crashes over potholes?

[VX KAT]

I cut the bottom section of rear bump stops last night and it helped! Sharp limb pruners worked the best, my hack saw was too dull.

Welcome to the club!

[vt_maverick]

Welcome to the club!

x2 - Glad it worked for you!

[bearandbee]

Thanks guys!

[angeno]

Cut the bump stops in half. Sadly, didn't do squat. Still crashes over expansion joints and potholes like a meteorite smashing into the earth. Not at all what I remember from previous VX ownership experiences. Plus, I've already replaced shocks/struts in the rear with supposedly OEM equipment. Frustrating as hell, this one....

[VX KAT]

Cut the bump stops in half. Sadly, didn't do squat. Still crashes over expansion joints and potholes like a meteorite smashing into the earth. Not at all what I remember from previous VX ownership experiences. Plus, I've already replaced shocks/struts in the rear with supposedly OEM equipment. Frustrating as hell, this one....

Bummer.....
but if you replaced rear shocks with "supposedly" OEMs....you would have paid around $400 - $500 EACH....and they have little reservoir canisters attached to them, so they're absolutely identifiable by $$$ and by appearance.

How much space was there between the rear axle and the bottom of the bump stop at rest (before you cut it in half) ?.....mine had about 1/2"....so when I cut half of that big black thing off, I added about 4" clearance....for total of about 4-5". Check how much space you have.

If you DO have OEM KYB rear shocks...maybe consider selling them and getting something softer...like just about any other shock on the planet....ok, a little exaggeration. Maybe the adjustable Ranchos would work out for you?

These are the OEMs: I can't recall which are the front vs rear....I think the last pic is the rear...

[Gussie2000]

Angeno,sorry but what you're trying to accomplish is just not possible.

As you said the VX ride is harsh,it was built to be like that and sorry,but cutting the bump stops wouldn't help that much at all.

Few steps that will help to make the ride a bit more tolerable is changing your shocks.but again,the problem is not the VX's ride,is the roads with soo MANY pothholes,bumps and uneven streets.

The amount of these untreated roads is just so ridiculous,last year i bent one of my 20" rims on queens boulevard. I don't have the stock shocks,i got the rancho 5000 series which helps a lot,but again,every inch you drive by is just pothholes,bumps destroyed roads and driving @ 30-40 MPH is all but a pleasant situation.

The cities would pay million of $$$ to private companies to install redlight cameras,but wouldn't spent a cent on the roads,highways and streets to avoid you spending thousands of $$ in mods to improve your vehicules' ride.

The VX wasn't design to provide a comfort ride.

[Riff Raff]

After reading this entire thread, my question is if the problem could be the rear springs??? Are the OEM rear springs worn-out??? Could faulty rear springs be causing the bouncy see-saw effect??? Just throwing it out there as a possibility.

[vt_maverick]

I think we're still missing critical info here. angeno can you give us specifics on your previous VX? How many miles did it have? What size tires were you running? Did you still have the OEM shocks and springs, or did you have a lift or other aftermarket components? It could be that you have a different configuration on your new VX, or as Riff suggests, you could simply have some worn-out components if this one is much higher mileage than your old one.

Coincidentally I kind of know how you feel. My new VX rides a little "looser" than what my last VX did. It was really bad at first because the previous owner had put on big sidewall tires and super crappy shocks. When I swapped my old rims, tires, and shocks back on it made a definite improvement. But then I put my Daystar 1.5" spacers back on and she seems to "sit" a bit higher (and therefore roll a bit more) than my previous VX. This truck has 20K more miles, so it's hard to know if worn springs or other components might also be an issue.

[angeno]

[QUOTE=vt_maverick;248159]I think we're still missing critical info here. angeno can you give us specifics on your previous VX? How many miles did it have?

Fair questions. Okay, here goes. My VX has 133K miles.

What size tires were you running?

Stock tire size, 245/60-18's.

Did you still have the OEM shocks and springs, or did you have a lift or other aftermarket components?

OEM shocks & springs replaced with KYB monomax shocks/struts.

It could be that you have a different configuration on your new VX, or as Riff suggests, you could simply have some worn-out components if this one is much higher mileage than your old one.

Actually, the reason I replaced the shocks/struts was because I thought "hey, maybe that's why the ride is so friggin rough". No dice though...

Coincidentally I kind of know how you feel. My new VX rides a little "looser" than what my last VX did. It was really bad at first because the previous owner had put on big sidewall tires and super crappy shocks. When I swapped my old rims, tires, and shocks back on it made a definite improvement. But then I put my Daystar 1.5" spacers back on and she seems to "sit" a bit higher (and therefore roll a bit more) than my previous VX. This truck has 20K more miles, so it's hard to know if worn springs or other components might also be an issue.

Thanks for the good feedback. Actually though, I wonder if maybe going with a 3" lift kit coupled with "softer" M/T tires might help a bit over some of the rougher moon-cratered roads we're afflicted with in the NYC metro area. I don't know if I've made it clear beforehand but I don't care that the overall ride of the truck is rough. That's not the problem. It is the CRASHING over potholes and other road detritus that rattles my nerves. Really, it feels like the VX is just smacking one hard component against another hard component and sorry folks, but that is not good, no matter what kind of vehicle you're piloting. Now I know there is a solution to this and I will damn well figure out what it is. In all events, I'll plan to keep you guys posted.

[angeno]

Came across this one on one of the gallery pages on this site. I LOVE this truck and want to lift my VX so it approximates the look of this one. Any input from you folks would be gratefully received.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...3506/ppuser/32

[VXorado]

Came across this one on one of the gallery pages on this site. I LOVE this truck and want to lift my VX so it approximates the look of this one. Any input from you folks would be gratefully received.

http://www.vehicross.info/gallery/sh...3506/ppuser/32

35" tires , Are you crazy?????

[VX KAT]

IIRC, somebody asked about lift/bigger tires to improve ride....and lifting and bigger tires IIRC do NOT help like you think they would...
Somebody jump in here..I know I've read that somewhere.....

JMHO..but the SLAMMING still sounds like the sound and feel we got when the rear bump stops hit the rear axle.

Since you gained at least 4" clearance, did you feel/hear SOME/ANY difference???.....


Can you tell, does it sound like the slamming is coming from the rear?


Here's my stock...actually touching the axle....no clearance.



After cut down:

[bearandbee]

I have alot of knocking and noise with my front suspension now as I go up my drive at low speeds and as I turn wheels and go over bumps.