removing front bumpstops '89 XJ

RatLabGuy

RatLabGuy

You look like a monkey and smell like one too
Joined
May 18, 2005
Location
Churchville, MD
The $30 XJ came w/ parts from a Teraflex TJ BB lift. I'm putting the spacers on the front.
Is there soem magic trick to getting the upper bump stop off, so I can slip this thing on?
Reading instructiosn from another manufacturer suggests the rubber stop will just slip out, is that right? Or is there something holding it in place? I can't get it to budge. i' msure 18 years of dirt and grime is holding it in tehre pretty well.
Is there a bolt up there holding the, er, lower holder on?

Worst case, are they hollow? I'll just Zawzall it off and dig/drill around to get to that bolt. I'm not seeing much need for it anyway once the lift is on...
 
Just pry or pull the bumpstop out and there is a bolt up in there holding the lower part on. IIRC it is a 15mm. You can also just grind down the lip on the bottom part that keeps the spacer from sliding on.
 
marvilusone said:
Just pry or pull the bumpstop out and there is a bolt up in there holding the lower part on. IIRC it is a 15mm. You can also just grind down the lip on the bottom part that keeps the spacer from sliding on.
Click to expand...

The "just pry or pull the bumpstop out" part is what isn't working. There's not much in the way of leverage and it seems stuck pretty good.
Any tricks/suggestions?
 
Leave the bumpstop on, borrow a coil spring compressor from AutoZone. Set the "frame" on jackstands for maximum axle droop, disco sway bar ends and pull the spring, insert spacer, then put the coil back. I just did this last week, pretty easy.
 
^ X2 Large screwdriver and a BFH or you could try a torch. Might smell a little bit but I bet it would work.
 
I already have the coil off, all ready to slide the spacer on.
The spacer won't fit up over the tower yet b/c the lip around the retainer for teh rubber stopper is wider than the center hole in the spacer.

I'll try the jam-a-screwdriver-through-it method tomorrow.
I'd think if I were going to torch anything, it'd be the metal aroudn it to expand it. Melting the stop would just make a smelly mess.
 
bumpstop removal

If you take a pipe wrinch you can screw the bumpstop off. It will unscrew from the seam between the metal part of the bumpstop and the upper half. Just put the pipe on the metal part of the bumpstop.
 
There is a metal cup that holds the bump stop. I put a pipe wrench on it and unscrewed it. BTW, I cut a notch out of my spacers so I could slide them in and not take the spring out. Then I used a large metal clamp (radiator hose clamp) to keep the spacer together.
 
I just did this last night on a D30 axle with massive rust from the engine catching on fire and oxydized it. I had to torch a few things off but the bump stops were no problem, the bolt holding the lower half broke off so i hit around it with a rubber mallet to finally pry it off. Im sure the upper half would be the same if not easier. I hope you didnt go cutting yours off! unless you have replacements. Good luck!
 
No, I haven't cut it out (yet).
Please tell me if my understanding is right. The stalk hangs down and has a threaded hole at the bottom of it. A cup sits upside down at the bottom, with a bolt going through this cup and pinning it to the stalk. The rubber stopper is then just jambed in the cup, covering that bolt, which I need to have access to in order to remove the cup so as to slip the spacer on.
Is that correct? There is nothing holding that rubber stopper in there except friction? Is it threaded in?

As per Brents suggestion (the most fun approach), do I really even need the stops, or just the upper portion for holding the springs...
 
RatLabGuy said:
As per Brents suggestion (the most fun approach), do I really even need the stops, or just the upper portion for holding the springs...
Click to expand...


my response was a joke. there's some debate on flex and bump stops, but I'm one that thinks you do need to limit up travel.

I wouldn't cut them off. guess I should've followed with a :D
 
you do not need to remove the rubber, simply spin the cup off of the stalk, the head of the "bolt" is welded into the cup
 
Hit it with a rubber mallet! My measley 160lbs with a deadblow hammer got it done. Being an engineer, I didnt just jump in swinging. I measured the spacer hole at 1.9", the tower was 2.1" IIRC. When I factored in the coefficeint of elasticity, I decided it could safely be worked over the bumpstop tower. Step away from the keyboard and git-r-dun :flipoff2:
 
You guys are too funny. I posted this last night when I had to quit working on it for the night to do other things. Since then I have been at work (and still am at the moment). I can't work on it from here, so I'm taking advatnage of the power of the keyboard.
 
awspence said:
you do not need to remove the rubber, simply spin the cup off of the stalk, the head of the "bolt" is welded into the cup
Click to expand...

Thanks, that's exactly what I needed to know.
 
awspence said:
you do not need to remove the rubber, simply spin the cup off of the stalk, the head of the "bolt" is welded into the cup
Click to expand...


Hmmm.. no wonder my bolt broke.. Oh well, i have replacements. Good to know. :beer:
 
So, I finally got it off. Yup, ended up spinning the whole cup off, w/ rubber included.
I'm pretty sure that thing is expoxied in or something, I tried everything and it would not budge.
I wanted to be able to get it out 'cause I have soem extentions for the stop, but you have to replace the bolt. Oh well.

Now, I gotta know, how many folks have been able to do this w/o unbolting the lower control arm? Even using coil compressors, I had a bitch of a time getting it back in (only done 1 side so far) due to the very tight fit now that eh spacer was there. Biggest problem being that the big long bolts of the coild compressors get in teh way of the hub assy.
 
I know what you mean, i was able to wedge mine in with all control arms attached though. (Mine was a sagged 4" lift spring with 2" spacer) It was a chore though, and i know exactly what you mean about the compressor bolts being in the way, no matter which way you turn it.
 
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