I think my front shocks are topping out

Soo the install was not done correctly?

 

Hard to diagnose a thud but first glance looks like the shock is topped out. The thud could be coming from when the shock unloads quickly over a an obstacle or speedbump.

 

Exactly what it feels like.

If that’s the case, what can I do to fix it?

 

Shock is topping out and over extending. They are not made to unload fast like jumps or wheelies. My 5100s did the same thing.

 

I’m definitely not trying to do jumps or wheelies. It has happened twice off-road, had to get momentum to get out of the snow, front wheels lifted off the ground.

Just going over speed bumps a bit faster than normal and I would feel the “thud”.

 

I haven't read the whole thread here, so someone might have suggested the following

- Clean up all that oil so you can get a good idea where it's coming from. Could be a defective shock if the oil is coming from inside the strut.
- On your LCAs is your bump stop. This is where your from suspension bottoms out. It's just a little hockey puck of rubber. Mark them up with a paint pen, paint, grease or similar so you can tell if you are actually hitting your bump stops on both sides. I would try and mimic the situation with a speed bump or curb so that both wheels get the same treatment at the same time. This tells you if one side is performing better than the other of if they are both doing the same. If you get the same feeling with no transfer of paint, you're not hitting your bump stops and shits fucked.
- Cracks in your OME coils? Worth a quick inspection while you're down there.

General sniff test. You know your truck. If it doesn't look right, it probably isn't.

 

Thanks for the reply.

Oil is just fluid film.

I have no issues with bottoming out, it’s the opposite, I feel like my shocks are topping out/over extending.

Been like this for about a year now, nothing broke yet but I don’t really like hearing and feeling this “thud”. Don’t think it’s normal.

 

Measure your down travel as explained in the video another posted. I believe the video provides the stock down travel for comparison.

stock down travel is 3.8"



If the down travel is only 2", you may be experiencing topping out, exactly what you are describing.




.

 

@Junkhead if you're even slightly mechanically inclined, it's probably easiest to pull the coilover and measure the extended length. Or just jack up the front so the wheels are off the ground and provide the tophat to lower bolt length, like you did at ride height.

It sounds like your ride height is too close to the full extension of the shock. This isn't your fault from install, but rather a limitation of the shock.

 

+1

this topping out can be more apparent with only 2" of down travel when you have a shock that has minimal rebound and a heavier spring. The shock just flings easily back to max length, topping out, when the suspension is unweighted after you go over a speed bump or rock.

 

That does make sense, but I still think
Something is wrong. This lift kit was designed for a 3rd gen Tacoma. Even
If I’m running out of downtravel, I don’t think it should make this “thud”.

I’m not jumping my truck, just simply driving over speed bumps/potholes.

 

Jumping the truck you would hear the thud on compression from bottoming out the suspension.... easy to check the marks on the rubber bump stops

Usually speed bumps is all that it takes to top out the shock with only 2" down travel. When you top out, there is alot of weight (unsprung weight) to make it thud.. tire, rim, brakes, rotors, hubs etc all weigh alot and if the shock has very minimal rebound it will make noise at top out..

Didn't you indicate that this has always been an issue since the install?

Don't take it wrong but that suspension kit was intended for driving around on the pavement or smooth dirt roads and looking cool (which it succeeds at) and adding slightly larger diameter tires vs real off-road performance.

You could lower your PSI in the tires in an attempt to prevent the severity of topping out by allowing the tire sidewalls to absorb some of the impact minimizing the bounce that preludes a top out..

 

Hmm. Yes I am somewhat mechanically inclined. Problem is, I live in a condo and can’t work on my truck here. I’m either gonna go to my buddies house that has a garage or might go back to that shop that installed the lift. It’s just they are only open Mon-Fri and it’s a pain in the neck leaving my truck there.

When the snow melts here I’m gonna do some measuring/checking with my buddy.

 

Stock coils are actually heavier than these OME coils.

Exactly what I’m feeling.

 

Yes it’s been there since the install, never really bothered me that much. I just wanna make sure that’s just how it is.

This lift kit is definitely an improvement over stock sport suspension except for this “topping out issue”. I mean ARB is a well known off road parts company.

 

So guys that lift their trucks 3”, like what happens to them? Would the suspension top out on every little bump?

 

Funny, lots of people with the EIBACH Pro 2.0 adjustable coilovers have this slamming feeling/sound after install as well.

I'm going to measure amount of travel as seen on this thread and see if that could be the issue.

 

If you can carefully measure from the exact same spot on the top of the shock spring plate and the center of the lower shock bolt both at normal level ground ride height and then with the tire off the ground it would help.

Record those two measurements.

Subtract the small from the longer and then multiply the result times 2. That will tell you what your down travel is.

You may want to measure both sides the same way for comparison and to ensure one side is not damaged.

example for simplicity.. ride height measurement is 16", tire off the ground is 17"

Difference of 1" x 2 (leverage ratio) = 2" of down travel.

.

 

As the video said, one can safely add .5" of top spacer plate, effectively making the shock a long travel and adding 1" of additional down travel. 3" of light will have create problems with the front drive axles and boots, just as the video suggested.