Wheel hop?? Not this time..

[HISSMAN]

Well, last night I decided to swap my rear eibach's back out for my stock rear springs. I had already cut half of a coil off of the Eibach's, and it still did not sit low enough for me. From the bottom of the wheel lip to the fender was 24 3/4 inches. I went ahead and cut a 3/4 coil off of the OEM rear springs and swapped the stock ISOs for MM poly-U ISO's. After driving it and letting everything settle the ride height is now 23 7/8ths from the bottom of the wheel lip to the fender. Or just under three finger widths. The front sits at 23 1/4, so everything looks great and the car is also more balanced.

The first thing that I noticed when driving to the office this morning was how much better the car felt on the road. It even seemed to be more compliant through curves. The biggest difference was when I jumped on the throttle from a 5 mph roll in first gear, and for the first time in a very long time, there was no wheel hop. It kinda felt weird because I had come to expect it, and it just wasn't there. It also felt as though the back end just plain planted it's self better. This may have something to do with better weight transfer to the rear, but I don't know if that is the case for sure. Anyhow, the cobra looks better and seems to drive better.

-Jeff


Also- I have changing rear springs down to a science. It took me 50 minutes to drop the irs and swap the old for the new. This includes removing and reinstalling the wheels. If I had air tools I bet that I could do it in less than 45 minutes.

 

[HISSMAN]

I will get some pics soon I hope. I also went ahead and painted my calipers to match the exterior of the cobra. It looks much better now!

 

[MikeW]

Great! I plan to use cut coupe springs and I hope they work like your stockers did for you :beer:

Oh, were you on your street tires?

 

[HISSMAN]

Yes, GS-D3 street tires. 315's.
I spun like the dickens, but no wheel hop. I almost always have wheel hop when I get into it from a dig with street tires.

-Jeff

 

[MikeW]

The spin I can stand that damn hopp'n I dont like at all.

Wish you were closer so I could time your spring install on my car :lol: I have yet to change a set of IRS springs but it will happen soon.

 

[HISSMAN]

The trick is to unbolt the catback from the midpipe ( I didn't remove the catback. I just pushed it back from the midpipe so that I could get the pipes below the midpipe joint), and line up the drive shaft so that it will angle down with the IRS cradle when you lower it (just do this at the rear of the transmission, the U-joints position at the diff does not matter). That is the hardest part. Put the rear subframe on jackstands, unbolt the rear shocks, put a jack under the diff. Unbolt the rear IRS/subframe bolts. Lower the IRS with the jack until you can get the springs out. Then reverse.

-Jeff

 

[MikeW]

Thanks for the tips Jeff :beer:

i have a buddy with a lift.... would it be easier with a lift or without?

 

[HISSMAN]

With a lift. Unbolt the exhaust and everything that you can get to under the lift. Lower it back down to the ground. Then unbolt everything that connects the IRS to the frame. Then slowly lift the car up just enough so that you can get the springs out. It is pretty much the same principle.

 

[MikeW]

Cool


Last question... what did you use to cut the stock springs? I have a Dremel tool but I am not sure that it will be enough to cut a spring.

 

[HISSMAN]

I used a 4.5" disk grinder with a metal cutting disk. You will spend a long time cutting it with a dremel, and it will eat the cutting disks all to pieces. It took me about two minutes to cut through it with my Hitachi grinder.

 

[SSSNAKE03]

op: cant wait to see the pics

 

[HISSMAN]

I am hoping that it will be warm and sunny this Sunday. I need to wash it badly. It was dirty at the end of November, so I never put the cover on it. Since then it has pretty much set in the garage collecting dust up until today.

-Jeff

 

[HISSMAN]

It is amazing what lowering a car about 7/8ths of an inch and painting the calipers will do for the looks. Our headquarters has about 30 office personnel, and in the first five and a half hours I have had seven people come into the office and ask me if I had something else done the cobra. Everyone said that it looks different, and meaner than normal. LOL.

-Jeff

 

[HISSMAN]

Well, I just laid into it from a stand still from 1st all the way to third gear. Spinning the tires through all three, but not one ounce of wheel hop...could I be cured??? I have been plagued with the hop from the beginning, and now it appears to be gone, yippie!!

 

[01strimbullitt]

congrats jeff on no more wheel hop! you cut 3/4 of a coil off right...? from the top or bottom...?

 

[HISSMAN]

From the bottom + MM polyurethane isolators.

 

[vipergts281]

Can't wait to see pics.

 

[jcobra]

+1 on the pics

 

[mags]

How much tread on tires Hissman?

 

[HISSMAN]

They are pretty new. They may have about 4K miles on them. I would say about 85% tread left. On another note. I took it back out again this morning and tried everything I could do to get it to hop, and it just wouldn't. I am very happy with this turn of events.

-Jeff