[Gazlay43]

So my 2012 SV seems to bottom out really easily even when completely unloaded. I do have helper bags that I could add some more air to which would solve the problem, but I find it hard to believe that a truck should bottom out over speed bumps without them. I've never had a truck bottom out this easily. When I say it bottoms out over speed bumps, I'm not going fast over them. If I do anything faster than crawling over them, it will almost always bottom out. Is this common on the Fronty or do I possibly have some blown shocks or springs? The leaf springs don't appear to be sagging and the truck doesn't seem bouncy like it has blown shocks. So what gives? Rear suspension is all stock aside from the helper bags and I have a 2 inch leveling kit in the front.


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[whistler]

Just to clarify. You are saying your shocks are totally compressed while going over speed bumps? That is what you mean by bottoming out?
Or do you mean it is hitting the bump stops too easily?

 

[The other Sean]

And to further clarify, by "bottoming out" you are getting a solid "thump" sound when the rear wheels come off the speed bump? Or, do you hear this sound when the front wheels come off the speed bump? When I had a 2.5" spacer lift in the front I did get coil bucket contact on speed bumps and driveway cuts at anything faster than a slow crawl.

 

[Gazlay43]

Im hitting the bump stops. If my shocks were bottoming out before hitting the bump stops that would be a much bigger problem haha


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To clarify, I'm hitting my rear bump stops after hitting the speed bump with the rear wheels. If I add air to my bags, I dont have this issue. I'm trying to figure out if these trucks just have a very small amount of up travel or if my springs or shocks are to blame. I've yet to have any coil bucket contact with my UCA'a but I installed the UCA bump stops anyway


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[AndysLog]

factory springs blow.

 

[glamisdude]

If you have air bags in the rear, you cut/ removed the factory bumpstops. The air bags now act as bumpstops. Its possible that the internal bumpstop they have is taller than what was the factory one and you are bottoming sooner than normal because of this.

How much air to you have in the bags? Its also possible that the rear is so stiff now that it feels like it is bottoming.

 

[Gazlay43]

Correct. Either way I'm definitely bottoming out, I only keep a few pounds in the bags as recommended to help them keep their shape. I can't say whether or not the factory bumps were any smaller as I purchased the truck with that bags already on it


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*the


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Not a huge deal, just kind of annoying that a truck can't go over a speed bump without bottoming out. I could only imagine how bad it would be off-road


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[invasion08]

Something has to be wrong. You should not be bottoming out when the truck bed is empty. Pictures would be very helpful.

 

[murphy]

I think Glamis is on the right track. The only real way to find outfit it's the internal bumps in the bags is to remove them and go for a test drive.

Pictures of the bags would be helpful. Maybe the previous owner removed a lift and left bag spacers in.

 

[Nissan4Life]

You should keep a min of 10 psi of air in your bags, as they are your bump stops now. From what I under stand there are no internal bump in the bag, they air itself is the bump.

I hear the term bottoming out misused a lot. Friends often describe a harsh impact as feeling bottomed out. In fact that was what I thought was going on with mine when I first got it. Bottoming out is when the suspension fully compresses and the bumps top strikes the strike plate. To test one would clean off the bump stop and the strike plate. Apply some grease typically to the bump stop and go drive around bottoming out the suspension. Then look at the strike plate and look for grease. When I did this to my truck there was not grease transfer. I come to learn that the stock nismo bilsteins are valved very firmly and gives the sensation of bottoming out.

Since you are an SV and have airbags instead of bump stops this all doesn't apply to you. My suggestion would be to remove the rear shocks from the truck. Inspect for leaks. Compress by hand and see how easily do so and if they rebound.

 

[Gazlay43]

I've raced motocross my whole life and have had fully built prerunners in the past. I'm no stranger to suspension, I know what completely collapsing suspension and hitting bump stop feels like haha. I believe you are correct about the bags though. I'm not familiar with an internal bump stop in them. The bags do not have a lift spacer, they are mounted as they should be for stock suspension. 10 psi in the bags raises the *** end of this little truck a good few inches, as recommended by the manufacturer I keep 3-5 psi in them. I appreciate the input guys! Just seems strange to me that a properly functioning suspension would be so easy to bottom out. I've even had lowered trucks that didnt bottom out this easy. I'm thinking it's possible that the bags are actually limiting the up travel a bit. I'll try to get some pics up


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[Gazlay43]

I know that there is a small bump stop mounted to the frame, toward the rear of the leaf pack that looks like it strikes the leaf itself. I assume this is more for overload. Like I said I bought the truck with the bags already on it so idk what the factory bump stop actually looks like. I would assume the factory one was mounted to the frame and struck the axle on a strike plate between the u bolts or vice versa


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[whistler]

I would assume the factory one was mounted to the frame and struck the axle on a strike plate between the u bolts or vice versa


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You are correct.

 

[Gazlay43]

Here's a quick picture

 

[murphy]

Looks to me like the leafs are pretty flat. My guess is that 10psi is bringing you back up to original ride height. Out of curiosity, what is the measurement between the center of your wheel and the top of the fender arch? I think it should be around 20 1-2" if I remember correctly. It's been a while since I was stock height so I could be off.

 

[Gazlay43]

I think it was just the angle I took that picture at that made them look extra flat

 

[Gazlay43]

Adding some air to the bags does solve the problem, but my concern is, if I didn't have the bags, I'd be bottoming out way too easily

 

[murphy]

You are right. That pic does look better. If the leafs were flat, the primary leafs would be laying right on the overloads.

Looking like it does under there, I'm surprised you're having an issue like this. Any chance you have a GoPro or similar to take a video from the same angle as your photos?

 

[The other Sean]

You are right. That pic does look better. If the leafs were flat, the primary leafs would be laying right on the overloads.

Looking like it does under there, I'm surprised you're having an issue like this. Any chance you have a GoPro or similar to take a video from the same angle as your photos?

Agreed. I'm curious as to if you are bottoming out on the bump stop or the bag itself. Are there any rub marks from the bump stop on the spring where it would hit?

 

[Nomad 13]

That bag is WAY taller than the stock bumps. I can't see the entire mount or how far they collapse before impact. The stock bumps would be mounted on top of the spring pack and held down to the spring pack with the u-bolts. My guess is that you are hearing it bottom on the air bag itself. If the airbags weren't there you would have at least another 1 - 1.5" of uptravel before hitting the stock bumps. And even the stock SV shocks should be sufficient to keep the rear from bottoming over speed bumps even at fairly high speeds. Is it bottoming as the tires hit the speed bumps or as the tires/truck drop off the back of the speed bumps?