, its handy to know how much. you need to cut the bumpstops if its lowered, that may fix the problem.... C notching is the last resort.... and dont run over huge pot holes because you will eventually break ****.
We would often cut rubber the snubbers off 1/2 way with a hack saw. That gives you a little more movement before contact but you still have some rubber to absorb some of the shock on the biggies.
They do make "progressive" bumpstops that are made to be part of the suspension. I've used some from GM, I believe they were from an S10 SS. They are cone shaped and made to get firmer the more they compress.
Don't take the stops out, replace em with new not-rock-hard ones. Get a pair at a parts store for $4 apiece, they're relatively interchangeable so look around til something affordable pops up (if the oems are expensive). If you're on em regularly your springs are probably shot. When they get old and worked they get real weak in compression and give out instead of progressively compressing. Do those trucks have coils or torsion bars up front? Coils are cheap. If you're lowered you can cut em down. If you're excessively lowered you can drill another hole and add a second on each side.
Are these bumpstops or are they overloads? You mention compressing them (or trying to)...so I envisioned overloads. On my '56 pickup they would install on the TOP of the leafspring pack and would contact the frame when the truck was loaded up. They looked like a letter "U" on it's side where one side was in contact with the leafsprings and the otherside had a growth looking half tennis ball sized black rubber bumper that contacted the frame above. If you ARE talking about overloads, then remove them completely. If you are still talking about bumpstops...I'd say you likely need new shocks, or you are lower than stock and need to cut them down a bit like already mentioned, or you need to C-notch your frame. Of course, knowing wheather or not you have lowered the truck helps...
There is another alternative. Not sure who makes'em but they are aftermarket progressive cushions that are the size of typical stops, but are shaped with steps, like DEVO's hats, I think they are actually meant to be loaded with the suspension sitting on or nearly so, kind of like an override set up. They were featured in some of the mags..... I'd try some RUBBER, not urethane, NEW OEM stops as was suggested. Night/day difference from rock hard 40+ year old stops.
Theses are the ones I think we are both talking about. GM 88912477 ACD 45G1004 "Q78" bumpstops from GM. They orriginally came on S10 SS which were "lowered" from the factory. The Impalla SS and B-body guys use them to firm up the stock suspension. Worked great on my '94 Roadmaster.
Okay, in response to all, the truck has been lowered 3 or 4 inches all around just by working the stock leaf springs a bit. Here are a couple pictures showing how the suspension sits now. front rear Like I said, over the roughest stuff, I'll feel the axles hitting something. The thing is, I'm not sure if they're hitting the beginning tip of the bumpstops (which would mean that they are super hard) or if they're squeezing the bumpstops until they won't compress anymore, and then feeling that hit. If it actually is the later situation, then cutting the bumpstops won't help. But I suspect its the first case... I think I'll take them out and drive over some bumps that I KNOW how it feels to bottom out over and see if I feel the same thing.
It doesn't look like the front bump stop has touched. If it is bottoming out somewhere you should be able to see some type of wear. Maybe on that overload? It is hard to tell on the rear because of the glare in the photo. These guys have anything you would need in the way of bumpstop applications. It is harder than rubber, but easier to look up than going to the parts store and fetching 25 different stops untill you find the right one. http://www.energysuspension.com/pages/bsp2.html
The front looks like it has bumps stops AND overloads. I'm not familiar with these trucks in particular, but is that spring/overload thing up front stock or an OEM or aftermarket ad-on?
Kool, A lot cheeper than a New clutch eh? Now take that overload off the front spring and check to be sure none of your Shocks can bottom out before the spring gets to the Rubber bump stop. The Wizzard
from the pics your front leaf spring seems to be arching the wrong way very slightly or are flat at best. whats that bolted onto the front spring? the piece which is under the U bolts? is that hitting the ch***is? - its just the ch***is looks bent a little and looks like something has possibly been hitting it.
Actually, the frame rail is bent like that only on the driver's side (shown in the pic). The way I lowered the truck is by flipping one of the leafs from the pack over the main leaf and bolting it all back together. This pulls the center of the spring up, or the eyes down. Bam, lowered truck. I did this in each corner and the back came down about 4.5", front dropped 3".
The way you've lowered the truck has taken a bunch of spring rate away. Normally lowering springs are a higher rate than stockers, but shorter in the loaded position. Yours are both shorter, and lower rate. It's a recipe for bottoming out.
Actually, based on my experience driving around with these leaf springs modified the way they are, the spring rate has not changed at all.
Basically you preloaded the springs, see my reference to how old springs behave under load (ie giving out). This is why I'm fairly certain the spring rate is nowhere near where it should be. You've got the same amount of travel as a lot of unlowered cars do. If the truck has sufficient spring rate, it shouldn't be on the bumpstops as often as you're claiming. Maybe I'm all wrong and smoking crack, who really knows?
Well, I don't think I said it was hitting the bumpstops 'often.' It only hits over the really hard stuff; not even big potholes. I'm talking about stuff like when they tear up a road to do some construction, and there are major pits and dips and bumps...
I have bought new OEM rubber bushes for my cars over the years, and have never been happy with the quality. They have ( so far ) always turned out to be new old stock, that is old and hard, often worse than what I was replacing. The trailing arm bushes in my O/T Jag last less than 10000 Km. Being so popular, F trucks may be different. But be very critical of what you buy. I will go with a reputable brand urethane next time.
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