OK, no offence, Chrisà But I think my head is about to explode!
Right... That's why I tried to define the terms first. Let me see if I can clarify...
Well, let's define a few things so we don't get confused. What we're going to call the "upper bumpstop" is the snubber which limits uptravel, which, in this case, resides between the upper and lower a-arms and stops the upward travel of the lower a-arm. The "lower droop stop" resides above the upper bumpstop but controls the lowest point the lower a-arm can reach.
So far you follow most of that it seems -- however, your confusion lies in your next statement:
The LOWER bump stop resides on a pad that is connected to the frame, and sits above the top side of the lower A-arm. [Check]
The UPPER bump stop (* on all of those vehicles that have one) is mounted to the under-side of the upper A-arm. [Check]
You got that part right, but your definitions don't match mine. What I'm calling the "upper" bumpstop limits UPtravel, and what I'm calling the "lower" snubber limits DOWNtravel. Don't be confused by their physical locations and the fact that the "upper" actually lives below the "lower". You can call them whatever you want as long as we all understand what we're talking about -- hence taking the time to define them. So you got what I was saying, except missed that part where I defined them by what travel they limit as opposed to their physical location.
So by my definition, this statememt is wrong:
The A-arms move together in an up-and-down manorà and as such, when they travel UPWARD, it is the LOWER A-arm that makes contact with the LOWER bump stop --- and conversely, when traveling DOWNWARD, the UPPER bump stop (the one thatÆs mounted on the underside of the upper A-arm) compresses against a tab thatÆs connected to the frame, located between the two A-arms.
It's mostly right on, except by my definitions, this is a true statement with two words switched, Upper and Lower, thereby creating a good misleading true-false statement on an exam. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />
In other words, everything you said is right by the definitions in your head -- but if you go by the definitions I gave (where the travel is limited, not where the stop actually resides) then you'd have to switch your wording. Dizzying, I know... But as long as we can talk about it on the same page (or even on different pages, noting the differences in our definitions) we'll be OK...
-Chris
