I just bought H&R's and they will be here next week. I need to know, if I am planning on using my stock SE struts for a while, should I trim the bumpstops or no? I read this whole thing on H&R website about how modern bumpstops are a critical part of the suspension and shouldn't be tampered with unless recommended for your application. But then they don't SAY if it is recommended... Who has these (or any lowering springs) and has input? Did you trim? If so, how much? If not, do you bottom out a lot???

 

For some odd reason Matthew, no one likes to respond to these questions. Last time I posted, only a few members posted their solution for dealing with this issue. I know more than a few 5th gens have dropped their car and must have trimmed their bump stops. FYI the search sucks for this issue! My suggestion is to trim, but how much you should trim should be in your instructions for the springs. The stock SE struts are going to be a bit too long for the H&R springs so even if you trim your bump stops you may still bottom out.

 

recommends 30 mm cut from the front bumpstops, 26 mm from the rears.
Methinks the H&Rs drop the car just a wee bit more than Eibachs but hardly enough to make a difference so....your call
Mine were trimmed per Eibachs' instructions, no problema as at all with ride, dead quiet, no prangs, bangs, bottomong (yet) or other fouls symptoms

 

I think the odd reason is that not too many people really know. H&R won't recommend it b/c that's safer. Eibach says trim 26mm in front and 30mm in rear. I have Maxspeeds and my install guy trimmed the front, but not the bcak b/c it's integrated w/ the dustcover. When I get my Toks installed we're gonna figure out how to trim the rear, b/c I do occassionally bottom out in the back.

Jeez, seems like I have typed this 10 times!

At any rate YES, TRIM!

 

Hey noflash I think I found a solution for the rear bump stops/dust covers! Well, b/c you have to trim the rear your only option is to cut the dust cover off and then trim the bump stop, but save the dust cover and put it right back on not connected to the bump stop. The aftermarket struts being as short(lack of a better word) as they are this will be sufficient coverage of the piston. Only thing is that the dust cover at times will be going right over the bump stop. Let me know what you think. I was dumb and threw them away as per instructions from my local speed shop.

 

I think that is exactly what I am gonna try. Hopefully shouldn't be too long 'til install. I'll let everyone know how it worked out.

But jeez, i really can't believe this isn't discussed by more members! I feel like such a pioneer in bumpstop trimming!

 

i got h&r's and we didnt cut the bumpstops. Do you guys think i should go back and cut them? And i dont really bottom out at all. I've never heard any loud banging sounds whatsoever.

What is it really mean, bottoming out?

 

Perhaps you'd like to become club member #3 of Jeff92se's elite "I'm not answering the question for the 10th time" club.

 

They told me that the bumpstops on our car do not need to be trimmed at all! He said that there is enough travel as is! So did we all do the wrong thing here? But he also said that I will be covered under the life long warranty even with the bump stops trimmed.

 

you should copy and paste it in a word document in ur comp, every time a question about this comes around, just copy and paste makes things slightly easier

 

are you gonna get fat tires? If you do and your offset is incorrect, you better hope you didn't trim your bumpstops or else you'll rub! I've always lowered cars and left the bump stops, unless they're using coilovers and want the lowest possible drop and don't care for metal hittin metal.
Jae

 

ok i like to respond. yeah yu need to take off at least one ring off on all 4 after or b4 spring install. depends on how low your springs are , then you may need to trim more. i trimmed mine, running eibachs...

 

'Bottoming out' is the term used to describe what happens when you have a lowered suspension (or bad struts) and you hit a large bump that causes your suspension to fully compress causing the suspension to bang the bumpstops causing a loud (bang!) that will scare the hell out of you and your passengers. It shouldn't happen often, but with a lowered suspension (especially with stock struts) a lot of people will trim bupstops to give their suspension more travel. It is a debate that many will go back and forth on, probably if you have Toks or KYB you don't need to trim, but I will be running stock SE (only 6000 miles on them) struts for at least a few months until I can afford (ie not make my lovely wife mad) new performance struts... That is why I ask...

 

I don't think Toks have a greater "comperssion" rate (i know that's not the right term). They only have a greater "rebound" rate. Make sense? They shouldn't make the ride harsher from hitting bumps only limit how high you bounce AFTER the bump.

If this is true (and I have read here that it is) then you would still need to trim your bumpstops if you were bottoming out b/f installation (w/ performance springs).

So, I think it really comes down to what springs you have - how low their drop is and how much travel they allow.

 

...If aftermarket struts indeed do not add a higher compression rate, only a higher rebound rate, then Circo's post above gives fairly good argument for NOT trimming the bumpstops, he has apparently spoken with Tokico and they apparently say 'no trim bumpstop for you!' for our particular vehicle. But Eibach apparently says to trim according to someone else in this thread... I just don't know... So the debate rages on.

 

Well, I have Maxspeeds on GXE stock shocks and I currently bottom out. If Toks have the same compression rate, I will still bottom out. If I trim the bumpstops, I will not bottom out.

Where's the debate?

If you bottom out, trim; if not, don't. Plain and simple.

Now somebody put this in the FAQ, cuz I am done discussing it!

 

Aren't you going with Toks soon? Why don't you put them on and don't trim, let us know if it helps your bottoming out problem, if it does, we know the compression rate being the same is not true... Somehow that just doesn't sound right to me that the compression rate of Toks is the same as a stock GXE strut... I am curious.

 

While this is a good idea, you do have to take the suspension apart to trim the rear - meaning I would have to pay for the intall twice. And I really can't see a negative to trimming! There's no danger or downside (besides having to do it).

Good idea, but I'm too poor to test it out. I'll let everyone know how it goes.

 

Hey noflash did you know that the stock struts are made by tokico? Matthew, of course the compression rate (springs) is not the same as stock. Rebound & dampening is controlled by struts. At least this is what I have came to know I could be wrong, because I am not a suspension expert. I am going to try and call shox.com today and ask them what do they suggest!

 

...Good idea, let us know what you find out.

 

The SE struts say Tokico, GXE/GLE don't. At any rate, the SE toks aren't the same as the aftermarket Toks - but you already knew that.

Seems funny that their aftermarket one's sometimes fail, but you never hear that of stock (heard it once).

Also, grain of salt w/ tirerack expert. you might get a guy who will level with you, but those corporate phone reps usually have a scripted answer for everything - but still check it out.

 

My GXE struts said tokico on the bottom of the strut. If the aftermarket ones fail you have a lifetime warranty to replace as long as you had them installed by a professional! I would just get a reciept from the local speed shop if thats the case.

Another question popped up while looking at my strut/spring assembly, do you need to use the factory rubber sleeve that is on the top and bottom of the spring? I used ONE that was provided with the Eibachs at the bottom of the spring. And the list keeps growing!

 

springs: how much rear drop do u get with the Maxspeeds?
Eibachs get you 1.3" drop in front and 1.0" drop in rears...what do the Maxspeeds drop?

 

I was waiting for you to get back in this thread.

"MaxSpeed 1.7, 1.4" is from the FAQ, but I def think it's a bit genrous. I am kicking for not measuring b/f - so I don't have a definitive answer. I would say the drop is 1.5 front & 1.0 rear. this is after a few weeks to settle - it did settle.

My sig pic is from the day of install. I did just take pics on Friday, I will have to put them up tonight. That's the best I can do.

But I swear tons of members are getting these, lets start a new thread to see it anyone measured b/f and after.

 

I didn't measure the drop from my Eibachs but I would say that the drop is more than the stated 1.3" front and 1.0 rear! My car scrapes on stuff now.

 

I saw about a 1.25" drop in the front and .75" in the rear about a week after the install (I did measure before and after too). I have not measured since then (been about 2 months). If it settled anymore...I am guessing it is a very small amount.

Brian

 

...Are you still on stock SE struts? How are they holding up? I am within a day of taking delivery of my new H&R's, and I plan to run my stock SE struts for the time being, I want to know how much lifespan I can expect...

 

but enough that if the Maxpeeds' spring rate is pretty close to stock they could bottom if the stops are'nt trimmed.

Our Maxes dont have that much wheel travel to begin with -something less that 6 inches- so take away 15 to 20% of that and it could be a problem -specially on springs which come close to the OEM spring rate.

Without having a) a spring guage (to compare spring rates) and b) a shock dyno to assess if indeed the Tokicos have different Jounce (compression) and Rebound (extension) dampening rates we're all conjecturing here -myself included.

But, given the short wheel travel in our cars, common sense to me means trim stops to something close to what ur dropping the car by.

 

For those users who have H&R sport springs for the 2000-up Maxima, a direct call from myself to H&R technical support yielded this:

"Due to the progressive spring design and increased spring rate of the H&R over the stock spring, trimming of the bumpstops is not necessary or recommended."

...That is not a direct quote but a close paraphrase of their tech suports' answer. Now this is only for H&R, which I have on the way and many other users have already (emax, etc.) but I don't know whether Maxspeed has the progressive spring design (progressive springs get stiffer and stiffer as they compress towards full compression) or spring rate that would make this truw of their spring application... But this is what I know.

As a side note H&R springs are being sold at a very reasonable price right now at tirerack.com for $225, which is lower than I have seen them anywhere else. I swear I don't work for tirerack, I am just passing on the knowledge, that is like $20 cheaper than they had them a month ago...

 

I am on stock struts right now. I have bottomed out 3 times since the install (about 2 months ago). Two of them were on purpose, going over speed bumps to see what kind of travel I had and with 5 people in the car going over a really crappy road.

The stock struts seem to be more than adequate for 1 to 3 passengers. Once I get 2 or 3 people in the backseat...the shocks become very bouncy. It feels like I am towing a boat! It ONLY feels like this with a full back seat.

Normal driving, you will probably not bottom out - if you did it would be rarely.

I did not trim my bump stops nor do I think I will in the future (when I get aftermarket shocks).

I cannot comment on how long I think these struts will last. I am hoping for a year – I think that is a very realistic goal.

Hope this helps,
Brian

 

I dont get why no one wants to trim them? What's to lose?

 

Thanks Brian, that does help, I am optimistic now that my almost new 02 SE struts will hold out for a while. I appreciate your feedback!

 

My personal feeling (my opinion only) on this is that if you don’t need to cut them, then don’t. If I would bottom out (hitting the bump stop...not bottoming out the shock) a lot, I probably would trim them a tad.

There have been cases where people have cut them either too much or cut them period and the shocks blew. Too much travel is a bad thing. Also, factory bump stops are a guarantee that you will not bottom out your shocks. Better safe then sorry right?

IMHO, for my setup, MaxSpeed on stock 2k2 SE, the bump stops are better left to factory spec.

Brian

 

Why don't you use that information to get www.shox.com to reduce their price? They say they will match or beat anyones advertised price!

 

Ditto that Galo....I installed Eibach on stock struts as well and trimmed to Eibach specs. I suggest anyone lowering should trim their bumpstops some amount (spring manufacturer should provide spec but maybe not in all cases) to maintain proper suspension travel.

 

That is exactly what I did Circo -- cut off the dust cover and install it back onto the strut shaft then trim the bumpstop. I have had no problems in the 2 weeks that I've done the install and no noises either! Not sure why anyone would suggest to throw them away without supplying new ones....

 

I know what dumbarses thats the last time I ask for advice from that speed shop! Now I need to buy two new ones or search the scrap yard. I don't thinks its worth the trouble of taking the whole strut assembly off so I am going to put a slit in the side and slide it on. Plus tokico already told me my struts are under warranty for life.

 

...Too late, mine arrived today! But I encourage everyone else to get on shox.com and get those H&R's at a great price, because if they will beat $225 for the set, that is a good deal. Just make sure they don't cheat you on the shipping, mine was only $12.50 for 2-day shipping from tirerack...

 

That is why I like Tirerack, they always have low shipping charges. Most people have paid between 20 and 25 dollars for shipping alone, damn heavy box.

 

Trim the bumpstops.........I have lowered many, many cars and trim everyone of them. Never more than in half.