front bumpstops

i've been running 4.5" of lift on the xj for many years now w/o bumpstops on the front or rear. I take it easy, but lately i bottomed out pretty hard and bent the lower control arm bracket with my TB mount (REHD). I've decided speed is fun and dont want to ruin the rs9000s with too many hard hits.

The '88 has the screw in type of mount and i threw away the bumpstops long ago. The cheapest stock replacements i can find will run me $30. I was thinking that those allong with hockey pucks could work until i get airborn. any other options? I was thinking that if i could get some poly and machine it to the proper shape with a hole in the mid, i could bolt it in the existing holes and that might work?

as for the rear, i kept the stock ones there and built some extensions off the spring plates to raise the contact. it works nicely, but i NEED some in the front now.

rear:

as you can tell, i havent quite figured out the image posting thing yet... http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2134813628

for the front, go with the pucks.

If you're worried about them staying attched, drill a hole in them nd run a bolt (w/washer) down to where your old ones bolted. I have mine glued down with RTV. They have held up fine. Actually, I've had trouble getting off for spring spacer changes!

There are a few steps you can take to see that they stick well. I use a wire wheel on my grinder and clean the spring pad. Then I use a grinder (just about anythnig) that will cut some grooves in the pucks. Rough up any pick surface that will get RTV and a few grooves to about 1/8 inch deep will do fine.

If you aren't going to pull the springs, a small wire brush and some brake parts cleaner on the spring pads will do almost as well.

Remember, you're only supposed to hit them every once in a while. If you're spending all your time on them - you have the wrong shocks.

bbburge

For gluing the hockey pucks, I've found that gorilla snot aka weatherstip adhesive works great. It dries a lot faster than RTV and remains pliable as well. Roughing up the pucks is also a good idea like bburge said.

The hassle with putting too high a bump stop inside the springs is that at extreme flex, no matter what you do, it seems like the springs will rub and make obscene noises. If you don't strap your springs, they do help keep them from shooting out on the trail though.:laugh3:

DANG!

I just went to a THIRD puck on both sides! Now I wanna go wheel and listen for the rude noises! :laugh3:

bburge

ok, im off to pay $15 for new front bumps at the locl junk yard. and go to playitagain for some pucks.

Thanks

The RTV didn't hold the pucs for half a trail for me, but I didn't rough up or cut grooves in the pucs. To me, it's easier to just drill a hole and bolt them, which also makes it MUCH easier to get the coils out.

I use the Daystar extended poly bumpstops, which don't go in the older style stock bumpstop cups. So, I just enlarged the hole in the middle (3/4" drill bit) for the head of the bolt, and bolted them directly to the bottom of the bumpstop tower. I hit them hard and often and haven't had a bit of trouble with them.

well, i was successful at the junk yard. didnt have time to find pucks...went offroading instead..hehe

all the stops they had that were the ones i needed were on jeeps with coils, so they were not willing to help out and take them off.(lame). so i got some from a ZJ. they bolt on and have the larger foam rubber style bumpers in them. I had to pull out the rubber to get at the bolts holding them in. I also picked up a set of coil isolators for another .5"...stuck them on the stops and didnt get charged...hehe.

I found a nice place to offroad near the junk yard, so i got a chance to test my rear stops. they work great. I also had a 4-runner show me up on a long steep sand hill ;rattle:. it was lame. i made it to the top and had like 10 feet to go before i sank and bogged. tried it 5 times and couldnt make it. he just flew up. whish i had an auto. though he did catch some air on the woops preceeding the hill. that was cool.

I will bolt the pucks in for piece of mind.

Thanks for the help.

-J

I dont feel like spending $20 on pucks. the cheapest i could find around here were over $3 each. I tried playitagain, goodwill, wallmart, big five. is there any reason to not just use a piece of metal tubing welded in with some plate on top? I have plenty of scrap metal and welding is fun...

I drilled pucks on mine.. which i am happy i did because after i put on the ACOS i noticed the bumpstop on the ACOS doesnt bend and compress like the stock ones do.. so i took one of the pucks off.. works great!

ok, so i tore the whole thing apart. Cycled the susp. without the springs to make measurements. Bolted in the new stops and it appears that when the susp. is compressed, the stops don't align with the bases on the axle. The bumps are too far forward and a little to the side. I think they will interfere with the springs under full compression. http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2134724210&idx=4 they're almost in the center from side to side. I cant move the axle forward because of TB clearance, so I was thinking of cutting the tubes off, or partially off, and welding them on at a better angle that could get them more centered.

What do you think? I think somebody did this on here. The other thing I was thinking is a stop on the top of the long arm where it nearly contacts the frame... in the area where the old control arm bracket was. Would it bend the arms? Dent the frame>?

I have to get something done by this weekend.

Thanks

well, because nobody has any input on the matter and im impatient, i went ahead and cut them off. the metal was fairly thin so it was easy work for the 4.5" grinder. welded them on so that they're normal to the bottom of the frame at that point. they seem to line up mutch better now. The next step will be welding on some 2.25" x 2.25" tube and a flat plate to the axle pads for the stops to hit. then on to testing to see if the springs interfere.

Thanks