It's 10 PM, do you know where your spring helpers are?

[blacksambo]

Seriously, looked the other day and my spring helpers were MIA. Wow! Called Merlin and for $86.00 got pair of OEM replacements. What aifference isolating the frame from the body makes. Probably the best $86.00 I've ever spent on the VX. Check yours today.

[Grif]

Yes, its Spring, and I really need my helpers. Lawn needs to be mowed, shrubbery trimmed, pressure wash the shutters, garden needs tilling....

But seriously. What are spring helpers? And where can I check them?

[Bob Barker]

I think he was talking about what I call spring isolators... maybe?

[VX KAT]

thank you grif!

[blacksambo]

Spring helpers are located next to the rear coil springs and are large rubber figure-eight shaped donuts. They stop coil compression and isolate the frame from the body. Mine rusted away sometime back. Maybe way back? But replacing them really really helps stabilize the ride and reduces the noise factor, significantly. Don't delay, check yours today.

[samneil2000]

bump stops???

[Ldub]

bump stops???

[VX KAT]

oh, they're bumps stops...yeah, we've talked about them quite a bit in the past few months...
http://www.vehicross.info/forums/sho...ight=bump+stop

http://vehicross.info/forums/showthr...ight=bumpstops

[Ebenezr]

Well... gee.. I didn't know my springs needed help. but I could use some help this spring...I mean I got a lot to get done.

[etlsport]

i just replaced mine with some off a trooper (but I cut them in half to give a less jarring ride)

the ones i removed from my VX were in much worse shape than the replacements off the trooper, which is odd since the trooper was like 6 years older.. and had almost 200k on it. the ones i pulled off my vx seemed to be cracking at the top of the lower "loop" I'm guessing the VX rode on them pretty hard, which now has me thinking my springs are going to get more abuse.. might just order a new set. the other thing i noticed is the ones off the VX seem harder than the ones i took from the trooper

[LittleBeast]

Haha, "spring helpers"! That is awesome :-)

I have the 2" bumpstop square tube extensions, plus the oversized red bump stops from Energy Systems, should not really feel a difference unless you are riding on your bumpstops, which in that case your springs are probably dead, or your shocks need replacing. In any case the bumpstops, do what their name says, they more gently "stop" your compression on up travel so that it is not a sudden "bump" when your springs(or shocks) reach max compression, or when the top of your tire contacts with the bottom of your rear cladding (wheel well).

[Mile High VX]

i just replaced mine with some off a trooper (but I cut them in half to give a less jarring ride)

Did the same...much better ride!

[blacksambo]

Yeah. There is no way these are just bump stops (They exist on the the front A arms of the VX). These "helpers" take the body and insulate it from the frame. Without them you're talking metal to metal contact between the frame and the body, and that means noise. If you study a VX underside you'll see rubber isolaters at all the mounting points. These spring helpers do just that, they help the spring and shock mounting points avoid a metal to metal ride in the rear. Renew yours and and you'll immediately hear the difference.

[Ldub]

Yeah. There is no way these are just bump stops (They exist on the the front A arms of the VX). These "helpers" take the body and insulate it from the frame. Without them you're talking metal to metal contact between the frame and the body, and that means noise. If you study a VX underside you'll see rubber isolaters at all the mounting points. These spring helpers do just that, they help the spring and shock mounting points avoid a metal to metal ride in the rear. Renew yours and and you'll immediately hear the difference.

You could be referring to the bushings that the front A arms attach to, or the bushings that attach the shocks to their mounts, or the sway bar bushings that isolate the sway bar from the frame, the lower links, upper link & panhard bar all have rubber mounts (bushings), as do all the points of attachment where the body is mounted to the frame. And yes, there are rubber isolator pads between the rear springs & the frame...

And I'm pretty sure my list missed a few...but I'm still not sure what you're referencing...

[LittleBeast]

Haha yeah I have no idea what "spring helpers" are :-) maybe the body mount bushings? You are 25 days late for an April fools joke, haha.