How big a bump can you make on a neutron star?

I estimate maximum elastic deformations for compact stars with exotic equations of state. Solid strange stars could sustain maximum ellipticities of $5\times10^{-5}$ rather than $6\times10^{-8}$ for conventional neutron stars, and hybrid stars could sustain $1\times10^{-6}$. Most of the difference is due to the shear modulus, which can be up to $10^{33}$~erg/cm$^3$ rather than $10^{30}$~erg/cm$^3$ in the inner crust of a conventional neutron star. Maximum solid strange star ellipticities are comparable to upper limits obtained for several known pulsars in a recent gravitational wave search by LIGO. Maximum ellipticities from the more robust hybrid model are on the edge of detectability by LIGO at initial design sensitivity for the same pulsars. A large shear modulus also strengthens the case for starquakes as an explanation for frequent pulsar glitches.