[kd883]

Hi guys,

When I bought my Sierra it already had a 2" spring lift and extended shackles. I recently took the extended shackles off and put the standard ones back on. However, since doing so, the back keeps bottoming out. Upon inspection, I noticed something interesting:

Front



Back



The front has much more room to move. Could it be that the previous owner welded that square tube in at the back as a bumpstop extension? Surely that's not meant to be there?

Cheers,

KD.

[Red89]

Yes they are

[zukmeista]

Yes they are bumpstop extensions, no they are not meant to be there. Before removing them, make sure that the shocks won't be fully compressed before the bumpstop hits the chassis.

[Red89]

zukmeista wrote:

Yes they are bumpstop extensions, no they are not meant to be there. Before removing them, make sure that the shocks won't be fully compressed before the bumpstop hits the chassis.

I imagine they served a purpose for the previous owner but as the extended shackles have been removed they are no longer required.

[zukmeista]

Only if the shocks aren't too long.

[kd883]

Thank you very much for the input fellas.

Quote:

Before removing them, make sure that the shocks won't be fully compressed before the bumpstop hits the chassis.

Zukmeista, good point. How can I check that the shocks won't be fully compressed without removing the extensions though?

Cheers,

KD.

[Joshyboy26]

take out your shock and compress it and measure the eye to eye distance. then go and flex your car up till it touches the bumpstop and measure the bolt to bolt distance.

if the distance bolt to bolt minus the block hieght is bigger than what your shock can compress then you can take it out, however if the shock closed length is longer than the bolt to bolt length minus the block then you must either leave it or research some new shocks that will fit.

in a perfect world your car will bottom out 25mm before your shock will. ie with you car on the bumpstops the shock will have 25mm of travel still to go.

hope this helps/makes sense haha

[Bugsta]

You can do it without flexing. Measure the length eye to eye of the shock as it is installed on flat ground. Remove one end of the shock, compress and measure that. Measure the distance between bump stop and original bump point. Add say 5-10mm(?) for compression of the bumpstop. If that distance is less than the difference of the shock measurements, you're ok.

[Trypt]

sorry to hijac the thread but Is this a good option for bump stop extension? i need to extend mine

[zukmeista]

Why do you need to extend them?

[Trypt]

I have the commo hiace shocks

[zukmeista]

Buy some shocks that fit properly then.

[Red89]

Trypt wrote:

sorry to hijac the thread but Is this a good option for bump stop extension? i need to extend mine

Mine were like that for several years without any problems.

[Trypt]

ok i just assumed they would bottom out being 2 inches longer

[Red89]

To clarify my reply using 2 inch by 2inch tube as an extension is fine, driving on road with only an inch of up travel is going to be uncomfortable. How big is the gap between the bumpstop and diff currently ?

[kd883]

Quote:

You can do it without flexing. Measure the length eye to eye of the shock as it is installed on flat ground. Remove one end of the shock, compress and measure that. Measure the distance between bump stop and original bump point. Add say 5-10mm(?) for compression of the bumpstop. If that distance is less than the difference of the shock measurements, you're ok.

Thanks very much Bugsta, I did this on the weekend. Great idea.

Lucky I checked before I went cutting those extensions off - these longer shocks would bottom out 60mm before the bumpstops would! I guess I'll be leaving the extensions on until I can afford some new, shorter shocks...

Quote:

driving on road with only an inch of up travel is going to be uncomfortable

It sure is - but I am learning, by way of necessity, to drive around it for now.

Cheers,

KD.