Wheel hop

[rblong]

My car is still very new, so I am not like doing burn outs and crap, but I have tested it a little and have noticed twice a tendency for the right rear tire to hop. I am not dumping the clutch just rolling on the throttle enough to break the tires loose. It also seems the right rear is breaking loose first. My other cars have limited slip and seem to break loose more evenly. Any of you Viper veterans know anything about this?

Bruce

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

It's a feature of the independent rear suspension. First thing would be to play with tire pressure, then rear shock settings.

 

[Bobpantax]

Also, make sure that you are letting the tires heat up first before brisk acceleration.

 

[rblong]

Thanks - you know it could be somehting to do with tire temp. Both times it did it I was not far from home so the tires were cold.

 

[boplaw]

It can be very dangerous when the tires are cold.

 

[Bobpantax]

boplaw is correct. Many have totalled their Vipers by ignoring the danger of cold ties. This is a risk in any high HP/Torque vehicle.

 

[rblong]

I will heat em up this weekend and see how it feels.

 

[Racer Robbie]

the run flat tires take a real long time to come up to temperature, longer than the Michelin NON Run Flats. I would try running 32 psi all around if you are running run flats. I found this works out real well on the street. If you have Michelin NON Run Flats I have found that 34 front and 30 rear is great on the street.

 

[ulllose]

rblong-----

I have the worst wheel-hop. It has nothing to do with the temp of the tire or the air temp. I have owned many cars with IRS and nothing wheel hops like this viper. I know exactly what your talking about, rolling into it in 1st gear (which i love to do) and then all-of-a-sudden it feels that the car is going to come un-glued. I think its BullSh$%. Most people get rid of it by buying aftermarket suspension. I have a 03 with 10K miles and still have not figured how to get rid of it without buying a new suspension. Good luck with it, it won't get any better.

 

[ILLSMOQ]

I've done a few things to prevent wheel hop but I still get it once in a while.

Motons - if I set the rebound and compression at higher settings the wheel hop is reduced.

I got rid of the run flats - that helped a bit too.

Installed polyurathane engine and trans mounts - this was the biggest improvement, also stopped the engine and transmission from torqueing over so much and helped with shifting.

After all that stuff I still get some wheel hop....but it is much better.

 

[Tom F&L GoR]

ILLSMOO, installing urethane engine and trans mounts helped? Not the differential mounts, though?

 

[rblong]

Oh well - sounds like a problem I get to work through. I would think changing to some double rebound adjustable coil over would help it a lot.

 

[ILLSMOQ]

ILLSMOO, installing urethane engine and trans mounts helped? Not the differential mounts, though?

Are upgraded differential mounts available? I wondered but didn't really investigate. If they have them I want them.

Yes the engine and trans mounts helped. Once wheel hop starts, the soft mounts allow the engine and trans to jump back and forth a lot. With the new mounts, there is hardly any movement so you don't get the added jack hamering from the drivetrain jumping around.

I thought there might be a lot of vibration and noise transmitted into the car afterwards but I hardly notice a difference in that area.

If I had to do it again, the mounts would be my first step in reducing wheel hop.

 

[viperjim]

rblong-----

I have the worst wheel-hop. It has nothing to do with the temp of the tire or the air temp. I have owned many cars with IRS and nothing wheel hops like this viper. I know exactly what your talking about, rolling into it in 1st gear (which i love to do) and then all-of-a-sudden it feels that the car is going to come un-glued. I think its BullSh$%. Most people get rid of it by buying aftermarket suspension. I have a 03 with 10K miles and still have not figured how to get rid of it without buying a new suspension. Good luck with it, it won't get any better.

------------------
I have a 03 with 10K miles also and have never experienced any wheel hop. The only situation I have not tried, yet, is heating the tires up in a drag race launch situation. The only street encounters I've been involved in have always been from a roll. I have the stock Pilots. My cars behavior is always fish tailing when under sudden power in 1st or second. In fact I have a '69 427 Corvette with the stock IRS and have tortured its tires for years on the street and at the track. Luckily no wheel hop there either. Best of luck.Jim

 

[ulllose]

viperjim--

I'm extremely jealous......Consider yourself luckly if you ask me. I will be changing something before summer but i have heard changing the mounts were a great place to start. The track is waayyyyy worse for me, the track is very sticky which does not help at all for wheel-hop.

 

[Viper X]

Moton Club sports, stickier tires, a Quaife diff, lighter wheels and HD 1/2 shafts have removed almost all of the wheel hop in my SRT. I still get it from time to time on rough roads but not often.

I will likely try the stronger motor / trans mounts. Woodhouse is now offering them and they look good - they have tested them for the last year or two on their comp coupe.

I have more issues shifting in my SRT due to the hp / tq levels and the engine and trans move around a bunch - thanks for the info.

Dan

 

[Racer Robbie]

I also replaced the transmission mount with the comp coupe unit and the engine mounts too. This made a big difference.

 

[ulllose]

Moton Club sports, stickier tires, a Quaife diff, lighter wheels and HD 1/2 shafts

That seems like BS if you ask me......... What did that cost 10K, I think DC should take care of this issue. You had to spend that to get rid of most of your wheel hop problem.