What Are Bump Stops? Purpose, Location and Need

Q: What are bump stops on a truck?

They're compressible stops that sit near the axle, control arm or shock and take over at the end of the suspension's upward travel. On a Toyota Land Cruiser 80 series, for example, King Shocks' kit sets the stop in a bracket inside the coil spring. Their job is to stop parts meeting metal to metal.

Q: What is the purpose of bump stops?

To set a safe end point for upward travel. King Shocks tells installers to set the stop so it bottoms out before any metal-to-metal contact happens, and Fox notes that good shock damping reduces the forces the bump stops and chassis see. A bump stop backs up the springs and shocks; it doesn't replace them.

Q: What are bump stops on a car?

The same part, usually smaller. On many strut-type cars it fits over the piston rod, as Bilstein's strut mounting instructions show, and some Bilstein struts have the bump stop built in, so the old one isn't reused. The job is identical.

Q: How do bump stops work?

For most of the suspension's travel the stop does nothing. Near full compression it meets its strike surface and takes the load before the shock or axle reaches a hard limit. Some shocks also add their own end-of-travel damping, which Fox describes as the bottom-out zone of a bypass shock.

Q: Where are bump stops located?

Between a moving suspension part and a fixed one. On the Land Cruiser 80 series they sit in brackets inside the coil springs. On strut-type cars they slide over the strut's piston rod. Look inside or beside the coil spring and around the shock.

Q: Are bump stops necessary?

As a travel limit, yes: something has to stop the suspension before parts collide, and King Shocks' instructions are built around setting that stop point. If you've lifted the truck or fitted big tires, the stop point needs checking, because King notes that 35 inch or larger tires may limit up travel for clearance.

Written & researched by Dakota Reyes Recovery & Trail Systems Editor

Published Nov 6, 2026

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Bump stops are compressible stops that cushion the end of your suspension's upward travel, so the axle, shock or tire never slams into something solid. Put simply, they are the last line of defense when the springs and shocks run out of room.

TL;DR

A bump stop, also called a jounce bumper, takes over near the end of compression travel.
It sits between a moving suspension part and a fixed one: inside the coil spring on a Land Cruiser 80 series, over the strut rod on many cars.
The goal is a stop that bottoms out before any metal-to-metal contact happens (King Shocks).
They support the springs and shocks; they don't replace them.
After a lift or a tire change, check where the stop point sits.

What Are Bump Stops on a Truck?

A bump stop is a resilient stop that limits how far the suspension can compress. Depending on the vehicle, it meets the axle housing, a control arm, a spring perch or another strike surface built for the job.

On many 4WDs the stop sits near the coil spring. King Shocks' front kit for the 1989 to 1997 Toyota Land Cruiser 80 series, for example, bolts a side-specific bracket to the axle, holds the bump stop in it, and has you place the coil spring over the bracket onto the lower perch. On the road you never notice them. Off-road, with a wheel dropping into a rut at speed, they are working hard.

What Is the Purpose of Bump Stops?

Their purpose is to give the suspension a defined end of travel. King Shocks' installation sheet is blunt about it: once you have decided where the axle should stop, set the bump stop so that it bottoms out before any metal-to-metal contact happens. On the 80 series, King says most trucks end up with the stop bottomed out just before the shock would hit the brake line bracket.

Fox makes the related point from the shock side. Its bypass shock manual says that reducing bottoming out of the suspension reduces the forces seen by the bump stops and chassis. In other words, the shock and the stop share the job, and neither replaces the other.

How Do Bump Stops Work?

For most of the suspension's travel, the springs and shocks do all the work and the bump stop does nothing. Near full compression, the stop meets its strike surface and takes the load before the shock, axle or tire reaches a hard limit.

Shocks can also help at the end of the stroke. Fox describes its bypass shocks as position-sensitive, with damping that ramps up as travel increases and end zones, called the top-out and bottom-out zones, at the extremes of the stroke. A bump stop is a separate part, but the idea is similar: slow things down before they run out of room.

Where Are Bump Stops Located?

There's no single answer, because the contact point depends on the vehicle. Two layouts you can confirm from maker documents:

Bracket inside the coil spring: the Land Cruiser 80 series arrangement in King Shocks' kit, where the spring fits over the bump stop bracket.
Over the strut rod: Bilstein's strut mounting instructions have you fit the bump stop over the piston rod, flush with the top of the chrome length.

To find yours, look near the top or bottom of each coil spring and around the shock. A rubber or urethane block facing a flat pad is the stop.

What Are Bump Stops on a Car?

Same part, same job, but on most cars it is smaller and lives around the strut or shock rod. Bilstein notes that some of its struts have the bump stop built in, so the original bumper should not be reused when you fit one. Check the instructions for your exact strut before you reassemble anything.

Are Bump Stops Necessary?

As a travel limit, yes. Something has to stop the suspension before parts collide, and King Shocks builds its whole installation around setting that stop point correctly. A truck that never gets near full compression may rarely touch them, but they are still the safeguard for the day it does.

That matters most after a lift or a tire change. A taller suspension changes where the axle ends its travel, so the stops often need to be reset. King Shocks also notes that with 35 inch or larger tires you may want to fit a tire while cycling the suspension, so the stop limits up travel for tire clearance, while reminding you that maximizing suspension travel is important for performance. Read our guides on lifting a truck and leveling kits for how those changes play out, and see how to install bump stops if yours need work.

How We Research This

This page draws on King Shocks' installation sheets for its Land Cruiser 80 series bump stop kit, Fox's bypass shock manual and Bilstein's strut mounting instructions, not first-hand testing. See suspension and lift kits for more, and how we rank for the full method.