I do not think it means what you think it means
July 5, 2015 6:02 PM Subscribe
Is there a phrase in English that means the opposite of "bottom out"--i.e., to exceed the limit of travel in a suspension spring mechanism in the upward direction?
I'm editing some technical documentation written by someone who speaks English quite well but who may not be a native speaker; in describing the features of a vehicle seat, they've used the phrase "Creates smoother ride by reducing the chance of bottoming and topping" and I while I think most readers will understand what they mean, I'd like to avoid my client's text from winding up on a "Bad Foreign English" tumblr.
I'm editing some technical documentation written by someone who speaks English quite well but who may not be a native speaker; in describing the features of a vehicle seat, they've used the phrase "Creates smoother ride by reducing the chance of bottoming and topping" and I while I think most readers will understand what they mean, I'd like to avoid my client's text from winding up on a "Bad Foreign English" tumblr.
Maybe "or" instead of "and" upon further reflection.
posted by Rock Steady at 6:08 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by Rock Steady at 6:08 PM on July 5, 2015
Overextending?
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by SteveInMaine at 6:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Do 'zenith' and 'nadir' not work in discussion of springs? I think those are the typical terms when talking about orbits; seems like it would work here.
posted by Lyn Never at 6:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Lyn Never at 6:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
In this sentence (without further context) I might go for "by reducing bouncing" or something similar rather than the bottom & top reference, but "top out" does seem to be a decent opposite of "bottom out"
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:23 PM on July 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:23 PM on July 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
I'd probably replace it with something like "reducing the chance of exceeding the spring travel" or something like that.
There really isn't a word that's the same as "bottoming out" for the top of a spring's travel, as far as I know. That's because when you are dealing with something heavy on a sprung suspension, you will bottom out the springs long before you'll "top out" (or whatever the term would be).
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
There really isn't a word that's the same as "bottoming out" for the top of a spring's travel, as far as I know. That's because when you are dealing with something heavy on a sprung suspension, you will bottom out the springs long before you'll "top out" (or whatever the term would be).
posted by Kadin2048 at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Apparently that link does not work without a M-W subscription. I got to it by googling: top out merriam webster
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by 2 cats in the yard at 6:25 PM on July 5, 2015
Best answer: I've always heard this as topping out.(Usually in the context of off-road bicycling or motorcycling.)
posted by asterix at 6:28 PM on July 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by asterix at 6:28 PM on July 5, 2015 [3 favorites]
Best answer: (See the discussion of total sag in this Wikipedia article on motorcycle suspension.)
posted by asterix at 6:32 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by asterix at 6:32 PM on July 5, 2015
Supersede?
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:37 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by Hermione Granger at 6:37 PM on July 5, 2015
hitting the top stops? hitting the extension limit? maxing out? None of those sound super-common to me, but they all sound less weird than topping as a verb.
posted by ctmf at 6:50 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by ctmf at 6:50 PM on July 5, 2015
"Creates smoother ride" is all that needs to be said here. A smooth ride by very definition is one that stays between the limits of extension and compression.
Otherwise, you're saying something like, "Satisfies hunger by putting food in your stomach."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:59 PM on July 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
Otherwise, you're saying something like, "Satisfies hunger by putting food in your stomach."
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 6:59 PM on July 5, 2015 [1 favorite]
I ride motorcycles and used to race mountain bikes. "Topping out" is in common use.
posted by 256 at 7:06 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by 256 at 7:06 PM on July 5, 2015
"Creates smoother ride" is all that needs to be said here. A smooth ride by very definition is one that stays between the limits of extension and compression.
I disagree. There are very many facets to ride quality (even in seats) and the act of removing the possibility of achieving full travel stops in either direction is just a specific aspect of that ride, and not by any means all that is required to achieve that smooth ride. So it is not a good enough generalisation. My read on that description is that they are removing two particular aspects that produce poor ride quality so the extra detail is pertinent.
posted by Brockles at 7:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
I disagree. There are very many facets to ride quality (even in seats) and the act of removing the possibility of achieving full travel stops in either direction is just a specific aspect of that ride, and not by any means all that is required to achieve that smooth ride. So it is not a good enough generalisation. My read on that description is that they are removing two particular aspects that produce poor ride quality so the extra detail is pertinent.
posted by Brockles at 7:11 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
A quick Google search shows relevant results for "topping out", which I think is perfectly understandable when used adjacent to "bottoming out". I don't know if there's a specific non-jargon or common term used in English to refer to this in isolation. (If the spring were inverted, the maximum extension might also be called "bottomed out" in relation to gravity.)
posted by WasabiFlux at 7:13 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by WasabiFlux at 7:13 PM on July 5, 2015
I also like overextension, which has a ready analogy of pulling a joint further than its comfortable range of motion.
posted by wnissen at 8:48 PM on July 5, 2015
posted by wnissen at 8:48 PM on July 5, 2015
"Creates smoother ride" isn't a good substitute because the OP is looking for a technical term, not advertising copy.
Overextension is a different thing from "topping out": a spring that has been overextended has passed its elastic limit and may no longer function. In contrast, suspension that has "topped out" has reached its maximum extension, usually because it's held back by a stop of some kind. It's not broken; it has just failed to meet the need of the moment.
I suggest that the translation might be ""Creates smoother ride by reducing the chance of bottoming-out and topping-out", or perhaps "maintains active suspension over a greater range". The latter is a bit advertisng-ish, but it looks less clumsy and should convey the same meaning.
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:22 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Overextension is a different thing from "topping out": a spring that has been overextended has passed its elastic limit and may no longer function. In contrast, suspension that has "topped out" has reached its maximum extension, usually because it's held back by a stop of some kind. It's not broken; it has just failed to meet the need of the moment.
I suggest that the translation might be ""Creates smoother ride by reducing the chance of bottoming-out and topping-out", or perhaps "maintains active suspension over a greater range". The latter is a bit advertisng-ish, but it looks less clumsy and should convey the same meaning.
posted by Joe in Australia at 10:22 PM on July 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Overextending is what's used to describe this the off-road vehicle modification world. In fact there is a product to prevent it called a "limiting strap". Most product descriptions for them say that they are to prevent "over extension". (sometimes one word, though)
posted by Mr. Big Business at 8:42 AM on July 6, 2015
posted by Mr. Big Business at 8:42 AM on July 6, 2015
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posted by Rock Steady at 6:07 PM on July 5, 2015 [1 favorite]