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Replacing rear bumpstops

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I'm just about to replace the rear bumpstops on my car as the N/S has split. Are they the same as on a Mk3 Golf?? Is there anything i should particularly watch out for before starting it?

Thanks

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Get the FEBI ones GSF sell, they are solid rubber and won't disintegrate like the foam VW ones.

 

...or, If you don't fancy taking the shocks off etc, FK do some that come as seperate rings you can just push on between the spring coils...

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Yes, they are the same, but you may also find that the top-mounts need doing when you take things apart.

 

Disintegrating rear bumpstops tends to mean the dampers are shot btw...

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Disintegrating rear bumpstops tends to mean the dampers are shot btw...

Certainly does - the rear bumpstops also act as "helper springs" :wink:

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i have a question....i have to admit i dont have rear bump stops fitted :oops: is this a very very bad thing??

 

do the standard bump stops fit over the koni dampers?

 

when i did the swap i saw that the diameter of the metal pole part of the strut is about 2 - 3mm thicker than standard..and im not sure if the standard will fit??

 

thanks

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i didnt have any for 6 months, and when i got them and put them on, it felt SOOO much better, much more rigid and hard at the rear, and i could take more than 2 people without it bottoming out over every little bump!! get them ASAP, as someone advised me!!!

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jedi-knight83, the spongy genuine VW ones that we sell will fit over slightly fatter shocks - I have fatter shocks on mine. I used a little grease on the shocker shaft to ease the bumpstops on with. 2-3mm wider than standard diameter won't be a problem.

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jedi-knight83, I'll send you a PM with the price tomorrow m8

 

They're a progressive bumpstop - hard & solid at the top, fairly soft at the bottom. I just chop the rock hard bit off the top & retain the lower progressive section.

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Thought I would join in with some questions for you too Steve. Having put 25/30mm springs on the 16v and left the bumpstops full length the ride was very firm, but I was getting weird thumping noises when going over potholes etc. As you'll have seen from my other posts on this, Mike Edwards suggested that I should cut the stops down. So I cut off one segment, put the car back on its feet, and could see the stop was still sitting on the top of the damper. So I cut another segment off which the gave me a gap of about 30mm betwen stop and damper. But now the back end is sitting too low, and my exhaust is hitting the crosbeam. So, the question is, should I have only cut one segment off, as you are suggesting that the stops actually provide some of the suspension?

By the way, I fitted the Mk 4 Golf shorter stops on the front and they have a gap when the car is at rest but the ride height was unaffected. So I'm still confused and looking forward to finding out what I may have done wrong :roll:

Tonight & tomorrow morning I am going to refit all original suspension and compare measurements with the new bits.

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2CC, your rear springs should hold the weight of your car without any bumpstops fitted at all. Sounds to me like your springs may not be suitable and/or your rear shockers require replacing. Which springs have you fitted ??

Hopefully not GS&F lowering springs - they're total crap !! (I took mine back for a refund)

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coilovers usually have an assister spring which pretty much does away with the need for bumpstops... 8)

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In answer to the question re: coilovers - No. Only needed with seperate springs/dampers.

 

Henny, I hope you were kidding about the role of helper springs...

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Stevemac, its on Eibachs. The springs do hold the weight of the car, the problem seems to be that with a full bump stop the back is a bit high and very firm; with two segments cut off the stops it is far too low (and the exhaust catches the beam); with one segment cut off the height is what I want it to be, ie same as the front (yesterday in damned rear springs in gen chat) What was confusing me was that I expected (normally) there to be a clearance gap between bottom of the bump stops and top of damper, and the stops only coming into contact when the suspension travel bottomed out. Your saying that the stops act as 'helper springs' sugests that they would normally be in contact with the car at rest. Which is what mine now are, just seemed odd is all.

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Henny, I hope you were kidding about the role of helper springs...

 

eh? have I understood something wrong then? :?

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The helper springare always fully compressed whithe weight of the car on the suspension.

 

It they were acting as bumpstops, that whould make them a solid metal stop - which would be "interesting".

 

They apparently keep the main spring under compression when the suspension extends, although this begs the question of why not use a longer spring???

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ah, I'd misunderstood what they were there for then... :oops: I thought they were the opposite of what they are, IE, lots tougher then the normal springs so stopping you bottoming out when the main spring is fully compressed...

 

Cheers for that Mike... That's why I love this forum... you can learn something every day... 8)

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They apparently keep the main spring under compression when the suspension extends, although this begs the question of why not use a longer spring???

 

Sounds like the Koni approach, only 1 spring on each of mine.

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Steve - I think you may be a little "off-message" with that comment... :shock:

Mike - If somebody asks a question (2CC), I will answer that question - regardless of wether another person finds it to be "off topic" or not :roll:

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Bump stop is the wrong term. They are actually spring "assistors" and are supposed to be ridden on permanenty. You have to trim them the ride height (ie 35mm) drop though, otherwise their effect is too pronounced.

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Mike Edwards wrote:

Steve - I think you may be a little "off-message" with that comment...

 

Mike - If somebody asks a question (2CC), I will answer that question - regardless of wether another person finds it to be "off topic" or not

 

Steve, I think Mike was refering to your coment about the GSF springs :roll:

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Mike Edwards wrote:

Steve - I think you may be a little "off-message" with that comment...

 

Mike - If somebody asks a question (2CC), I will answer that question - regardless of wether another person finds it to be "off topic" or not

 

Steve, I think Mike was refering to your coment about the GSF springs :roll:

I'm as honest as the day's long & our "GS&F Sporting" lowering springs are sh1te :p :lol:

The remark was relevent because they make the car sit on the floor - they are way too weak !!

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