Taking car in for wheel hop...

[Twinturbo Ranger]

You guys kill me !!

You do realize that wheel hop can be found on almost any rear will drive car right? Given a IRS equipped car usually has more because the wheels are independent from each other, but a solid axle car can do the exact same thing. A swap to a solid axle on a Cobra will feel like you have cured your wheel hop, but if you go with the stock components (contol arms, bushings ,etc.) I can promise you the car can still hop if you launch it just right. Thats why you see so many products out there to help or eliminate it from solid axle equipped cars. As with any car or suspension it is the total package that works.

With all that being said Ford did a poor job on the IRS design. They basically came up with something that would bolt into the existing chassis and called it a day. That is where the problem lies. Most cars are designed with the IRS in mind and usually do a better job, like the Vette and 350Z (since I owned one)for example. The Z I had still had wheel hop at times but it was minimal and contolled so it came and went almost as fast, so it was not a real problem to me.

Anyway I just had to make sure you guys knew that wheel hop is a common problem among almost any car and that theres no "secret cure". All vehicles are different and what may work for one may not for the other. Plus you have to throw in difference's in driving styles, road conditions, etc.. If you have a sticky track and you dump the clutch without the proper tires and suspension setup you will most likely wheel hop due to the shock you place on the tires. Finesse(not sure I spelled that right) is the key. Thats one of the reasons a automatic car is faster, because the driveline is not shocked and the 60 ft times are better. Now a transbrake is a different subject.

Good luck!!
Thanks Mike

 

[03yllwguy]

They will probably tell you the fix for wheel hop is to NOT turn off the traction control... I wouldn't take it in myself, just a wasted trip to the stealer.... er dealer.

 

[mike79]

Just go in there with the brochure/press kit photos of all the 03s smoking the rears and ask: what's their secret? Or why can't it do what these photos advertise? epper:

Good point. False advertising. I say we go for a huge class action lawsuit. Free KB's for everyone! Woohoo!

 

[launchnukes]

Good point. False advertising. I say we go for a huge class action lawsuit. Free KB's for everyone! Woohoo!

i'm in! :burnout:

 

[Wolf]

You guys kill me !!

You do realize that wheel hop can be find on almost any rear will drive car right?

Yes, I remember all the complaints I read about wheel hop with the non-IRS Mustangs - NOT! I currently own 5 Mustangs ('82 and up), and only the Cobra has wheel hop. And it's absolutely DEAD stock, so the problem does not come from me.

Ford put slapper bars in the early 5L Mustangs, then switched to quad shocks a few years later to prevent any wheel hop issues with the solid axle cars. How the hell did the Cobra get out the door with all its hop problems? Again, Ford clearly screwed up on the Cobra, and should have to rememdy the situation. If all it takes is some new bushings and bracing, fine. But Ford should have to do it, and pay for it, not me.

And if you have a Cobra without wheelhop, consider yourself very lucky. Drive a convert, you'll see how bad is really is.

 

[03soniccobra01]

All I did was add 315's and I only hop I get is in the rain or real cold street temp!

 

[Most]

I have my car since summer 2003. This was a very hot summer in Europe.
In the begin I had never any hop problems. Then, in autumn 2003 it hopped first time and was really shocked. It only hopped from time to time and I did not understand whats going on there. Same time the "pop" noise started.
I went several times to the garage. But we have no SVT specialists in Europe. Ford does not support my "self imported car" - there is even no warranty outside North America!!!

Then I was starting to read in all related forums everyting I found about the "hop" and "pop" problems of this car.
One day I found an interesting post: Somebody found a big influence of the temperature: over approx. 64 F was no hop - below 64 F, his car was hopping like crazy.

Since I did read this, I allways put an eye on the temperature and was surprised:
Its right! My car only hops, if it is bellow this 64 F and there is absolutely no hop in warmer weather!
I tried to modify the tire pressures and I changed from stock F1 to GS-D3 ...but it remained allways the same.

I still dont know what changes so much at this temperature. But I think tis will help to explain why some people have this problem and some not!

Do you have the same experience?
Regards, Stefan

 

[03cobra#116]

Wheel hop in my convertible is definitely worse when the weather is cold.

I expect that is primarily due to cold road and tires. A secondary factor is likely the higher output of the engine when the weather is cold.

I get wheel hop often. I can break the tires lose and spin them rather than hopping (little gas, no hop or spin; moderate gas, hop; lots of gas, spin), but I rarely do that. It takes practice to do this consistently, and I am too cheap to burn up those expensive tires.

 

[Chas]

Before Ford will do any warrenty work they first must duplicate the problem, so if you want 4 or 5 Ford mechnics driving the hell out of your car take it in. Of course then they will just tell you that its normal and have a nice day. Sorry but if you want it fixed you'll have to do it yourself. You would be better off writing SVT a nasty letter maybe we all should.

 

[Great8]

Its not a flaw....all IRS cars hop, vettes, mustangs etc. Some more than others. Get used to it or do some suspension changes to negate it.

My friend gets wheel hop in his Z06, another in his CTS-V, and the GTO experiences wheel hop. There have been CTS-V's grenading their pumpkins.

Some wheel hop is to be expected, especially when the IRS is an afterthought (like it is in the Cobra). I just wish it wouldn't hop so much in the cold or rain.

 

[badboy]

I'm not sure everyone is talking about the same thing when they say "wheel hop". I can get my car to hop, meaning bouncing up off the pavement and sort of skipping down the road. That's one thing. Pretty hard on the drive line components when the car comes down with the wheels spinning.

Then, there is WHEEL HOP. Man, this is the most violent, bone rattling shudder that a car can do. It feels like the car is coming apart and it scares the shit out of you. That's what I mean when I say wheel hop.

 

[remsvt]

I'm not sure everyone is talking about the same thing when they say "wheel hop". I ca

I definently experience "WHEEL HOP". The whole car shakes!! I think it is worse for verts. I will spend more $$$$ to try an eliminate it before I break a half shaft or something else.

 

[Twinturbo Ranger]

Yes, I remember all the complaints I read about wheel hop with the non-IRS Mustangs - NOT! I currently own 5 Mustangs ('82 and up), and only the Cobra has wheel hop. And it's absolutely DEAD stock, so the problem does not come from me.

Ford put slapper bars in the early 5L Mustangs, then switched to quad shocks a few years later to prevent any wheel hop issues with the solid axle cars. How the hell did the Cobra get out the door with all its hop problems? Again, Ford clearly screwed up on the Cobra, and should have to rememdy the situation. If all it takes is some new bushings and bracing, fine. But Ford should have to do it, and pay for it, not me.

And if you have a Cobra without wheelhop, consider yourself very lucky. Drive a convert, you'll see how bad is really is.

You can believe what you want on thinking the IRS Cobra is the only car to have wheel hop. I know differently being that I have owned almost 20 Mustangs in the Fox and SN95 style. If the suspension is not addressed on a stock solid axle it too can experience wheel hop. Believe it or not that is up to you. Yes the IRS is more prone to it and can easily be made to do it. A solid axle will not continue to bounce usually as a IRS will. This is mainly because the wheels are independent of each other. I'm out of this one you guys can believe what you want. :shrug:

Thanks Mike

Oh just to show that solid axle cars can have wheel hop, please follow the link to the lower control arms listed. They are designed to reduce axle windup to decrease wheel hop??

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/rlca.asp

 

[broke7]

wheelhop = get the **** off the gas

 

[Twinturbo Ranger]

Amen !! I guess you'll get off it one way or the other !!

 

[PowerWheels]

Just go in there with the brochure/press kit photos of all the 03s smoking the rears and ask: what's their secret? Or why can't it do what these photos advertise? epper:

There's no problem doing a burnout, you just have to blow right past the point of traction. If you are near the traction point that's when the hop comes into play.

 

[Wolf]

Oh just to show that solid axle cars can have wheel hop, please follow the link to the lower control arms listed. They are designed to reduce axle windup to decrease wheel hop??

http://www.maximummotorsports.com/rlca.asp

Correct. If you take off the quad shocks (for larger tires, like many people do), you WILL get wheel hop on the solid axle cars, and the cure is solid bushings in the control arms (trust me, I know a little bit about suspensions and drag racing). But again, it illustrates my point that Ford prevented wheelhop in the first place by engineering in the quad shocks. No such solution on the Cobras....

I don't think it's too much to ask that after spending $50K (CDN) on a factory 400 HP "performance" car, I CAN put my foot into it in first gear without fear of it destroying the driveline. Hell, in the rain, I can't even LOOK at the accelerator pedal in first gear. The IRS should have been an option, and I would have gladly deleted it and had no argument with Ford. But it appears I'm not alone with my IRS hop problems, so again I suggest that everyone who is similarly dissatisfied with the Cobra wheel hop problem, let Ford know we're not happy. Maybe in a perfect world, they'll do something about it.

Ed Hohenberg

 

[postban]

I would suggest complaining to Ford about wheelhop is gonna be like pushing a rope, pointless. You can try that way but will most likely only be frustrated.
Untill I see a recall letter stating "Install a set of Nick's Bushings" will I believe they would do anything about it. It is up to you as the owner to remedy the weaknesses.

There are proven methods to reduce the vibration and oscillation we experience when wheelhop occurs.
1)Get the $#%#$% rubber out of the IRS. That means bushings, all of them, tons of threads about the subject. Nicks or MM's both are excellent.
2)Shocks with a higher dampening rate. Either adjustables or others. You Vert guys will have it worse because you have more flex in your chassis, softer springs and shocks. I know this first hand. I suggest at least using coupe springs if not some aftermarket ones with approx 600-650lb rate.
3)Good quality subframes, MM's are excellent, so are the more pricey HANS
4)Mathis braces to reinforce the rear IRS mounting brackets, very simple mod proven to work.

I am not gonna suggest tires as a "fix" because when you mod and add more power (or get colder weather) the hop usually comes back. Tires are not a fix but they do help after you get the other mods done. Neither are anti-hop shocks a "fix" in themselves. The Bushings are key, as are the shocks, as are the braces.

I am also adding the PHP Toe Link bars as a possible additional remedy to hop. The Toe Link is the third "mounting point" for the wheel. It is the weakest link in the UCA/LCA/Toe link arrangement. It flexes whereas the control arms do not. I don't have them installed yet but their logic seems sound.

Do the above and it will dramatically reduce wheelhop.

 

[Wings65288]

how much would all this cost you about?

I would suggest complaining to Ford about wheelhop is gonna be like pushing a rope, pointless. You can try that way but will most likely only be frustrated.
Untill I see a recall letter stating "Install a set of Nick's Bushings" will I believe they would do anything about it. It is up to you as the owner to remedy the weaknesses.

There are proven methods to reduce the vibration and oscillation we experience when wheelhop occurs.
1)Get the $#%#$% rubber out of the IRS. That means bushings, all of them, tons of threads about the subject. Nicks or MM's both are excellent.
2)Shocks with a higher dampening rate. Either adjustables or others. You Vert guys will have it worse because you have more flex in your chassis, softer springs and shocks. I know this first hand. I suggest at least using coupe springs if not some aftermarket ones with approx 600-650lb rate.
3)Good quality subframes, MM's are excellent, so are the more pricey HANS
4)Mathis braces to reinforce the rear IRS mounting brackets, very simple mod proven to work.

I am not gonna suggest tires as a "fix" because when you mod and add more power (or get colder weather) the hop usually comes back. Tires are not a fix but they do help after you get the other mods done. Neither are anti-hop shocks a "fix" in themselves. The Bushings are key, as are the shocks, as are the braces.

I am also adding the PHP Toe Link bars as a possible additional remedy to hop. The Toe Link is the third "mounting point" for the wheel. It is the weakest link in the UCA/LCA/Toe link arrangement. It flexes whereas the control arms do not. I don't have them installed yet but their logic seems sound.

Do the above and it will dramatically reduce wheelhop.

 

[Wolf]

how much would all this cost you about?

I'm guessing more than swapping in a solid axle (?).