Old Library

<<Ok, this is the situation the drivers side rear bumpstop squeaks to high
hell when I ride over irregular surfaces.  It has been doing it off and on
(mostly on) for most of this year since the suspension install.  These are the
stock bumpstops on turbogas shocks and hor tech springs.

  I spoke to Todd(AWE) and he said that when you have a lowering spring you
always need to cut at least 1 notch off of the bottom of the bumpstop.Did you
guys know this and did your local friendly tuning shop do this when installing
your aftermarket suspension?  The sound is driving me nuts. The sound is a
high pitched squeak.  I tend to believe Todd as my last  tuning shop did not
have a trustworthy/reliable mechanic on staff.  Please explain how this
bumpstop works and why it needs to be shortened to stop the squeaking/rubbing
on the strut shaft.

Thanks for any insight.

Ben t>>

Here's what I said, Ben.  I guess I wasn't clear:  The bump stops (both front
and rear) *should* remain static on the strut/shock shaft.  They are there to
absorb extreme impact and protect the internal valving of the dampers.
If the last tech did not cut off a lobe when installing your lowering springs,
you are potentially encountering the bump stops under normal impacts,
prematurely wearing them (and causing strange handling).  The unnecessary
hammering can oval the holes in the bump stops, causing them to no longer
remain static on the strut/shock shaft.  The constant sliding on the shaft
during normal strut/shock action *can* cause the squeak you're hearing.
Nevertheless, you stated that indeed you have a bump stop sitting loose in the
rear, and that fact alone is reason to replace it.  Just make sure to cut a
lobe off the new one, and off the other three if that was not done during
original install.  Cutting a lobe off can be done on the car with a sharp
utility knife (although not easily).

Regards,
Todd
Air & Water
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