Any ideas on how to eliminate wheel hop?

[Explorer0204]

So after my Spartan Locker install I am really enjoying it, but if I light em up on anything but off road the rear tires hop like crazy... Now, I don't really plan on doing burnouts much but I would love to know if there is anything cheap and reasonable that could be done to eliminate the wheel hop on launch. I find it strange that I have wheel hop at all because I have watched videos of people doing burnouts in third gens with no wheel hop...

Ideas??

Here is a video I have seen of a third gen. No hop..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WW3vA0aAqKQ&list=FLVx-sov6yvzRhSQQ083s_jA&index=3

 

[colintrax]

How old are the struts? Bushings?

 

[Kiliona]

torque arms >. JK not on an offroader.

Hows your suspension, is it original? if so your rear springs may be a little soft, you could increase rear traction a lot by putting in add-a-leafs to stiffen up the rear or something similar. You could also lift your truck at the same time by doing that, if you wanted.

 

[colintrax]

torque arms >. JK not on an offroader.

Hows your suspension, is it original? if so your rear springs may be a little soft, you could increase rear traction a lot by putting in add-a-leafs to stiffen up the rear or something similar. You could also lift your truck at the same time by doing that, if you wanted.

Traction isn't the problem. Add-a-leafs don't help with traction. And he has a 3rd gen, you can't add a leaf if there's no leaves to add one onto

 

[Explorer0204]

How old are the struts? Bushings?

Original as far as I know. There is 64k miles on the clock.

 

[Limited02]

I have done a few burnouts myself and never noticed any wheel hop? What tires/size are you running?

And thanks for posting that video. I am replacing my tires in the next few weeks after I get my rims powerder coated and I now have to do a longer burnout than that guy did...

 

[Explorer0204]

I have done a few burnouts myself and never noticed any wheel hop? What tires/size are you running?

And thanks for posting that video. I am replacing my tires in the next few weeks after I get my rims powerder coated and I now have to do a longer burnout than that guy did...

He hehehe sorry bro!

Stock size, Cooper discoverer at3.

Today in the wet I tried to make the transfer of traction quicker as I read that could help... It didn't.

Maybe it hops because it is a locker and not a limited slip so that extra power going to the other tire makes it hop? Just a thought.

 

[colintrax]

He hehehe sorry bro!

Stock size, Cooper discoverer at3.

Today in the wet I tried to make the transfer of traction quicker as I read that could help... It didn't.

Maybe it hops because it is a locker and not a limited slip so that extra power going to the other tire makes it hop? Just a thought.

Could be an ill side effect of the locker. Depending how deep your pockets are I can make it stop I'd start with new struts and checking all the bushings and diff/trans/engine mounts. Any weird vibrations or other problems going on?

 

[Explorer0204]

Could be an ill side effect of the locker. Depending how deep your pockets are I can make it stop I'd start with new struts and checking all the bushings and diff/trans/engine mounts. Any weird vibrations or other problems going on?

No weird noises at all. Thing cruises on the highway quite than most even new cars I have been in its awesome!

As much as I would like it gone, I can't see spending money on struts and stuff that are working perfectly fine... Right? That would be kinda crazy wouldn't it?

That being said I will jack it up this weekend and check all of the parts back there...

 

[colintrax]

With 64k miles it's time for new struts anyways. That's why I said to go ahead and do them. Get it in good shape before doing anything else. Wheel hop on a vehicle that didn't have it before is generally a sign of worn or broken suspension mounts/shocks. Something allowing a vibration (however unnoticeable) that shouldn't be there.

 

[Limited02]

No weird noises at all. Thing cruises on the highway quite than most even new cars I have been in its awesome!

As much as I would like it gone, I can't see spending money on struts and stuff that are working perfectly fine... Right? That would be kinda crazy wouldn't it?

That being said I will jack it up this weekend and check all of the parts back there...

Is the locker setup to "unlock" depending on traction? As in, could it be unlocking and locking as you are spinning the tires? Is t

 

[Ronin8002]

Is the locker setup to "unlock" depending on traction? As in, could it be unlocking and locking as you are spinning the tires? Is t

It locks based on throttle input. The more throttle you give it, the tighter it locks.

I second the struts as a possible cause. Maybe also check your tire pressure.

Careful with beating too much on that thing. Wheel hop = shock loading...eventually something might decide to let go, like something in one of the axles, or the carrier.

 

[Explorer0204]

It locks based on throttle input. The more throttle you give it, the tighter it locks.

I second the struts as a possible cause. Maybe also check your tire pressure.

Careful with beating too much on that thing. Wheel hop = shock loading...eventually something might decide to let go, like something in one of the axles, or the carrier.

Believe me, when I feel wheel hop I let off immediately and didn't do any more trys

Way too easy to break stuff when your hopping like that!!

If I need new struts anyway than I will do them and go from there

 

[Explorer0204]

Is the locker setup to "unlock" depending on traction? As in, could it be unlocking and locking as you are spinning the tires? Is t

No way.. Once it is locked it is locked up good.
I can put one tire on snow and one tire on pavement and it will still spin the tire on pavement no questions asked!

 

[Limited02]

It locks based on throttle input. The more throttle you give it, the tighter it locks.

I second the struts as a possible cause. Maybe also check your tire pressure.

Careful with beating too much on that thing. Wheel hop = shock loading...eventually something might decide to let go, like something in one of the axles, or the carrier.

No way.. Once it is locked it is locked up good.
I can put one tire on snow and one tire on pavement and it will still spin the tire on pavement no questions asked!

The only reason I asked is because I thought some lockers had different strength springs that can be installed to allow how easily the locker will engage.

I had a Detroit locker in my '89 Fox that I drove for 4 years and you had to be careful with the throttle input when turning in the parking lot because it'd lock up and bounce the rear.

Since you don't plan on doing any burnouts soon, I'd take it easy and save up for some good shocks.

 

[Explorer0204]

The only reason I asked is because I thought some lockers had different strength springs that can be installed to allow how easily the locker will engage.

I had a Detroit locker in my '89 Fox that I drove for 4 years and you had to be careful with the throttle input when turning in the parking lot because it'd lock up and bounce the rear.

Since you don't plan on doing any burnouts soon, I'd take it easy and save up for some good shocks.

The only time it locks in on the road is uphill intersections... Other than that it ratchets quite well... Unless you stab at the gas too much of course. Works quite well really

 

[Ronin8002]

The only reason I asked is because I thought some lockers had different strength springs that can be installed to allow how easily the locker will engage.

I had a Detroit locker in my '89 Fox that I drove for 4 years and you had to be careful with the throttle input when turning in the parking lot because it'd lock up and bounce the rear.

These work a lot like the detroit, but louder and they go inside the existing carrier instead of replacing the whole thing. Not as strong as the detroit for that reason I think. Might be possible to play around with the springs in these but they seem to work well as designed.

 

[Explorer0204]

These work a lot like the detroit, but louder and they go inside the existing carrier instead of replacing the whole thing. Not as strong as the detroit for that reason I think. Might be possible to play around with the springs in these but they seem to work well as designed.

Definitely not as strong but...

I would argue though that with a whopping 254 ft lbs of torque you couldn't break a lunchbox locker in a stock explorer hehehehe

 

[jprentice94]

you could try bigger swaybars even strut brace

 

[Kiliona]

Traction isn't the problem. Add-a-leafs don't help with traction. And he has a 3rd gen, you can't add a leaf if there's no leaves to add one onto

My bad I'm used to browsing first gen forums, forgot he was third gen.

The suspension doesn't only hold the car up, it holds the tires down, spring rate is very important for traction.

My point was just simply if his suspensions old, he should probably test out his springs and shocks and such before investing in aftermarket parts to attempt to fix the wheel hop.

Could also be wheel balance, driveshaft balance, or what others said before motor or tranny mounts. Those are easy to test, put a load on the engine (foot on brake and gas while in gear, don't burnout just put a load on it, have someone watch your engine and see if it jumps and trys to torque over in the engine compartment).

You can also test your shocks/struts pretty easy, put all your weight on one corner of the car and bounce up and down. If it bounces more than once, goes down and back up more than once, bad shocks/struts.

Tire pressure as someone said before.