Bump stop advice - Bilstein B14s

[sam55]

I've been running Bilstein B14s on my car for a few years now and am still very impressed with them. I like the fact they're compliant enough for a bumpy British B-road, but I've noticed that when they're fully compressed, they can smash into the bump stops with a pretty horrendous 'bang'.

Does anyone have any experience in upgrading the bump stops, so they offer an extended cushioning effect? I'd like to stick with the B14s, largely because I don't want to spend too much more money on the car in a year I've already had an LSD fitted (no regrets at all!), but also because the car drives brilliantly in all scenarios apart from the 0.5 seconds it occasionally smashes into a bump stop when I'm fully on it...

Pic below illustrates the beauty of a Clio in the Elan Valley, where bump stops go to get squashed.

 

[chazza114]

I'm right in thinking that the Bilsteins have an internal bumpstop? Sounds like the damper has failed if it's compressing that much under load potentially.

 

[sam55]

I'm right in thinking that the Bilsteins have an internal bumpstop? Sounds like the damper has failed if it's compressing that much under load potentially.

Ah yes, you're right, they are internal. Good knowledge! The dampers still do a good job of keeping the car stable (there's no bounce, even under heavy load), it's just when the car's properly loaded through a bend and there's a bump for the outside front to deal with, that they seem to run out of answers. On a three-hour drive yesterday I only met the bump stops twice, so I think they're still working fine, and it's just the B14's limitations from being a bit soft. I think...

I may look to swap the old design Pure Motorsport top mounts for their new ones, to see if it's the top mounts making the noise.

 

[Brigsy]

Rideheight a bit low maybe? I run mine on stock top mounts and doesnt knock. I assume internal bumpstop with the monotube design.

Used to get similar knocking on the saxos with monotube bilsteins years ago when too low/run out of travel.

 

[sam55]

Rideheight a bit low maybe? I run mine on stock top mounts and doesnt knock. I assume internal bumpstop with the monotube design.

Used to get similar knocking on the saxos with monotube bilsteins years ago when too low/run out of travel.

I might give the ride height a check, but when I set it a couple of years back it was quite high on the struts. You can see in the pic below that it's fairly sensible, height-wise.

It probably doesn't help that I'm running -3 degrees camber up front so the mid-corner grip is pretty massive, so the loadings through the suspension, even on the road, is comparable to track driving...