Understanding Upward Suspension Travel and Why It Matters
When it comes to suspension setup, most people talk about ride height, camber, droop, and alignment—but bump travel often flies under the radar. If you're serious about improving your vehicle’s performance, comfort, or off-road capability, understanding bump travel is a must.
In this article, we’ll explain what bump travel is, why it’s important, how to measure it, and how it ties into your overall suspension setup.
What Is Bump Travel?
Bump travel refers to the amount of upward movement your wheel and suspension can make as it compresses toward the chassis. It’s the vertical distance the wheel travels from static ride height to full compression (aka bottom-out).
Think of hitting a speed bump or striking a curb—the suspension compresses to absorb the impact. That compression range is your bump travel.
Why Bump Travel Matters
Having the right amount of bump travel is critical for:
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Ride comfort – Prevents harsh bottom-outs that transfer shock directly to the chassis.
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Handling – Allows tires to stay in contact with the road during cornering and braking.
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Off-road performance – Lets wheels articulate over obstacles without lifting off the ground.
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Suspension tuning – Affects damping characteristics and overall suspension behavior.
If your suspension bottoms out too easily, it can damage components and reduce control. On the flip side, too much bump without enough droop can limit articulation and responsiveness.
How to Measure Bump Travel
You can measure bump travel during setup using a simple process:
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Lift the vehicle and allow the suspension to fully droop (wheels hanging).
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Measure from a fixed point on the chassis to a reference point on the suspension or axle.
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Lower the vehicle to static ride height and measure again.
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Fully compress the suspension (e.g., using a jack under the control arm or by removing the spring) and measure a third time.
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Bump travel = Static height – Full compression height
Pro tip: You can also use a shock travel indicator or stroke sensor for real-time data during testing.
Ideal Bump vs Droop Ratio
A balanced suspension usually has around 60–70% bump travel and 30–40% droop from the total available travel. This ensures the vehicle can handle compression events without harshness, while still maintaining downward articulation.
For example, if your shock has 120mm of total travel:
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~75mm bump
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~45mm droop
Of course, this varies based on the application—track cars, off-roaders, and armored vehicles all have different needs.
How to Tune Bump Travel
Here’s how you can influence bump travel:
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Adjust ride height – Lowering increases bump, reduces droop (and vice versa).
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Change shock length or stroke – Allows more or less total travel.
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Modify bump stops – Progressive bump stops can add control near the end of travel.
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Reposition suspension mounting points – Advanced method for geometry changes.
Real-World Use: Supashock Applications
At Supashock, we engineer high-performance suspension systems tailored to motorsport, defense, off-road, and OEM applications. Our systems are designed with optimised bump and droop characteristics to suit real-world conditions—whether that’s a racetrack, a battlefield, or a mining site.
Our engineers use dynamic data analysis, damper tuning, and precision manufacturing to deliver ride performance, durability, and control beyond standard systems.
Final Thoughts
Bump travel might seem like a small detail, but it plays a massive role in how your vehicle behaves under load. Whether you’re tuning for lap times or load carrying, measuring and optimising bump travel can unlock significant improvements in control, comfort, and performance.
Want help tuning your suspension setup?
Contact the Supashock team today—we build systems that work in the real world.
