Bumpstops for Bottomless Suspension
Posted by Sean Reyes on
Eliminating Harsh Vehicle Response
Although bumpstops may be one of the most functionally critical components on your vehicle, they are one of the most forgotten pieces when it comes to upgrading your suspension.
At the most basic level, your bumpstop’s job is to limit upward suspension travel to protect your dampers, drivetrain, chassis, and in some cases even the body. Even though there are plenty of things your bumpstops can do to help aid the rest of your suspension, most factory bumpstops - particularly on trucks and SUVs - do nothing more than stop your suspension from cycling as a fail safe to prevent damage after a big hit.
Think about accidentally running over a curb too fast, that hard clunk is the factory bumpstop engaging as a fail-safe. Hard hard rubber on metal, not fantastic.
They do a great job of keeping the vehicle from popping shocks, buckling fenders, and flattening off the axle tubes, but they do nothing for softening the blow when you run out of squish or keeping the vehicle from fully bottoming out in the first place. So what can an upgraded bumpstop do to improve your suspension?
Aftermarket bumpstops can essentially be split into two categories;
- Off-Road bumpstops designed to soften the blow when you run out of bump (compression) travel
- Helper Spring style bumpstops designed to assist with offsetting heavy loads and reducing sag.
The most well known style of off-road bumpstops are hydraulic or air-bumps from the big names like Fox Racing, King Shocks, Bilstein, and Icon Vehicle Dynamics - commonly seen on trophy trucks or other high end or race-level vehicles.
Hydraulic and air bumpstops act as essentially an additional shock absorber with progressive dampening specifically designed to provide increased damping force as you near the end of your compression travel. These will not only make bottoming your suspension out hurt a whole lot less, the progressive support makes it so you run out of squish far less frequently.
These high end “jounce shocks” give you the added damping force when you need it for the big stuff, without sacrificing the nice plush ride you are used to from your suspension on the smaller stuff.
In layman's terms, high performance shocks can be tuned for a plush ride zone more effectively, if they can rely on a similarly high-performance set of bumpstops to eat up the hard hits off-road.
Most street vehicles are fairly limited on suspension travel, but these are a great way to give you that bottomless feel most of us are looking for. There are a number of aftermarket bumpstop options available to bolt-on to your Tacoma, 4Runner, F-150, and other factory vehicles.
Timbren Off-Road Active Bumpstops
These rubber stops are longer than stock, and just like a true jounce shock, they provide progressive support for the end of bump/compression travel. Their early engagement works to soften the hard hit of your suspension running out, and can often keep you from fully bottoming out as well. Since they are more spring than damper, the bottom-out experience may not be as plush as a hydraulic bumpstop, and may add a little rebound when they are fully engaged. These are still far superior to factory stops and worth every penny (usually $250 for the front or rear pair). Many midsize trucks and SUVs spend a lot of time on their bump stops, so even if you are not sending it on the trails, these can still really cut down on the crashing and harsh hits of your suspension even on the road.
Timbren suspensions are a game-changer in the world of vehicle stability and load support. With Timbren suspension, you'll experience unrivaled control and comfort. Whether you're hauling heavy loads or navigating rough terrain, Timbren's innovative design ensures your vehicle stays level and responsive. Say goodbye to sagging rear ends and hello to enhanced safety and performance with Timbren suspension solutions. Upgrade your ride today and feel the Timbren difference!
Suspension Enhancement / Timbren, SumoSprings
The second, and often most misunderstood kind of bump stop upgrade is a helper spring bump stop like those offered from SumoSprings or the Timbren Suspension Enhancement System. In the previous section we talked about how the rubber off-road oriented bumpstops are more spring than stop. This style of bumpstop upgrade takes that concept to the next level to help support heavy loads and reduce sag. They use a very similar rubber construction, however, they are even longer and provide even more progressive support as the suspension compresses, so once engaged they act like an additional spring reducing sag and maximizing travel.
Think towing heavy loads, carrying heavy loads, overlanding your daily driver - with a support-spring installed, the rear of the vehicle will sag much less under those varying conditions, which translates to better vehicle control and performance. Discover the best shocks for towing and elevate your hauling experience with superior stability and control.
Hydraulic Bumpstops / Hydro Bumps
At the highest levels of off-road performance, hydraulic bumpstops take the place of factory bumps, to provide a telescoping damper for maximum engagement. These come in varying lengths from 2-4 inches, to engage the suspension at any point the driver desires.
The benefits are substantial and often times overlooked. Bottomless Suspension is the true desire of any off-road vehicle, the seamless transition from compression to rebound in the toughest terrain. Hydraulic bumpstops aim to eliminate harsh bottom-outs completely, while not adding any rebound like a rubber or air-spring.
