My bump stops were completely worn out or disintegrated - rears cut in half and fronts were "gone / missing."
Since I have no immediate plan to replace my struts and ran across this
youtube hack
, which basically cuts the bump in half and glue it together. Since these bump stops are cheap and something is better than nothing, I thought I would try:
1. My front bump stops completely disintegrated and basically "disappeared" (no residual, broken off rubber inside the boot either - which was actually "good" - more on this later)
2. The rears (see below) are gone as well. After some research (including the youtube above) and conferring with a friend with 987, decided to replace all 4 using the hack above. Luckily, he had an extra set of rear bump stops from his old 986 which fits my 2005. Ordered the fronts separately (not OEM but Uropart).
3. I started with rears and checked for any remaining, residual rubber inside to boots - like most of the work, I knew removing the old parts will be time consuming. Took some pictures from the top and bottom of the boot to see what's remaining
(From the top - rear, US passenger side)
(From the bottom - see pink rubber)
4. You basically need to "separate" the pink rubber piece from the boot - I used a 90 deg pick to cut through the rubber, a short screw driver and a plastic trim tool to push the rubber piece down by wedging the driver / plastic trim tool against the body / strut while pushing the boot down. Depends on your situation, this can be 30 mins, 5 mins or none (if nothing exists like my fronts). Once you are able to "free" the rubber piece from the boot, just cut to remove. You need to vacuum these loose rubber pieces around the strut later.
5. Another challenging part (especially rear) is to hold the boot high enough so you have enough room to insert and clamp the bump stop (the front is easier - more on this later). Tried various methods, and ended up with something like below (because of the spring being round, etc., you may need to try multiple times, positions):
6. Once the boot is secured, cut the bump stop in half - I used an exacto knife and a vice (easy)
7. Insert the bump stop, glue (krazy glue) and clamp (used small, 4 in clamps from HF); found Loctite super glue GEL type to work better than another brand as the gel type seems to give you more time to secure those clamps, zip ties then liquid ones. Ensure the glue does not touch other parts - not a big deal but just to save a few mins in separating the bump stop from strut part(s).
8. Now just slide the bump stop through the tube to secure in place (I sprayed a bit of fluid film hence the gooey stuff in the picture). Ensure the top of the plastic boot can "align" with the circled area - this can be difficult for the rear and I had to use interior trim removal tools. The fronts can be done with some elbow grease without any tools.
9. Now, just repeat and note that the fronts are ALOT easier / quicker for me:
- no remaining rubber at all
- the boot is WAAAAAAY easier to push up and hold in place
Not sure how long this can last with crazy glue (with drying out) but thought this is better than nothing. Not sure whether adhesives like Shoe Goo, epoxy are better / worse but will see.
I like it. Will be interesting to see how long the glue lasts. Please keep us updated.
If it lasts a year I would be happy...again better than nothing
Hey there DIY wizard! Kudos for tackling the bump stop challenge head-on. Your detailed process is like a transmission manual for the bump-stop world!
Now, let me sprinkle a bit of suggestion magic - have you considered reinforcing the durability of your improvised bump stops with the expert touch of a trusted workshop? Imagine a long-term solution that not only saves you from the hassle of constant repairs but also elevates your car's performance.
Give those home-brewed bump stops a test run, and if you ever feel the need for a rock-solid, worry-free solution, you should give your local workshop a go. Your car deserves the best care, and they're here to deliver!
Just install Ohlin's R&T coilovers as the shocks are just like the bump stops, shot. Maybe you can search for a take off set from a wrecked 06-11
Cayman
. At least you will know how that valve system (dual flow) should work compared to your current shock. The bump stock is just to protect the shock from bottoming out, which means it has lasted too long doing emergency work for the shock body.
A decade or so ago, I bought a set of "red"
Koni
's for my 2000 mt v6
Mustang
. They did not come with bump stops so I had to dive onto the
Koni
website( I believe it was their website) to finish the installation. I was astonished at the choice of styles, ratings, sizes that were available-literally zillions. I knew what style I liked and just picked a length and rating that I thought would not restrict the travel of the strut or shock too much. After some driving time, the cars soft rear springs seemed to compromise the feel at that end of the car. These shocks and struts were the compress the shock shaft and rotate the shaft to get the damping selected type. I never was satisfied with the feel of them even after changing damping settings a couple of times. Eventually let them go with the car at sale.
FWIW, the
bilstein B6
strut have built in bump stops. If the bump stops have failed then the struts have too.
