My car has the wheel hop blues

["Turbo-T"]

I tried doing a search on wheel hop but to no aval.

Anyways I just found out today if I hold my brakes and build the boost up to 5 psi and then let off while stabbing the pedal, I get enough wheel hop that I can actually feel it in the rear end.

In the past just stabbing the pedal off the line and not letting any boost build before hand, I've never felt any wheel hop, though I've set off the knock alarm a few times/had a sudden big number out of nowhere appear on my Scanmaster, so it was probably doing it too, just not enough that I could notice.

I plan on taking my car to the track soon as soon as i can pony up the funds for some drag radials...so I'm sure I'll probably have wheel hop issues then too, so i figure now might be a good time to correct it.

As of now my rear end is 100% bone stock, so I'm sure this is probably most of the reason why.

I'm wondering if replacing the rear control arms with some non adjustable tubular arms will fix the wheel hop issue? Or I saw some "no hop" bars....would those be the answer?

What have some of you done for wheel hop control that actually worked?

Thanks!

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Wheel hop can be caused by several things or a combination of things...
1. Bad shocks.
2. Worn out suspension bushings.
3. Low tire pressure.[Tires are wadding up at the leading edge, and you are driving over the wads.]
4. Broken suspension mounts.
Suggest you find the problem B4 you decide on a track visit, or you may come home on a hook, w/ the rearend torn up....

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks Chuck.

1. How can I tell if the shocks are bad? I heard the old trick was to push down on the bumper with your foot and as long as the rear went down and back up with no extra bounce, the shocks were good....any truth to this?

2. Will have to check on this, I'm sure they're the stockers.

3. Cool...though I don't think TP was low.

4. I'm going to guess you are referring to where the rear control arms connect to only or is there any other areas I need to check for breakage?

 

[Chuck Leeper]

On the lift and..

Thanks Chuck.

1. How can I tell if the shocks are bad? I heard the old trick was to push down on the bumper with your foot and as long as the rear went down and back up with no extra bounce, the shocks were good....any truth to this?

2. Will have to check on this, I'm sure they're the stockers.

3. Cool...though I don't think TP was low.

4. I'm going to guess you are referring to where the rear control arms connect to only or is there any other areas I need to check for breakage?

**If the rear suspension is "stock" it's a good bet the shocks are junk. Time for new.
** Look at ALL the suspension points and the bushings in all 4 control arms.
** Setting off the knok sensor could be broken engine/trans mounts.. Look them over too.

 

[cchilly]

I had wheel hop when I first got my car. Shocks took care of it. I have stock suspension with lowering springs.

 

["Turbo-T"]

**If the rear suspension is "stock" it's a good bet the shocks are junk. Time for new.

Actually I did find out a while back my shocks are Monroe sensatracs. :redface:

I had wheel hop when I first got my car. Shocks took care of it. I have stock suspension with lowering springs.

cchilly, what kind of shocks did you go with?

 

[8UWITH6]

Actually I did find out a while back my shocks are Monroe sensatracs. :redface:



cchilly, what kind of shocks did you go with?

Whats wrong with Sensa Tracs? I run them on the back of the GN, and all 4 corners of the WE4.......... never had a problem.

Check your lower control arm bushings.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Whats wrong with Sensa Tracs? I run them on the back of the GN, and all 4 corners of the WE4.......... never had a problem.

Check your lower control arm bushings.

Hey Neil...

I don't know if there's anything wrong with the sensatrac line....but I have heard some people claim that Monroe shocks are not the way to go....and that Bilsteins are where it's at. I've read that quite a lot here as a matter of fact.

I will definitely check the lower control arm bushings as mentioned. Thanks for the tip!

 

[8UWITH6]

Been running them for years......... if you want to spend more money go ahead The only complaint I had on the Monroe's was my left rear shock started leaking badly after say 5000 miles. Free replacement under warranty, never had another issue.

 

[The_Six]

I would just remove a shock and see if you can push it down off the car. I had the sensatrac shocks on my GN dont know how many miles they were on the car when I bought it but I could push the shock down with no effort at all and when I let go it came back out super slow. My new shocks I have to work hard to move.

 

[IrvJr]

My wheel hop was fixed with stock lowers with poly bushings. It was so bad when i launched at the track all my change flew out of the cubby hole in the console.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Just a quick question I'm going to check the bushings with the control arms still on the car. I'm going to guess the tell tale signs are if the rubber is dry rotted/deteriorated....but is there anything else to check for? Do the control arms usually loosen up when the rubber goes bad?

 

[XLR8]

I had wheel hop at the track only w/drag radials that was eliminated with the installation of air-bags. I run 5# on the DS and 20# on the PS.

 

[IrvJr]

Just a quick question I'm going to check the bushings with the control arms still on the car. I'm going to guess the tell tale signs are if the rubber is dry rotted/deteriorated....but is there anything else to check for? Do the control arms usually loosen up when the rubber goes bad?

Grab ahold of them and give them a twist and check for some play. If the rubber is bad there should be some movement.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

A large screwdriver and pry on the ams at the bushing/mount points.
Also, look for wear marks outside the OD of the bushing and on the chassis and axle mounts... Indicates the bushings are shot and the arma are "boogying around" the thru bolts..
Best way, take them off, box them, and add poly bushings.. Or, better yet, get a set of HR arms.. Upper and lower.

 

["Turbo-T"]

Thanks...I know HRpartsnstuff is a vendor, is there anything better about his parts than UMI? Looks like UMI also makes good stuff and is a little less expensive.

 

[Chuck Leeper]

Whatever floats yur boat. Paul @ HR is a Buick guy, and I know his stuff works and fits...

 

[SGRIM]

When you said everything was stock did you mean wheels too? I have had the wrong size offset cause wheel hop...

 

[GNVYUS 1]

There are a lot of issues to look at like mentioned above, but new PST (or any polyurethane) bushings and boxing the lower control arms will stop it no doubt. From there it's a power/traction game, but a stock car is easy to tame.

 

["Turbo-T"]

When you said everything was stock did you mean wheels too? I have had the wrong size offset cause wheel hop...

Yes...I still have the stock 15X7 aluminum turbine fin rims.

I also have the stock upper and lower control arms, stock pinion snubber, stock rear end housing, stock rear sway bar. The shocks are Monroe sensatracs.

For control arms, is there any gain of a fully boxed set over tubular?