what causes Major wheel hop
 

I recently went out to the track, and for the first time experienced major wheel hop. Not only in water box, but even not going through box. Is there something broken... to much air pressure...or is this a normal thing that can't be fixed. Seemed hard enough to eventually break something. Any help would be great guys.

Launch in the higher RPMS...

http://www.m2performance.com/

Check competition trailing arms sets here for cause of wheel hop.

i already launch kinda high, like around 6000. I thought maybe too high.

Have you checked all the obvious stuff, shockers worn, rubbers worn etc?

Check out trailing arms for the hardware part of it. If you're running quarters a lot, check your spring rates/dampening in the rear. Make them juice the wheels a little bit for the drop. Not as effective as the trailing arms will be, but it'll keep your wheels from jumping up underneath the rear end.

On another note- what kinds of tires are you running and how cold is it where you are now? I'm running Yoko AVS Sports and they've been doing nothing but spinning since it go under 55 degrees here. Not as bad as its been in some rain, but I couldn't even finish first or second gear out trying to race some kid in his Mustang on the way to school last week. Sucked. Cold tires are like having plastic wheels. I need a good winter set.......you got any, Santa?
Good luck
-Dave

Drop the pressure in the rear tire to 18 psi...I find launching at about 3300 - 3500 rpm is best for street tire.

Or if you have Drag radials... MT's or M&H then drop pressure in tires to 12 - 14 psi and then launch at 6500 rpm. What a feelin...!

Carefull though stock diffs do not like many high rpm launches or wheel hops. Could get exspensive...I found out the hard way.
jc

stock diff can take some torture... if no wheel hop...
but they break very fast if you get wheel hops

Unless you're only on the strip all the time, I wouldn't ride around with insufficient pressure in street tires. Slicks are made to be run on relatively low psi compared to street tires because they have the volume to sag into where street tires do not- you'll ding a rim. If you have a portable pump or one available where you're racing, you could try letting some air out, but just remember how it's gonna drive on your way home.

Interesting. I have Z rated Yokohama AVS as well and have been experiencing a lot of wheel hop and spinning since the late fall temps (30's in the morning and low 50's in the day). I have wheel hop and spinning at low rpms (normal take off at lights or WOT after downshifting) and car almost sideways in the rain turning at a light. I hate it.

High RPM's at launch will definitely cause wheel hop. Try dumping the clutch at 3000 rpm on DRY pavement. Also suspension issues will cause wheel hop.

redbase, I"ve got Yoko AVS's, but I thought they were W rated, not Z....? What size are your's?

I've been spinning like you have in the colder weather. About the same temps you're in. I've been getting a lot more break away around the secondary turbo drop in gears 1 and 2. I think I'm at least chirping a little bit in 3. Rain always sucks, but cold is ridiculous. I was gonna race a Mustang last week but it had been raining and I guess with the ground still somewhat wet, I got zero traction for anything over a quarter throttle. Really bumming. I'm starting to question my TCS though now too. When the car's been breaking loose, it feels a lot smoother than it used to when the TCS kicked in. I'm not feeling the rapid caliper firing when the tires are overpowered. Just seems like they're spinning unrestrictedly. I know the car well enough to not need TC and I only notice the spinning when I'm trying to do it except for sometimes in rainy conditions. I'd just rather know if it was working properly.

redbase, it seems on top of whatever problem you have, you also can try to add some weight to the back and see if the problem goes a way. Somtimes filling the fuel tank up and may be some stuff in the trunk can help the traction problem.

if you have adjustable shocks, you could stiffen up the rear shocks and soften the fronts. This will cause less rear hop i believe. Also stiffer motor mounts or that torque brace thing could help a bit as well.

Danny

um... no...
stiffening the back will eliminate weight transfer to the back upon take off. This will cause the backend to loose traction, and thus wheel hops.
So, if you have adjustable struts, softening it at the rear will help.

Bridgestone Potenza RE's
 

Changing out my Yokohama's for a set of Bridgestone Potenza RE's has reduced my wheel hop to almost nothing/never.... And the handling is unbelievable too...

YEs...Please do not launch your car at 6000rpm...you turbos might boost right...well at least if you are racing in high elevation...(LACR)...I would recommend launch at 3-3500rpm like Racer X said....wheel hop is our enemy at the '60 times...Get toe links and trailing arms...they'll minimize wheelhop...I'm waiting for mine....you can get them from M2 or ..Good LUCK!

It has always been my understanding that launching any car at low RPMs will always create more wheel hope when compared to high RPMs.

Wow.
I mean it.
Really.
Wow.
15 year old thread.
Is that a record?

I appreciate it. There is a lot of good info from the old days and this guy at least did his research using the search function and then decided to make his comment here rather than start a new thread.