Unbelievable Wheelhop -- Non-Drag Car

**ScrapMaker** · 05-02-2007, 11:09 AM

Hey guys,

For the longest time, my car would dangerously bounce around the road when I hit turns, and it was obvious that my struts were toast... I took the car in, and it turned out that a few components of my rear suspension were shot, (in terms of bushings,) making it quite sloppy back there. I spent ungodly amounts of money getting my trailing arms replaced, then the bar that goes diagonal from one side to the other in the rear. Immediately after doing this, I started getting outrageous wheelhop. Frame-bending, panel-flapping, heart-stopping wheelhop. I have not been able to burn out since.

I thought perhaps it was the oringinal (OE) struts that were still on the car at 135k miles... I swapped in KYB adjustables, tried them at 50%, 80%, and now at 100%... no dice.

We are talking such bad wheelhop (when I lose traction---many times even during rain,) that the dash is bouncing, the doors are flopping like they are almost going to pop open, and I can hear the whole car crying... this is why I have only tried to burn out two or three times in the last 6 months...

I have also swapped three different types of tires on the rear, to no avail.

Can anyone give me any pointers? I know I should get subframe connectors, but it really bothers me that I pour thousands of dollars into my suspension, only to make it so I can no longer burn out, which, ironically is the most fun I have in this car!

Thanks in advance, you guys make my day...

-Steven

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-02-2007, 01:17 PM

do you experience this mainly on acceleration or braking or normal driving @ ~same speed ?

**ScrapMaker** · 05-03-2007, 04:27 AM

This really only happens when I (attempt to) burn out... These Khumo Ecstas are not the best, but they get pretty damn good traction... I only get the hop when they break loose, obviously, and breaking seems unaffected...

**Eugenio_SS** · 05-03-2007, 05:51 AM

try putting your rear KYB @ a much softer setting...
you should also consider a lock-line for the front for that.

**ScrapMaker** · 05-07-2007, 05:13 AM

A line-lock seems a bit overkill for me, since I don't burn out ALL that much, but when it happens, I don't want the car to hop this badly...

it almost seems worse in reverse... if the pavement is wet, for example, and I back up a bit too quick, the car will hop just the same...

I'm just surprised that all this happened AFTER I got parts replaced, and not before...

**ScrapMaker** · 05-16-2007, 08:53 PM

no guesses? changing the rear shock setting won't do much, since I first had the equivalent of -10 (135k stock shocks,) then on 50% setting on my AGXs, and now 100% AGX.... same results each time... even with two different sets of tires...

**bigrondownhiller** · 05-17-2007, 12:05 PM

do you have lowering springs? how is the front bushing for the torque arm? is your torque arm bent?

**SSTODD** · 05-18-2007, 07:55 AM

What was replaced on the "trailing arms and panhard rod"? just the bushings or the complete part. Also replaced with what, stock or aftermarket, rubber or polyurathene bushings. stock components suck and rubber sucks for stopping the hopping.

**ScrapMaker** · 05-19-2007, 07:02 AM

The entire parts were replaced, because the shop claimed they could not get the bushings by themselves. Stock replacement parts...

I have stock springs as well...

This all started because when I would hit bumps on the highway while turning, the car would bounce all over the road... it felt unsafe... pretty sloppy... I already had a bunch of stuff replaced on the front-end, and this shop told me that my trailing-arm bushings were completely shot... so after they replaced those two arms, and the diagonal bar that goes from one wheel to the other... (I can't recall the name right now, doh!) I IMMEDIATELY started having wheelhop issues... with only those three parts replaced. Same tires, same (135k-mile) struts/shocks, and same springs...

I had heard of others having a bit of wheelhop, so I decided to get the KYB AGX struts/shocks... this did nothing... it made my car feel great, and it's a hell of a lot more fun to drive, but I get earth-shaking wheelhop when I try to burn out, or I just lose traction... sometimes even in the rain I get the weird wheelhop...

This wheelhop is so severe that I swear that the doors are going to pop open from the frame twisting... and it never did ANYTHING like this before those rear-end suspension parts were replaced... and I've tried two different types of tires.. right now I put on some really shitty worn out tires... I figured it there was barely any tread, I could burn out easily without the wheelhop... --- not the case...

**BULLET_WS6** · 05-19-2007, 10:07 AM

sounds like you should do the subframe connectors asap, i have the same problem sometimes, but not near as bad and i know for a fact the sfc will help a lot

**ScrapMaker** · 05-19-2007, 04:44 PM

Yeah SFCs sound like a great idea... but I wish I could figure out why the heck this all started just from REPLACING bad parts? it's boggling my mind...

**BULLET_WS6** · 05-19-2007, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by ScrapMaker

Yeah SFCs sound like a great idea... but I wish I could figure out why the heck this all started just from REPLACING bad parts? it's boggling my mind...

could be that something softened up your suspension making it come out more.. eh either way, once you get the sfc's tell me how it helped because i may get some... but i dont know what kind... so many different ones

**SSTODD** · 05-21-2007, 02:31 AM

so after they replaced those two arms, and the diagonal bar that goes from one wheel to the other... (I can't recall the name right now, doh!)

PANHARD BAR or ROD but anyway, Search all the posts about how these parts are installed and how they must be torqued when the car is on the ground (loaded) and not hanging in the air. Maybe your parts are bound up from improper installation. Even dealers have kids that don't know how to change oil or rotate tires.

**JOHN_DEERE_LS6** · 05-21-2007, 04:15 AM

ok im new to the f bodys but a farm boy and 4x4 truck guru a few things id look at in resolving this issue are tire pressure and u joints.... perhaps pop off your rear diff. cover and take a quick peep inside... im not sure if these cars have straight up lockers or not ( dont think they do) perhaps your locking differential is acting up (most all the newer z71 pick ups do the same thign while corning and accellerating, and sometimes while attemping burn outs)... if this is a stick car perhaps your clutch is ont he way out?!?!? not sure on that but its an idea....

again not claiming to be a genious but thats the shit id look into.... my car does a lil bit whne i dump the clutch in 1st at abotu 3 mph but it feels more like a slight pulse mroe than anything

**ScrapMaker** · 05-27-2007, 03:31 PM

I think I will take it to a shop I trust... it's a further drive, but they have never let me down before... this is really starting to aggrevate me...

Perhaps it is as SSTODD says, and the parts were improperly installed...

**uncle ray** · 06-12-2007, 11:59 PM

this is just a shot in the dark but i see you have the a4. have some one you really, really, REALLY trust hold the brake and gas it till teh rear of the car raises slightly (power brake, jack, brake stand, whatever), but dont let the tires spin! look underneath and check out how much the pinion is moving.

it is possible that the front bushing on the torque arm is so worn (like the rest were) that its allowing your pinion angle to change more than normal 2-3 degrees. if so replace this bushing with a new one, or urethane, and your problems will all be solved... and super models will bow at your feet, and you will get rich too!!!

believe it!!!

**astyles** · 06-13-2007, 12:07 AM

my sfc's helped my wheel hop.........

**ScrapMaker** · 06-13-2007, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by uncle ray

this is just a shot in the dark but i see you have the a4. have some one you really, really, REALLY trust hold the brake and gas it till teh rear of the car raises slightly (power brake, jack, brake stand, whatever), but dont let the tires spin! look underneath and check out how much the pinion is moving.

it is possible that the front bushing on the torque arm is so worn (like the rest were) that its allowing your pinion angle to change more than normal 2-3 degrees. if so replace this bushing with a new one, or urethane, and your problems will all be solved... and super models will bow at your feet, and you will get rich too!!!

believe it!!!

Wow, this actually makes the most sense so far... so this bushing, if it is worn, will allow my rear end to tilt more than normal?