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

**Triathlete** · 04/26/2011, 04:25 PM

A pic of said "spring helper" would go a long way in clearing up the mass confusion

**blacksambo** · 04/26/2011, 05:19 PM

Consult the VX parts book. They are definitely called spring helpers not bump stops. They are always in use, not just when you hit big bumps. Also, the wrapper they come in calls them spring helpers because that's what they do. If you shorten them you will further compress your coil and change the spring rate by some factor. If you like that, fine, but it's no longer the factory spring rate.

**deermagnet** · 04/26/2011, 05:30 PM

He's right. I found 'em. #8-94374-448-1, Rubber Rear Spring Helper.
It's the figure eight "bump stops" as we've always called 'em.

You can order 'em at your local Honda dealer-
http://www.hondapartsnow.com/genuine/honda~rubber~8-94374-448-1.html

Mark

**RickOKC** · 04/26/2011, 06:39 PM

Something like that coming up missing always makes ya think, "What in the heck happened?!?!"

**Mile High VX** · 04/26/2011, 06:49 PM

Originally Posted by RickOKC

Something like that coming up missing always makes ya think, "What in the heck happened?!?!"

I've seen quite a few in the yards where the metal they are mounted too just gives it up and the rubber piece falls away...

**blacksambo** · 04/26/2011, 08:18 PM

They are a cheap way of engineering a smooth ride. I'll never forget how they acheived ride stability in early '70's Cadillac Eldorados. They mounted a latitudinal tube in the rear with a monorail track inside supporting a very heavy lead weight attached to spings at either end. As the car cornered the weight swung to the opposite flank effectively leveling the vehicle on the cheap. The springs re-centered it on the straights. Spring helpers are the same inexpensive way of full-time ironing out the vehicle vibrations and undulations. You should renew yours today and see the difference.

**Bob Barker** · 04/26/2011, 08:25 PM

Is it just the same to get a spring tall enough to keep my vx from hitting the bump stops?

**LittleBeast** · 04/26/2011, 09:06 PM

Originally Posted by blacksambo

Consult the VX parts book. They are definitely called spring helpers not bump stops. They are always in use, not just when you hit big bumps. Also, the wrapper they come in calls them spring helpers because that's what they do. If you shorten them you will further compress your coil and change the spring rate by some factor. If you like that, fine, but it's no longer the factory spring rate.

Haha. Must be some weird thing in the Japanese to English translation. Yeah those are the bumpstops as the rest of the world calls them. If you are riding on them 24/7 once again I would look at your springs/shocks. Many members here claim they are riding on their bumpstops but they are really only intended to "help" the springs on extreme up travel (as we all have already expressed) so that you do not "bottom out" so rough, or to smooth out suspension compression, or for those of us with larger tires it keeps the top of the tire from contacting the cladding on up travel.

Hope this link helps clear it up:
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com...Shock-Eyes.asp

These are the bumpstops that most everyone here that has done a lift and Tire upgrade have replaced the old bumpstops with:
http://www.energysuspensionparts.com...sp?prod=9.9104

Quote from website: "bump stops help cushion your suspension, preventing bottoming-out and the extensive damage that can result from doing so..... Larger competition style universal bump stops smooth out suspension compression and have a large reinforced metal plate welded to the mounting plate and molded-into the bump stop itself."

**Ebenezr** · 04/27/2011, 07:04 AM

I pick my spring helper up at the airport Saturday. We will have a cleaner kitchen once she is home...

**etlsport** · 04/27/2011, 07:09 AM

Originally Posted by blacksambo

They are a cheap way of engineering a smooth ride. I'll never forget how they acheived ride stability in early '70's Cadillac Eldorados. They mounted a latitudinal tube in the rear with a monorail track inside supporting a very heavy lead weight attached to spings at either end. As the car cornered the weight swung to the opposite flank effectively leveling the vehicle on the cheap. The springs re-centered it on the straights. Spring helpers are the same inexpensive way of full-time ironing out the vehicle vibrations and undulations. You should renew yours today and see the difference.

this makes sense.. I put a set in my vx that was 1/2 height. the ride is definitely less jarring, but not as smooth. I'm noticing a lot more small vibrations from driving on what used to feel like smooth roads. however going over train tracks and the horrible streets around my neighborhood, the ride is much smoother

back on the highway today, so that will be my deciding factor whether the modified ones stay or go

**vt_maverick** · 04/27/2011, 07:23 AM

This is all very confusing. All I know is that when I hit potholes, speed bumps, or anything that required my suspension to travel more than an inch or two I got a teeth-jarring bang from the rear axle with the intact OEM "spring helpers". I cut them in half and bingo, no more hard bangs.

Don't delay, cut yours today, you'll find you like the way... your VX rides.

**blacksambo** · 04/27/2011, 07:48 AM

My wife's very low mileage VX rides 24/7 on the spring helpers. So you can't blame the springs/shocks. Spring helpers are an engineered portion of the suspension and contibute full time to the ride characteristics. They don't really limit upward wheel travel as my higher mileage Vx demostrated, having the spring helpers MIA for so long. I have over sized tires and have never had them hit the wheel housing. As mentioned earlier, these spring helpers are missing on a lot of VX 's in the wrecking yard, they wouldn't be missing if they only stopped extreme bumps top hits, as that problem would need to be addressed due to tire and body damage. The reason they were not replaced is that they merely contributed a smooth ride feature that owners did not perceive going degrading with their departure. They are called "spring helpers" because they contribute something extra, they are not mission critical.

**vt_maverick** · 04/27/2011, 08:00 AM

Originally Posted by blacksambo

My wife's very low mileage VX rides 24/7 on the spring helpers. So you can't blame the springs/shocks. Spring helpers are an engineered portion of the suspension and contibute full time to the ride characteristics. They don't really limit upward wheel travel as my higher mileage Vx demostrated, having the spring helpers MIA for so long.

None of that makes sense to me. How are you defining "rides 24/7 on the spring helpers"? I bought my VX at 22K miles and the bump stops never touched the axle while parked - they always sat about 1/2" to 1" above the axle. When I removed mine they were in perfect shape, with the exception of some rust on the mounting plate. Why would yours ride on the stops and mine not? If you're not "riding on the stops" 24/7, then they can't contribute full time.

If they don't limit upward wheel travel, then what is their purpose?

**blacksambo** · 04/27/2011, 08:07 AM

All I can say as ours touches the axel plate below the spring helper, at rest. Ours is a '99.

**blacksambo** · 04/27/2011, 08:18 AM

Also, 2000's mostly ran 18" tires not 16's, with likely no different spring for the 2000 model. Besides, what's a half an inch once a 4000 lb vehicle starts moving, that small difference is likely lost and they touch.

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