Help, 03 Cobra Wheel Hopping

[Fallguy92]

I need to help. I recently purchase my car and I got on it for the first. I'm not going to count the time when I had the traction control on and to my complete surprise the car bog down and then picked back up. When I took off at about 3K rpm the car wheel hop pretty bad. I thought ford fixed this issue with the 03/04 Cobras. Is this normal or should I be looking at the rear for some for some out bushings or something. The car has 49K miles and don't think they were easy miles because I can hear the throw out bearing clicking away.

 

[COBRA90GT]

Unfortunately, you heard wrong. Wheel hop was not fixed. It's near impossible to "fix" wheel hop on an IRS equipped vehicle - it's just the nature of the beast for IRS Cobras.

You can apply various "band aid" solutions to the rear end or choose to swap out the IRS for a straight axle (pretty common alternative for those who are mainly drag strip enthusiasts). Some of the "band aid" solutions that have helped reduced wheel hop for many people are: sticky tires, lowering the car/altering suspension parts/bushings.

Be sure to read the Terminator FAQ (stickied at the top of this SVT sub-forum) for further information on 03/04 Cobra-specific wheel hop.

In the meantime, if you experience wheel hop, back out of the throttle - the jarring can and will destroy your rear end cover and/or a halfshaft. You will generally find it easier to induce wheel hop on cold temperature pavement, so take it easy on launching the car when it's cold outside.

G'luck.

 

[Gearbanger 101]

Here's a good start....Cobra Stop The Hop Package - '99-'04 Ford Mustang Cobra

 

[Fallguy92]

Thanks for the information guys. I do plan on taking it to the track every once an a while so something have to give. Hopefully not the IRS components. LOL.

 

[SVT32VDOHC]

I have an 04 with with almost 600RWHP. My wheel hop is GONE:

Parts added:

275-40-R17 Nitto Drag Radials on the stock 17X9 wheels. (tires are the most important thing)

14mm front IRS subframe bolts/nuts.


Ford installed 12mm bolts/nuts on the front of the IRS subframe into 14mm bushing sleeves and holes in the frame. They need 14mm. A 9/16" bolt is the perfect tighter fit, but they are bitch to get started....just stick with the 14mm bolts. Go to a Ford dealer or Lowes.

The Steeda stop-the-hop kit is JUNK. It's a waste of time. The subframe bushings will not stop the wheel hop. Do not waste yourtime with Steedas subframe reinforcement kit either. Those peices weld to the subframe then they bolt into the car. Where they bolt in is to thin/weak sheet metal. It does nothing.

One more thing. Do you have a coupe or convertible? If you have a convertible, switch to the stock springs out of a coupe. That will help too.

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Do not do burnouts in your Cobra, instead practice launching as hard as possible without overpowering the road.

The Steeda stop the hop kit is junk there are much better choices out there.

 

[Fallguy92]

Also, is the differential cover worth the investment or is that another item you can do without. From what I read it seems to be a necessity if you are planning on taking your car to the track.

 

[RB88]

Sticky tires FTW... if you don't spin, you don't hop.