Wheel hop! Bad on launch...

rfpowerdude

Member
Joined
Oct 13, 2005
I am experiencing bad wheel hop on my '88 H/O when power braking or launching hard (tires breaking loose). WTF? I have never experienced this before on a coil sprung 4-link rear axle. The rear setup is stock (including the F41 anti-sway bar) except for boxing the lower and upper control arms. Anyone have any ideas?
 
maybe need some sort of traction device. How old are the shocks? Maybe some adj. drag shocks.
 
I should add that everything is new. New Firestone Wide Oval Indy tires (255/45R17) and new KYB shocks. What else would do this?
 
Also, the car has been lowered quite a bit with cut down Monza springs (Moog 6377's) with the F-body cup isolator at the top. It is about 2" lower than stock.
 
It's your bushings. I just replaced mine with some poly bushings with Metco adjustable upper control arms. Mine would wheel hop violently when trying to do a burnout, when launching it, hell it would even wheel hop in the rain. haha. I changed bushings and it'll do a burnout like a champ now.
 
I had that issue when I first got drag radials. Air-bags eliminated the problem.
 
My guess is because the car is lowered. I have the same issue with my Monte. My plan is to add relocation brackets (for the lower trailing arms) to the 8.5 that will be going in the car.
 
X2 on the bushings. Mine did it real bad til i put stock lowers with poly bushings.
 
So, I am gonna try the poly bushings first, then the LCA relo brackets from BMR. If that doesn't do it, I'll move on to more exotic stuff later...

Thanks all!
 
So, I am gonna try the poly bushings first, then the LCA relo brackets from BMR. If that doesn't do it, I'll move on to more exotic stuff later...

Thanks all!

My car is lowered with stock LCA and UCA (boxed) with poly bushings and I have no hop.
 
Dont get poly bushings! Just go to the parts store and get a set of Moog replacement bushings. These are great quality and are stiff enough to give good responce but soft enough to give good ride quality.


Here's what your problem is or a combo of them in all reality:

1. You cut Monza springs down you said, are these progressive rate or solidly sprung? If they are progressive rate and you cut them, you are essentially riding on wabbly springs. Thhe solid srpung direct rate springs when cut are too stiff to allow weight transfer to the rear wheels so the engery is now wanting to exit through the control arms which will cause hop.

2. old bushings, usually in the rear end itself will allow vibration to pass through at an expanded rate so instead of putting the power to the ground directly, it's now distorted as it transfers energy from the body through the rear end and then again through the lower control arms and back into the body. Most of the time the probelm isnt the lower control arm bushings though, its the bushings perched on the top of the rear end.

3. Your pinion angle is completely out of whack lowered 2" with non adjustable upper control arms. If you want to be low, you need to buy adjustable uppers. Dont mess around with the relocation brackets for the lower control arms unless you cant get you pinion angle with adjustable uppers alone, which trust me you will. The relocation brackets are just another part bolted on that will have the tendonsy to flex.


Solution, buy a new set of springs even if it raises the car 1/2". I like Moog 5413's, BellTechs, or Global Wests which will sit the car 1.5" lower. See how it reacts and if it still hopping, get a new set of bushing for the perches on the rear. Still Hopping??? double adjustable upper control arms to se t your pinion angle. Still Hopping?? change the lower control arm bushings or get a good set of Hotchkis or metcos.


What are you using for a rear swaybar?
 
Relocation brackets is absolutely something you want to do with a lowered car. When the car is lowered, the new angle of the of the trailing arms moves the instantaneous center forward; this gives the rearend more "leverage" and will make it act sloppy. The brackets will help get anti-squat back in line and make the rear plant harder.
The pinion angle will, no doubt, need adjustment, but this, alone, will not cure the issue; it just allows for the driveline to be and the correct angles when under load.

FYI my car is running BMR LTAs with poly bushings and Edelbrock AdjUTAs with rubber bushings (pretty fresh) on the rearend side.
 
1. You cut Monza springs down you said, are these progressive rate or solidly sprung?

They are not progressive rate.

3. Your pinion angle is completely out of whack lowered 2" with non adjustable upper control arms.

Yep, I have pretty much figured that out now with all the great responses I have gotten. Thanks!

Solution, buy a new set of springs even if it raises the car 1/2". I like Moog 5413's, BellTechs, or Global Wests which will sit the car 1.5" lower.

I have already tried multiple sets of springs and don't like any of them. I have the exact stance I want with the 6377's and they are not progressive. They only have 1 and 1/4 coil cut down. I have them also in my '83 H/O and they are fine. The torque of my 468ci Olds is just too much for the wrong pinion angle, the wrong LCA/LTA angle, the rubber bushings and the stickier low profile rubber. The 307 in the '83 with the one-legger will never do this. Not, at least, until I get the ripping 350 in it with the 8.5" posi. I will have to do the same thing to it when I get this one right.

What are you using for a rear swaybar?

Stock F41 rear bar. Reasonably beefy.

Sounds like I should do relo brackets for the lowers, adjustable for the uppers and new rubber for the uppers and poly for the lowers. The order I am going to try this stuff is:

1. Relo brackets for the lowers
2. new rubber and poly as mentioned above
3. Adjustable uppers

Thanks again all for the replies. I will report back with results.
 
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