Far better that the bottoming action is caught and stopped by bump stops attached to chassis Gary. Otherwise all the force is taken by the expensive? shock absorbers and transmitted to the mount rail putting undue strain on their upper mountings.
Perry if you or others want to solve the bottoming out issue at source fit new quality leaf springs and let the shock absorbers work as designed. You may end up with a less compliant ride though if too stiff. The progressive bump stops are not a bodge as you intimate but an accepted industry method of limiting leaf spring flex under extremes as Cooperman alludes.
