Bumpstop Confusion?

Almost everyone knows the importance of the bumpstops in our BMW and MINI suspensions. It is not just a failsafe to protect your struts and shocks, but an integral part of your suspension. Your bumpstops are engaged whenever you hit a bump, turn sharply, or even hit a dip in the road. That is why it is important to make sure your bumpstops are in good condition. Not like this:

The above shows why it is almost never a good idea to reuse your old bumpstops when refreshing or upgrading your suspension. We recommend they be replaced at 50K mile mark, perhaps sooner if you drive in snow, salt, or other harsh conditions. Why would you pay to have springs and shocks installed, and then pay again to have bumpstops replaced? Do it right, do it once!

Lots of chatter about which bumpstops to use when you lower your car with lowering springs. Hopefully nobody is still replacing their bumpstops with the same ones or not using any at all. Like reusing old ones, these are both wrong. The key is to get a bumpstop that is shorter than your stock ones to better match the amount of lowering from your spring, so you are not "riding on your bumpstops". This is what BMW itself does, if you compare the non-sport and sport bumpstops for the same car:

That is why we custom match the new bumpstops to every suspension kit we sell.  Like these:

But even these are not to be used on every BMW model.  Heavier cars need different bumpstops than light cars.  Wagons and convertibles need different ones than sedans and coupes.  We even have to consider the diameter of the strut shaft and the size of the bumpstop hole!

This is one of the many benefits of getting a Strutmonkey assembled suspension kit... you leave the bumpstops to us!