What could the problem be?

[Shank2117]

four or five times this has happened to me, the first time this happened to me i almost lost control of my car.

Switching from 2nd to 3rd my rear tires locked up on me, im not sure if i didn't engage the gear all the way in correctly or if i let go of the clutch to early or something, its always been while racing/passing a car.

Yesterday night it happened again, i was racing a car, threw second gear fine, when i went to go throw third gear my rear tires locked up completely like if i had slammed on the brakes. Like i said though, im not sure if its because i didn't fully throw the gear all the way in or if i popped the clutch out too fast/too early.


This is the only car this has ever happened to me in, this never happened in my old vette.

 

[SteveBCloud9]

I'm sure this isn't it... but if you miss third and throw it in 1st from 2nd, you'd have the rear lock up on you with the engine/trans trying to compensate for the overreved engine... Only thing I can think of.

 

[Shank2117]

hmm... that one never crossed my mind. I highly doubt that would happen 5 times tho. throwing the car into first gear is extremely hard

 

[ViperTony]

I can see a missed shift from 3rd going to 4th but hitting 2nd. Used to happen to me until I replaced my engine and tranny mounts. I've never heard of tires locking up going from 2nd to 3rd....interesting. Wish I had more to offer on this one.

 

[bluesrt]

you have to be downshifting in my opinion

 

[viperbilliam]

Are you sure you're not shifting down to first - missing 3rd and hitting 1st instead?

 

[gb66gth]

the other possibiblity is that as you shift into the next higher gear you have not put your foot far enough into the gas as you let the clutch out so quickly. Kinda like downshifting and not blipping the throttle deeply enough, it will lock your rears. ...just a thought

 

[Steve-Indy]

"...my rear tires locked up completely like if i had slammed on the brakes."

I suspect that you ARE hitting the brake pedal with your left foot while you are slamming the clutch...especially in the "heat of battle"...so to speak.

This was a frequent "happening" with newer/distracted drivers on Gen I's and Gen II's..but not impossible on later generations.

With the addition of the dead pedal on later generations, another predicted pedal issue arose with the transition of a veteran Gen I/II driver to a Gen III... often netting a right foot hitting both the brake and the accelerator pedals in a panic stop...as demonstrated to new Gen III order holders by the Skip Barber demo drivers at VOI.6 in 2002.

One question...any chance that you are power shifting...and hitting the rev limiter just as you engage 3rd??

Just a thought or two.

 

[Darbgnik]

I've done the "red arrow, locked up back tires, lost control going way too fast, squirrelling around" blown second to third shift three times too many.

Same as you, always when racing or passing, always when grabbing gears in a hurry. The tranny in our car likes a measured change, seems to resist forcefully fast changes. Anytime this happens, it's always gone into first instead of third. Just remember to push in the clutch as soon as you realize this is what you've done. I don't think the car's got too many of these shifts in it before something gives.

 

[eucharistos]

1 more vote for down shift

at least you are consistent


(i did it once, not fun)

 

[Dom426h]

OP, do you have a stock shifter, or aftermarket?

Aftermarket options have stiff springs that guide the shifter to center/neutral position making it essier to shift from 2nd to 3rd

 

[ViperGeorge]

I would agree on the downshift idea but if you've done this 5 times I would have thought you would have grenaded the motor by now. They don't like revving as high as a missed shift would cause.

 

[seabass]

what about the possibility that he's slamming on the brake and not the gas? the pedals are very close together and are taking me some getting used to...

 

[dave6666]

The first few times I drove my car (GTS) I had issues getting my feet oriented on the pedals correctly. In other words, massive braking when it is not expected because foot was pushing brake pedal hard when I thought I was pushing another pedal hard. Or 2 of them at once.

 

[ViperGMC]

Everyone is correct, it’s a miss shift. That happened to me a couple of times, especially at the track. The motor/tranny will twist under heavy load and when you do a quick off gas/shift, the assembly snaps back. So if you throw the shifter the way you normally do, you will hit 1st instead of 3rd as the motor/tranny rotates back. Next time you are out driving, stomp on the gas and then off and watch the shifter rotate, you will see. I installed the urethane engine/tranny mounts , no more miss shifts at all.

 

[01ACR/VIPER]

I'm sure this isn't it... but if you miss third and throw it in 1st from 2nd, you'd have the rear lock up on you with the engine/trans trying to compensate for the overreved engine... Only thing I can think of.

Been there...done that

 

[ACR steve]

Agreed you slammed it in 1st, try holding the shifter differently so you can hit the right gate. Remember if you want to be fast you Must be smooth

 

[WANTED]

Everyone is correct, it’s a miss shift. That happened to me a couple of times, especially at the track. The motor/tranny will twist under heavy load and when you do a quick off gas/shift, the assembly snaps back. So if you throw the shifter the way you normally do, you will hit 1st instead of 3rd as the motor/tranny rotates back. Next time you are out driving, stomp on the gas and then off and watch the shifter rotate, you will see. I installed the urethane engine/tranny mounts , no more miss shifts at all.

BINGO, the best answer so far.

 

[dave6666]

Well if the missed shift scenario is leading the votes here, then I have to say that I didn't know the engine would take that so many times. The rpm cutout no workie when hitting 1st going for 3rd.

 

[Nader]

Nope. This is the major cause of many blown engines.

Well if the missed shift scenario is leading the votes here, then I have to say that I didn't know the engine would take that so many times. The rpm cutout no workie when hitting 1st going for 3rd.

 

[dragon rider]

I've missed third also. Scarred the shi@%t out of me.

 

[dave6666]

As has been said here, good mounts should cure that. I've got the Woodhouse motor mounts and Big Brakes tranny crossmember and poly mount (GTS), and no missed shift stories.

 

[Steve-Indy]

I find this a very interesting thread...with a lot of "possible" explanations.

That said, and with all due respect, I am still more concerned about driver malfunction than Viper malfunction.

What ever the causative agent, this situation needs to be remedied before you kill yourself...or someone else.

If your Viper Tech inspects the car and finds nothing wrong, you might want to skip the described activity( "its always been while racing/passing a car.") until you get more Viper seat time, and a chance to learn/apply some of the standard shifting techniques/feel/discipline normally taught in HPDE courses...such as Viper Days (now NARRA), etc.

The notorious, blinding "Red Mist" commonly referred to in track "misadventures" has nearly bitten many of us at one time or another (including me )...but blind luck cannot be counted upon for survival when driving these wonderful Beasts.

P.S. The above should not be take as a lecture...but more of a personal confession!!!

 

[Shank2117]

im going to try the tranny mounts.

 

[Steve-Indy]

Did your shifting problem disappear or improve with the new tranny mounts?

 

[Shank2117]

dealer has my car now, they are mounting the tranny mounts and new shifter too.

They have had my car for a week and im going crazy. I dont know how you guys who send your car to like John Henn for months do it.

 

[Viper X]

Shank2117,

I'd agree that it sounds like you are shifting from 2 to 1 in the "heat of the moment".

New motor mounts will help.

Stiffer shifter springs will help.

A better shift technique will also help. I've had the opportunity spend about 100,000 miles driving Vipers on the street and at the track, so I've screwed up some shifts more than a few times too, especially when excited.

Here's a tip that I picked up from a pretty good Viper Driver.

Try placing your right elbow relatively hard against your stomach, creating a straight line from 2nd to third and PUSH the shifter towards third with the palm of your hand, DON'T grab it. This should help a bunch. With practice, this technique will become a habit and you'll shift quicker and more positively.

Frankly, I've had more issues going from 4th to 3rd (on the track) than at any other time. This one really takes some practice to execute correctly under heavy braking and heel / toe activities while setting up for a turn.

Good luck,

Dan

 

[ollikoi]

I was racing 1/4 mile first time and have problems to shift 2 to 3. I make a search and find this thread....Nice
Once i shift very hard and throw it in 1st. Rear tires locked up but i push the clutch fast and fix it.
After i had read all yours good comments I'm sure that i need stiffer shifter springs.
Can I chance stiffer springs to my original sifter, have anyone done it? Or only buy a new one?

 

[Shank2117]

I put an MGW Shifter that i purchased from woodhouse and the woodhouse tranny mounts and my problem is fixed.

I cant describe how much i LOVE my new mgw shifter. it has really stiff springs and its made my shifting so much quicker, its almost impossible to miss the 2-3 now.