Wheel Hop - Zilvia.net Forums | Nissan 240SX (Silvia) and Z (Fairlady) Car Forum

adey · 09-15-2002, 05:39 AM

So I took the 240 out tonight for the first time in a while, and the first time I've taken it out with my new tires (dunlop fm-901s.)
In one of my favorite section of turns, I got some serious wheel hop (whole car/rear-end shuddering loudly). Now, I've had wheel hop before- with shit, worn 'touring' tires and before I installed the rear subframe bushings, but nothing near as violent as tonight's. So what's up with the hopping?

If I'm not mistaken stickier tires will add to wheel hop (by how much I don't know), but the rear subframe spacers I recently put on (thanks to cpark & powertrix again. <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt='

'>) are supposed to be a partial fix to this problem (of wheel-hop.) Instead, I get more violent shaking of the car (which is, granted, probably due to the tires...)
On top of this, I've heard that worn/dead/shot shocks are also a contributing factor to wheel hop - however I've only heard of wheel hop upon hard acceleration, not under hard corning.

Is there anything I can do (before I put coilovers on) to eliminate/minimize this? i have the bushing spacers (which I theorize just cause the existing bushings to act as though they were stiffer bushings); are there any other rubber bushings I can change out for polyurethane units to help?

Red · 09-15-2002, 04:02 PM

How old are your back shocks? On my 95 when I got the car I would be driving down the highway and the whole back in whould shudder to the side of the lane.... When I hit the gass hard my wheels would Hop and when cornering they would also hop very bad.. is this kinda what you got. sounds to me like you needa check your back shocks... My shocks were so shot that it took no effort to push them in and out!! thats (bad)

I never heard of sticky tires makin more hop I have sticky azz 180 ware tires with no hop.   Hope this helps any.  <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

camppain · 09-15-2002, 05:59 PM

actually it would be your subframe bushings. on my 89 coupe i had 1 inch or more play in them! after i installed the whiteline subframe bushings its almost completely eliminated. shocks would not be a factor in wheel hop but more in a bouncey ride

adey · 09-15-2002, 06:48 PM

So does that imply that my recently installed rear subframe bushings aren't doing jack (other than making wheel hop worse?) I'm stumped now, I thought it had lots to do with shocks and tires (and even rim size)...

kenfuji · 09-22-2002, 04:35 AM

wheel hop can be casued by may things. and yes including your shocks and strut. wheel hop is when a wheel moves up and down violently that it actually leaves the ground. I'm suspecting your suspension is shot and/or your tires. i'm not to familiar with dunlops but from what i remeber they have softer sidewalls compared to similar tires(i think). that will make your car hop under heavy load. i'm sure the coil overs will help eliminate a lot of the wheel hop, but you will need tires equally as good for the task.
for example i notice major handling difference switching from 60 to 50 to 45 series. with the lower series there is less flex and makes the suspension do more of the damping instead of the tires so it helps reduce the bouncing effect.
also your probrobly getting more feedback  from the metal subframe bushing. which makes everthing inside louder and the sound make you more sensitive to feel. also strut bars help a lot too. do you have a LSD? that introduced a whole new world of perfomance for me. on many turns i used to pound real hard, it doesn't even feel like i'm breaking a sweat now.

adey · 09-22-2002, 06:08 AM

Hey, didn't we have a "Newbie of the month" award or tag at some point? From what I've read so far, my vote goes to kenfuji. (Aren't you on FA?)

Anyway.

the dunlops I'm wearing are (205/55/15) FM-901s, which are supposed to be decent, or at very least decent-for-their-price.
My post/question was more rhetorical than anything else, I'm pretty sure it's basically the need for new suspensioin.

Thanks for all the peripheral information though (on LSD, sidwall etc)!  <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>

09-15-2002, 05:39 AM	#1
adey Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 3,061 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	So I took the 240 out tonight for the first time in a while, and the first time I've taken it out with my new tires (dunlop fm-901s.) In one of my favorite section of turns, I got some serious wheel hop (whole car/rear-end shuddering loudly). Now, I've had wheel hop before- with shit, worn 'touring' tires and before I installed the rear subframe bushings, but nothing near as violent as tonight's. So what's up with the hopping? If I'm not mistaken stickier tires will add to wheel hop (by how much I don't know), but the rear subframe spacers I recently put on (thanks to cpark & powertrix again. <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/wink.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=''>) are supposed to be a partial fix to this problem (of wheel-hop.) Instead, I get more violent shaking of the car (which is, granted, probably due to the tires...) On top of this, I've heard that worn/dead/shot shocks are also a contributing factor to wheel hop - however I've only heard of wheel hop upon hard acceleration, not under hard corning. Is there anything I can do (before I put coilovers on) to eliminate/minimize this? i have the bushing spacers (which I theorize just cause the existing bushings to act as though they were stiffer bushings); are there any other rubber bushings I can change out for polyurethane units to help?

09-15-2002, 04:02 PM	#2
Red Zilvia Addict Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Vancouver, WA - Portland, OR Age: 40 Posts: 734 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	How old are your back shocks? On my 95 when I got the car I would be driving down the highway and the whole back in whould shudder to the side of the lane.... When I hit the gass hard my wheels would Hop and when cornering they would also hop very bad.. is this kinda what you got. sounds to me like you needa check your back shocks... My shocks were so shot that it took no effort to push them in and out!! thats (bad) I never heard of sticky tires makin more hop I have sticky azz 180 ware tires with no hop.   Hope this helps any.  <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'> __________________ http://www.cardomain.com/memberpage/509537 http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=4287415487 #/f/showthread.php?t=21036

09-15-2002, 05:59 PM	#3
camppain Will never get banned... Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: San Diego CA Age: 41 Posts: 1,510 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	actually it would be your subframe bushings. on my 89 coupe i had 1 inch or more play in them! after i installed the whiteline subframe bushings its almost completely eliminated. shocks would not be a factor in wheel hop but more in a bouncey ride __________________ -=-99 Sentra SE 5 speed-=- -=-95 240 SE 5 speed-=-

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09-15-2002, 06:48 PM	#4
adey Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 3,061 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	So does that imply that my recently installed rear subframe bushings aren't doing jack (other than making wheel hop worse?) I'm stumped now, I thought it had lots to do with shocks and tires (and even rim size)...

09-22-2002, 04:35 AM	#5
kenfuji Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: NJ/NYC Age: 46 Posts: 24 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	wheel hop can be casued by may things. and yes including your shocks and strut. wheel hop is when a wheel moves up and down violently that it actually leaves the ground. I'm suspecting your suspension is shot and/or your tires. i'm not to familiar with dunlops but from what i remeber they have softer sidewalls compared to similar tires(i think). that will make your car hop under heavy load. i'm sure the coil overs will help eliminate a lot of the wheel hop, but you will need tires equally as good for the task. for example i notice major handling difference switching from 60 to 50 to 45 series. with the lower series there is less flex and makes the suspension do more of the damping instead of the tires so it helps reduce the bouncing effect. also your probrobly getting more feedback  from the metal subframe bushing. which makes everthing inside louder and the sound make you more sensitive to feel. also strut bars help a lot too. do you have a LSD? that introduced a whole new world of perfomance for me. on many turns i used to pound real hard, it doesn't even feel like i'm breaking a sweat now.

09-22-2002, 06:08 AM	#6
adey Post Whore! Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Hong Kong Posts: 3,061 Trader Rating: (0) Feedback Score: 0 reviews	Hey, didn't we have a "Newbie of the month" award or tag at some point? From what I've read so far, my vote goes to kenfuji. (Aren't you on FA?) Anyway. the dunlops I'm wearing are (205/55/15) FM-901s, which are supposed to be decent, or at very least decent-for-their-price. My post/question was more rhetorical than anything else, I'm pretty sure it's basically the need for new suspensioin. Thanks for all the peripheral information though (on LSD, sidwall etc)!  <img src="#/f/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/thumbs-up.gif" border="0" valign="absmiddle" alt=':thumbsup:'>