Suspension Springs, Shocks, Brakes

Bump stop cutting, Alignments, Camber kits for Lowering Springs

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Old 06-13-2009, 07:34 PM
  #126  
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Anybody have a recomendation for a shop in the Denver area to install springs? My chevy dealer wants way too much money and I have no desire to do this myself right now.
Old 06-14-2009, 08:49 PM
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Originally Posted by ls1fbody
you shouldn't have cut anything.
x23847395006573493
Originally Posted by CobaltSSilver
I would if the instructions call for it.
Then you can kiss your shocks/struts goodbye.

I never cut mine and mine is the lowest you can go on springs without cutting or heating and it rides fine.
Old 06-14-2009, 10:03 PM
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Originally Posted by tru2nrtt777
x23847395006573493

Then you can kiss your shocks/struts goodbye.
That is completely unfounded. Cutting the bump stop does not reduce the life span of your dampers. As long as you haven't removed it, you will not bottom it out.
Old 06-14-2009, 10:07 PM
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So if a volume of liquid that is designed for x amount of movement at y height in it's container and y is moved to put a lot more pressure x is not gonna find a way out to get it's movement back which would be by releaseing the liquid nessisary to restore movement while at the higher pressure?
Old 06-14-2009, 10:23 PM
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ok i have a ? i have installed two sets of lowering springs and have never used the camber kit bolt there is enough movement to get the camber specs in if when you put the strut on that you move it all the way out from its travel on the top bolt that mounts to the knuckle
Old 06-15-2009, 05:33 PM
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Originally Posted by tru2nrtt777
So if a volume of liquid that is designed for x amount of movement at y height in it's container and y is moved to put a lot more pressure x is not gonna find a way out to get it's movement back which would be by releaseing the liquid nessisary to restore movement while at the higher pressure?
Your math there makes no sense at all! Look, let me help. The volume of the damper cylinder is constant. The volume of the fluid inside it is constant. The piston inside also has a constant volume. When the piston moves in one direction within the cylinder, the fluid simply flows through it to the other side, so there is no loss or creation of volume.

Pressure in the case of a damper is a function of how fast the piston moves, not how far. I can move the piston from one end of the damper to the other, bottoming it out on both sides, and not create any great amount of pressure.

The bump stop does not protect against fluid pressure. Its designed to prevent the piston from bottoming out inside the cylinder. By cutting it, you just allow the piston to travel closer to the point of bottoming out, allowing more travel. But it still doesn't bottom out.

Originally Posted by yel-low
ok i have a ? i have installed two sets of lowering springs and have never used the camber kit bolt there is enough movement to get the camber specs in if when you put the strut on that you move it all the way out from its travel on the top bolt that mounts to the knuckle
So, what's your question?

Last edited by Halfcent; 06-15-2009 at 05:33 PM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Old 06-22-2009, 10:42 PM
  #132  
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So how many people run sportlines without cutting the bump stops?
Old 06-22-2009, 11:08 PM
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Originally Posted by JonyyB
So how many people run sportlines without cutting the bump stops?
Good question....my guess is that folks that don't have the bump stops cut occasionally bottom out onto them...that is just an educated guess based on what I have seen heard, and logic of lowering it and not cutting the bump stop.
Old 07-04-2009, 12:05 AM
  #134  
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so i installed my springs last night after work.. and did the alignment today... theres a loud clunking noise over speed bumps and smaller bumps in the road.. sounds like theres a dead body in my trunk "my boss said." ive come to the conclusion that it could be the bumpstops that i didnt cut down.. everything is torqued down.. i re-positioned the springs just like the stock springs were.. and everything is just the way the factory would of had it.. but i lubed up the bumpstops thinking it was from the springs being too new and not broken down yet.. but if you think its the bumpstops.. please comment.
Old 07-04-2009, 07:49 AM
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Originally Posted by Halfcent

So, what's your question?
my ? was why do you guys buy the camber kit and why do you cut the bump stops i didnt on both
Old 07-04-2009, 11:45 AM
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Originally Posted by CatchMeIFyouCAN
so i installed my springs last night after work.. and did the alignment today... theres a loud clunking noise over speed bumps and smaller bumps in the road.. sounds like theres a dead body in my trunk "my boss said." ive come to the conclusion that it could be the bumpstops that i didnt cut down.. everything is torqued down.. i re-positioned the springs just like the stock springs were.. and everything is just the way the factory would of had it.. but i lubed up the bumpstops thinking it was from the springs being too new and not broken down yet.. but if you think its the bumpstops.. please comment.
You already know the answer. You said it right there in your own words. You didn't cut the stops. Do you have sportlines? Then your instructions told you specifically to cut them. Why didn't you?

Originally Posted by yel-low
my ? was why do you guys buy the camber kit and why do you cut the bump stops i didnt on both
I didn't use a camber kit. You don't have to.

I didn't cut the bump stops because my Pro-Kit instructions specifically say not to cut them. If I had Sportlines, I would have cut them because the instuctions say to.

Last edited by Halfcent; 07-04-2009 at 11:45 AM. Reason: Automerged Doublepost
Old 07-29-2009, 03:24 PM
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My Progress springs came with instructions TO cut bump stops (all four) which of course I did and after installation I checked my alignment it was right on the money. Good thing I didnt have to pay for someone to tell me it was good. I've noticed that on many of these that I have done that the are right on or just a fraction off. But that is just my experience with the Cobalt and G5's.

Also I noticed in an earlier post you can cut the rear bump stop without removing springs (PITA though) but the fronts are inside the dust shield and I cant see anyone getting at them to cut them down so you would have to remove the strut assembly and spring to get at the bumpstop.
Old 07-31-2009, 08:53 PM
  #138  
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Originally Posted by 395 plus
My Progress springs came with instructions TO cut bump stops (all four) which of course I did and after installation I checked my alignment it was right on the money. Good thing I didnt have to pay for someone to tell me it was good. I've noticed that on many of these that I have done that the are right on or just a fraction off. But that is just my experience with the Cobalt and G5's.

Also I noticed in an earlier post you can cut the rear bump stop without removing springs (PITA though) but the fronts are inside the dust shield and I cant see anyone getting at them to cut them down so you would have to remove the strut assembly and spring to get at the bumpstop.
how much did you take off for the progress springs?

and anyonw know how much to take off for SSC springs???
Old 08-11-2009, 08:59 AM
  #139  
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Did anyone do what the directions said about re-torquing all busing related pivot points in the rear after install? Just installed my sportlines over the weekend and the RR side is sitting about 1/2" higher than the LR side. Any suggestions as to what could be wrong?
Old 08-11-2009, 10:15 PM
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Did you in fact retorque the bushings, or did you just tighten them down? There is a different between torque and tighten.

Did you seat the spring completely in the mount?
Old 08-11-2009, 10:46 PM
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I didn't do anything to the bushings yet, I was going to loosen them up and retorque but I have no idea what the torque specs are and neither did eibach when I called them. And as far as I know the springs were seated in the rear correctly unless there is actually a right and wrong position when seating the springs into the rear. Where or how should the bottom coil be placed on the rear mounts? I just put them both in the same location, but it's only one side that is higher, which doesn't make much sense to me.
Old 08-12-2009, 11:42 PM
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Okay, you can leave the bushings alone. As for the spring buckets and mounts, they are pretty straight forward, and there is no particular orientation for the rear springs (the front springs do have a notch they fit into). Is one upside down?

All I can suggest is remove and replace them again. It's a pretty simple job, it won't take you much time at all.
Old 08-13-2009, 12:02 AM
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I took both rear springs out tonight and reseated them, but when I put the RR spring back on (the spring that has been giving me problems) I spun it 180 degrees different than the way the LR spring is seated. It seems like it helped out, but it's too soon to tell I think. It may have to settle. I know there are some others who have the same problem...it just looks like crap if one side sits higher than the other. If I stand behind my car I can see that the back end is sitting a little higher on the RR side. I'm getting an alignment at a Chevy dealership tomorrow, so I will see if they have any input. Maybe they can loosen and retorque the bushings since it should be easier for them to do this with the car already being on the alignment rack. Hopefully it just needs to settle into place, or the tech working on the car may see something that I am missing.
Old 08-13-2009, 03:03 PM
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Settling is not the issue, problem, or solution. It should sit straight. Swap the springs, move the left one to the right side and vise-versa. If the problem follows, its the spring.
Old 08-18-2009, 01:09 AM
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How are the bump stops held in place? Can they they be removed and cut down on the top side so that they would appear to still be stock? I have an LT. Are the bump stops from an FE5 suspension shorter from the factory? I would like to have a more finished look than just cutting them off with a knife.

Last edited by aaronll; 08-18-2009 at 01:14 AM. Reason: spelling
Old 08-19-2009, 11:28 AM
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If you look at the directions on the first page, Eibach shows you specifically which side of the bump stop to cut. The rear stops are held in place by the spring itself under the cars weight.
Old 09-04-2009, 12:33 PM
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How do I cut the front bumpstops without taking off the springs? I just got an alignment, thats why I dont wanna take them off.

Ive got 2.2L with sportlines.
Old 09-04-2009, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by gCobalt05
How do I cut the front bumpstops without taking off the springs? I just got an alignment, thats why I dont wanna take them off.

Ive got 2.2L with sportlines.
taking them off will not mess up your alignment. but you may be able to stick a knife through the springs. if your not hitting the bumpstops, no need to worry about cutting them.
Old 01-05-2010, 10:19 AM
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75$ is cheap for an alignment i took my car in cost me 90 for the toe and a quote of $50 for each camber bolt plus another $50 for each rear wheels shims to a total of $290 since i have to pay another 90 for a new alignment did anyone ever figure out the 60 mph vibration? i have the same problem but it hasnt always been there... just since my wreck that pushed the control arm back 4 inches but was replaced. its not the wheels as it has done it with 5 sets of wheels and tires.
Old 01-05-2010, 11:02 AM
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check your swaybar endlinks


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