Wheel Hop: Why C5 does but C4 does not?
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
Wheel Hop: Why C5 does but C4 does not?
Hi,
I have an '02 Z and am curious as to what causes it to wheel hop, as opposed to just spinning the rears when traction is not enough. This is a stock car other than headers & tune w/ stock 295-35-18 F1SC's which are new (6 months old now but purchased new). Maybe it's making ? 375 rwtq?
I had a C4 with head and cam that made 336 rwtq and 360 rwhp. On 275-40-17 F1SC's it never hopped. In fact, when stock, the C4 never wheel hopped on the 285-40-17 GSC's. True on the street or strip.
So what in the suspension causes the car to hop as opposed to spin em'?
Is it the aspect ratio of the tire?
Thanks
I have an '02 Z and am curious as to what causes it to wheel hop, as opposed to just spinning the rears when traction is not enough. This is a stock car other than headers & tune w/ stock 295-35-18 F1SC's which are new (6 months old now but purchased new). Maybe it's making ? 375 rwtq?
I had a C4 with head and cam that made 336 rwtq and 360 rwhp. On 275-40-17 F1SC's it never hopped. In fact, when stock, the C4 never wheel hopped on the 285-40-17 GSC's. True on the street or strip.
So what in the suspension causes the car to hop as opposed to spin em'?
Is it the aspect ratio of the tire?
Thanks
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
Do a search on WHEEL HOP and you will see a lot of threads about this issue. Cold tires, cold ground, shocks, bushing mounts that are not urthane, Run Flats vs non Run Flats, etc.
I'd suspect that since you hale from MD, and I'd bet it's still pretty chilly back there, that the cold tires and cold ground are your chief causes this time of year. Watch the hop as it can result in lots of broken components if you insist on standing on that pedal on the right.
Chuck S.
I'd suspect that since you hale from MD, and I'd bet it's still pretty chilly back there, that the cold tires and cold ground are your chief causes this time of year. Watch the hop as it can result in lots of broken components if you insist on standing on that pedal on the right.
Chuck S.
I get a hop at the drag strip even in warm with a low rpm launch, for instance, where the c4 would just spin in a similar circumstance.
Safety Car
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 3,799
Likes: 1
From: Northern Virginia
St. Jude Donor '08
^^Not sure of the answer to your question but perhaps it is due to where the transmission is placed on the C5 versus C4. The C5's tranny is in the rear whereas the C4 is up next to the engine.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 260
Likes: 1
From: Chesterfield MI
Not too well versed but it has something to do with harmonics of the rear transaxle. They solved it on the ZR1 by using unequal sized half shafts. It changes the harmonics so it doesn't wheel hop.. Apparently they did this with the new Cadillac V's also...I read an article about it!
Melting Slicks
Joined: Dec 2000
Posts: 2,118
Likes: 2
My '99 never hopped even when it was stock..... and as the rwhp went from 300 to 850....never had wheel hop..... one of the first mods I did was to swap out the stock shocks for a set of adjustable HAL QA1s...I set the fronts at 4 the rears at 6....no hop....just alot of spinning and smoke. 
You might want to try swapping the stock shocks for a set of adjustables....you can set the QA1s to eliminate hop.
You might want to try swapping the stock shocks for a set of adjustables....you can set the QA1s to eliminate hop.
Last edited by HIGHRPM; Feb 9, 2008 at 01:30 AM.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 1,236
Likes: 2
From: Glendora CA
My '99 never hopped even when it was stock..... and as the rwhp went from 300 to 850....no wheel hop..... one of the first mods I did was to swap out the stock shocks for a set of adjustable HAL QA1s...I set the fronts at 4 the rears at 6....no hop....just alot of spinning and smoke.
Shocks are very important. Along with the spring rate. I think that the z06 springs may be to stiff. Softer springs along with a firmer shock is the ticket. imho
Tech Contributor
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 41,063
Likes: 9,825
From: Charlotte, NC (formerly Endicott, NY)
Despite people claiming cold tires cause the problem I had it get worse as the tires got warmer. Cold wet tires wouldn't do it but with multiple passes on a start/stop (acclerate as hard as you can from a marker then jam on the brakes and stop with the nose of the car over a certain point) course in the rain the more passes I made the worse the hop got. The tires were steaming on the last few passes.
Bill
Bill
Thread Starter
Safety Car
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 4,030
Likes: 6
From: Maryland
I have heard about shocks but since I take this car on the road course I am very reluctant to mess with the shocks as I don't know well enough what I'm doing to tune them right.
Sounds like this really re-affirms that the Z06 is for the road course and not the drag strip.
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Instructor
Joined: Dec 2003
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From: Baltimore MD
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 260
Likes: 1
From: Chesterfield MI
I will say that I have the adjustable suspension in my car and wheel hop improves when I go to the stiffest setting. The softer setting promotes more wheel hop. I don't always get it..... Just under some conditions. It mostly starts when I just roll or ease on the throttle and it starts to break traction.
Banned Scam/Spammer
Joined: May 2006
Posts: 4,285
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From: Fort St John B.C
99 Coupe, 6spd, F45
I usually have it on "tour", so I dont know about the other 2 settings, But I never experienced wheel hop in the car until I moved here where I was able to drive longer into fall/winter, and the tires were cold.
After about 10 mins or so of driving the hop was gone.
I usually have it on "tour", so I dont know about the other 2 settings, But I never experienced wheel hop in the car until I moved here where I was able to drive longer into fall/winter, and the tires were cold.
After about 10 mins or so of driving the hop was gone.
Team Owner
Joined: Oct 1999
Posts: 31,977
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From: Guinness Its whats for B'fast JAWGA
CI 3-4-5-9 Veteran
Do a search on WHEEL HOP and you will see a lot of threads about this issue. Cold tires, cold ground, shocks, bushing mounts that are not urthane, Run Flats vs non Run Flats, etc.
I'd suspect that since you hale from MD, and I'd bet it's still pretty chilly back there, that the cold tires and cold ground are your chief causes this time of year. Watch the hop as it can result in lots of broken components if you insist on standing on that pedal on the right.
Chuck S.
I'd suspect that since you hale from MD, and I'd bet it's still pretty chilly back there, that the cold tires and cold ground are your chief causes this time of year. Watch the hop as it can result in lots of broken components if you insist on standing on that pedal on the right.
Chuck S.
I would get wheel hop from time to time in my FRC. Poly buhings have really helped some people along with decent tires.I never wheel wheel hop in my C4 either.
Racer
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 260
Likes: 1
From: Chesterfield MI
I agree with the C4 bit. I never had wheel hop in any of the four of my C4's. The torque tube from the trans just caused the thing to spin. The C5 is another story. I don't have big issues.....but once in a while........
Melting Slicks
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 2,786
Likes: 7
From: Iowa
I have a 99 6 speed with F45.
I spun the tires a few times over the holidays just having fun. the ground was usually wet making it easier to break traction. if I dropped the hammer while standing still the wheels would spin, if I got car rolling first then hit it it would wheel hop every time. as long as I was actually doing a burn out it would spin smoothly.
I spun the tires a few times over the holidays just having fun. the ground was usually wet making it easier to break traction. if I dropped the hammer while standing still the wheels would spin, if I got car rolling first then hit it it would wheel hop every time. as long as I was actually doing a burn out it would spin smoothly.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 2,728
Likes: 142
From: Iowa
My FRC hops like mad. It's extremely irritating. I just order new wheels that are a bit wider. Going to toss on some totally different/better tires and see what happens.
I'd do anything to get rid of that lame wheelhop.
I'd do anything to get rid of that lame wheelhop.
Instructor
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 124
Likes: 0
From: Little Ferry NJ
My FRC hops like crazy also, I assumed it was because of the freezing temperatures. When spring time comes around, I would hope the car could hook up better, and totally eliminate the wheel hop.
Burning Brakes
Joined: Jun 2003
Posts: 768
Likes: 0
From: Glen Mills PA
So you folks w/ coupes don't get any hop? Can more of you chime in? Very interesting.
I have heard about shocks but since I take this car on the road course I am very reluctant to mess with the shocks as I don't know well enough what I'm doing to tune them right.
Sounds like this really re-affirms that the Z06 is for the road course and not the drag strip.
I have heard about shocks but since I take this car on the road course I am very reluctant to mess with the shocks as I don't know well enough what I'm doing to tune them right.
Sounds like this really re-affirms that the Z06 is for the road course and not the drag strip.