Why would someone want to cut bumpstops if lowering the ride? Is hitting the stop going to severely damage the ride.

I ask because I now have swifts, love the ride, hate the way it hits potholes (when I can't avoid them in NYC)

Also within the strut assembly after removing the spring above the bumpstop there is a disc that contains bearings and grease. What is its purpose?

I ask because I might have compromised it while replacing struts (some bearings and grease dripped out when it accidentaly got heated). Structurally it seems fine, but it must have opened up at some point then and am wondering if I should take the time to take it all apart to replace the disc.

Thanks!

 

For some lowering springs, cutting the bumpstops is the only way to allow for more travel (and even in some cases, allows the car to sit lower). But if the bumpstop is too short for an impact, it's going to transfer that force into the car's assembly and the result is pretty much something like FitDeez's issue.

Swifts DO NOT require cutting the bumpstops. The DIYs you mostly likely saw that had the "recommendation" of cutting bumpstops are for other springs.

That disc with bearings is how the strut rotates. The rubber that sits on top of the bearing is squeezed to the underside of the contact area with the car's sheetmetal. Everything below that bearing needs to be able to turn, otherwise you have no steering. That bearing is all there is to allow you to turn, without massive amounts of rubbing at the top.

Mine opened up a little too when I dropped it, but it closed up fine and no grease came out.

Why would any of it get heated in the first place?

In any case, if you're worried too much grease got out, replace it (or add grease to it). Better safe than sorry.

 

The nut on top become extremely hard to loosen, and I threaded the top of the old strut in the process. Since I needed the bumpstop and bearings and stuff, I cut the top of the strut and in the process it got hot enough to heat up the bearing grease and expand it a bit so some grease and black bearings came out. I checked it afterwards and it seemed ok. If this start to sound wacky there while driving I'll assume its that and replace it. I'll order one now just in case.


Thanks!

 

Any ideas on other signs to know that the bearing is failing?

 

When the vehicle is lowered the suspension travel is reduced significantly; shortening the bump stops permits more travel but that is worthwhile only if your shocks are changed so that when the suspension contacts the bump stop the shock is not collapsed to the point that the piston butts into the bottom of the shock. In that case the shock will be damaged and n=o longer function as intended.
Not cutting the bump stop should prevent the piston from bottomin but your suspension travel may be reduced to the point that the ride is rough.
The greased disc is a means to assist the hub turning back and forth with steering changes. Why did you heat the shock?

 

The top nut was stuck. I had to use an angle grinder to shear the top off to get the spring off.

Another follow up question: I noticed tonight that there is a creaking if I turn the wheel when at a stop...is that normal?

 

You sure you put all the parts back in the right order?

 

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