Rear steel suspension hitting bump stops

[Huntmaster650]

I recently purchased a 2009 VTR+ Tourer, which has conventional steel springs. Carrying 5 people last night across bumpy Fen roads, the rear suspension kept bottoming out making the journey uncomfortable. I cannot find anything on this subject and there only appears to be one grade of spring available. Wondering how you would manage to tow anything with this car and whether the springs/ shocks might just be tired, although the shocks seem to work perfectly and the car has just sailed through an MOT with no advisories (after much work, following a period off the road). The car sits level and no noticeably low.

[Huntmaster650]

I've been reading up about bump stops and how they affect the car. Think I might start by replacing mine, as they are meant to act as a secondary spring, not just to stop the suspension hitting the underside of the car.

[mickthemaverick]

I have recently replaced the springs and shocks on my car and I can confirm that the rear end now rides happily over bumps with three passengers in the back seat whereas it used to clunk every time. While doing the work I took the first spring I removed and stood it beside the replacement brand new one. It was 6mm shorter and when I applied a 20kg weight to each spring the old one was compressed 9mm more so I suspect you are suffering from tired springs!!

[MattBLancs]

I wonder if the steel sprung C5 bump stops are the same as the hydropneumatic suspension cars?

Mine had dropped off on one side! If it's bottoming out with NO bump stop I'd imagine that pretty uncomfortable - might be worth checking they exist at all for a start!

[PaulC5]

What weight did you have in the car ? Its max payload looking in a handbook gives a maximum for a 2009 2.0 hdi 140 hp manual tourer as 621 kg including passengers/driver so 5 large adults and luggage could get to that. Maybe if heavily loaded on bumpy roads you may have to slow down.

Trailer nose weight it gives as 72 kg which becomes part of the payload. If towing regularly you might want to fit additional springs such as MAD springs so the car does not sag a bit at the rear - or get a C5 with hydractive suspension as we did when we had a caravan.

I stuck a bump stop back on our 2007 C5 with silicone sealant. May be a common thing for them to come off. I do not think they would be any good as a secondary spring though not being strong enough.

[wurlycorner]

Can't comment on the performance of the ordinary suspension part of a steel sprung C5, but the bump stops are made of crap rubber these days and do commonly perish - so it might well be they (or one of them) is gone?
If so, that means if the suspension did compress enough to come into contact with the stops, it would essentially 'over-travel' and also come to a very 'hard' stop instead.

[PaulC5]

Huntmaster650 has not been back since posting, maybe the problem has gone away.

[Huntmaster650]

Thank for the replies. MAD springs and new bump stops next.