Supporting Suspension Mod That Improves Performance & Reduces Strain
A lot of us seek the best value-for-money upgrades for our trucks. That’s especially true if you’re on a budget, as you want to make every dollar count. Before making a purchase, I consider several questions…
- Does this enhancement improve the truck’s performance both on and off-road?
- Does it address more than one issue?
- Does it result in increased service or maintenance requirements?
- Will further upgrades/maintenance be necessary in the future?
DuroBumps not only met but exceeded many of my criteria. This modification enhances both my Tacoma’s street driving capabilities and off-road performance. Paired with the U-bolt flip kit, I even gained more clearance under the rear axle.
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1. Improved Damping & Handling
For the best suspension response in various environments, it becomes crucial to fine-tune the suspension’s damping effects. This is the process of controlling motion, during compression or rebound. While this is mostly managed with the shock, adding high-quality bump stops provides even more control.
DuroBumps feature dual durometer rubber, offering smooth, progressive damping assistance that significantly reduces harsh bottom-outs and in cab driving experience. That’s a stark contrast to the OEM ones, which are very rigid.
This improvement is particularly noticeable with bigger impacts where you see quick, dramatic compressions. A quality set also assists with preventing bump steer, which is what causes your truck to turn itself without steering input during an impact.
2. Protect Suspension Components
People often associate bump stops with how they improve driving feel. However, they frequently overlook one of their vital roles, which is to protect the suspension. Most shocks (by themselves) are not designed to prevent the suspension from bottoming out, and when this occurs, it can lead to damage to the strut seals and components.
Furthermore, the ball joints, responsible for the moving pivot points of the suspension, have a limited amount of travel distance before becoming over-strained. We can limit the angles of these joints and prevent the shock from bottoming out.
For the rear, DuroBumps offers them in OEM height or an extended length to accommodate 2+ inches of lift.
3. Limit Up Travel
Following the same concept of protecting our suspension components, limiting upward travel can help prevent your larger tires from rubbing on the inside of the fenders and body.
Rubbing on the inside of the fenders under full compression at speed can have negative consequences. It may lead to the fender liner completely tearing out of the car, breaking every clip, and bending metal tabs in the process. Or damaging expensive tires.
4. Increased Ground Clearance
When pairing the DuroBumps with their rear U-Bolt flip kit, we can achieve a few inches of additional ground clearance under the rear axle. When flipping the U-Bolts, we shift the threads and sharp edges to the topside of the axle, resulting in fewer catch points for obstacles.
The U-bolts also come in an assortment of sizes to accommodate different leaf packs.
Final Thoughts
DuroBumps (left) Vs. Factory (right)
Upgrading bump stops is a crucial modification that enhances the longevity of your truck and improves its performance both on and off-road. However, its not always the first thing that comes to mind. Many owners get hooked on race-inspired coilovers, LED lights, and billet upper control arms. Those things are great, but don’t neglect complementary mods.
The fast and easy installation makes this upgrade a sensible choice. All you need is a pipe wrench with at least a 3″ opening to get the front OEM ones off. This makes it a great time-value modification. The rear installation is a bit more involved but does not require any special modifications. It is a straightforward bolt-on upgrade.
I highly recommend adding this to your list, or even consider it as the first modification if you’re just getting started, as it will only further improve ride quality.
