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help me with wheel hop after expensive suspention upgrade

  • Thread starter Thread starter 89blkgt
  • Start date Start date Sep 23, 2009
8

89blkgt

New Member
Aug 1, 2004
38
0
0
west springfield
Sep 23, 2009
#1
  • Sep 23, 2009
  • #1
hey guys, i been around messing with mustangs for years now and i have a pretty good idea on what works and what does not work, so today i installed some suspention parts on a buddy of mines mustang{1991 coupe}, cars pretty stock, headers, h pipe, catback, dual friction clutch, removed all front accesories, the suspention on the car was pretty much beat and shot. so him being new to the mustang craze i guided him to buy upr's street control arm package strange adjustable struts and a set of trick dual rated rear springs, thinking this would be a good setup for a street car. i install the parts and go for a ride from a roll feels great plants tires no hop, we go to a dead industrial park to try some hole shots and i give it a 3500 light throttle launch and omg did this thing wheel hop it was so bad i felt it was going to break something if i kept into it. So i tighten up the rear shocks one click and nothing two clicks nothing three four five all the way to the 12th position and still hops so bad the car is screaming stop!!!!! when i put the contorl arms on i uninstalled the factory quad shocks like the millions of other times. i looked at the pinion rubber bushings looked to be in decent shape but not perfect and i am so stumped, i would take any sugestions to why this thing wheel hops worse then i have ever heard about or seen. thanks alot Tim
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
17,945
224
Massachusetts
Sep 23, 2009
#2
  • Sep 23, 2009
  • #2
Put the quad shocks back on. That's what they are there for. The whole thing about yanking them with aftermarket control arms is a myth that really needs to die. Each individual car is going to be different based on exact setup, but there really is ZERO reason at all to remove the quads. There is no benefit from removing them, but if you leave them, they help with wheel hop like you are experiencing here. They are an important part of the suspension and should be retained if possible.
 

poulrais

New Member
Mar 25, 2009
44
0
0
Sherbrooke. Quebec, Canada
Sep 23, 2009
#3
  • Sep 23, 2009
  • #3
I have a setup almost exactly like yours except for Hotchkins adjustable uppers and I also removed the quads because I want to put 10 inchers in the back. I also noticed wheel hop but I don't think it's as bad as yours though. Did you try to increase the lenght of your lowers or you left them at stock lenght?
 

BlackGT89

Member
Dec 16, 2002
774
8
18
Huntsville, AL
Sep 23, 2009
#4
  • Sep 23, 2009
  • #4
+1 to putting the quad shocks back on. If they feel weak you might even consider getting a new pair.
 

86turbo

Member
Apr 8, 2006
183
0
17
Sep 24, 2009
#5
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #5
Make sure your trans mount isn't shot or loose. Does your shifter do anything funky when the wheels start hopping??

there really isn't a point to removing the quads unless you want to run some wheels/tires that are worth a ****...
 

f8tlfiveo

My wife likes my spool and blow-off valve.
Aug 8, 2007
1,585
102
64
Lancaster, PA
Sep 24, 2009
#6
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #6
+1 put the quads back on..whovever came up with original idea that you dont need them should be shot.
Posted via Mobile Device
 

skunk21

Active Member
May 22, 2007
1,203
3
36
Taxachusetts
Sep 24, 2009
#7
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #7
Just like the other stated put the quads on. some cars do it worse than others and w/o them loss of control or damage could be the result, argue the point all you want. If you absolutely don't want quads then you need a torque arm like the one fron MMS & a panhard bar. This the only proper way to get around the poor design of the factory rear suspension w/o the quads and w/o redesigning the whole rear suspension, IMHO.
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
3,596
350
134
Sep 24, 2009
#8
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #8
did you tighten the control arm bolts with weight of the car on the rear end? if not that can cause a problem. Also those stock bushings in the rear are adding to the problem. Myne "didnt look bad" either until i put a pry bar on the control arm and could flex the bushing a good 1/4" with little force. Imagine what the torque of the motor is doing.

Also what is the pinion angle set at and what tires are you running?

I agree that if you can fit the quad shocks, there is no reason to remove them, but for everyone to say that its a myth that not running them ALWAYS causes wheel hop is hogwash. There are thousands of guys not running them without wheelhop, including myself. There are alot more variables to the problem than just removed quads.
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
17,945
224
Massachusetts
Sep 24, 2009
#9
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #9
90lxcoupe said:
but for everyone to say that its a myth that not running them ALWAYS causes wheel hop is hogwash.
Click to expand...

The myth isn't that not running them causes wheel hop.


The myth is that as soon as an aftermarket control arm is installed, then can be removed and discarded. Sometimes, depending on other variables, you need to retain them
 

90lxcoupe

20+ Year Stangneter
Oct 7, 2003
3,596
350
134
Sep 24, 2009
#10
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #10
Mustang5L5 said:
The myth isn't that not running them causes wheel hop.


The myth is that as soon as an aftermarket control arm is installed, then can be removed and discarded. Sometimes, depending on other variables, you need to retain them
Click to expand...

i agree, guess i read something wrong, when its done right you dont need them, but it takes alot of time/effort
 

Mustang5L5

That is…until I whipped out my Bissell
Mod Dude
Feb 18, 2001
43,260
17,945
224
Massachusetts
Sep 24, 2009
#11
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #11
I still run mine with $500 MM LCA's and $160 Ford UCA's
 

skunk21

Active Member
May 22, 2007
1,203
3
36
Taxachusetts
Sep 24, 2009
#12
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #12
I'm running the same setup as Mike and left them on also. There are tons of threads on this topic and many have run w/o them but many have had problems even with upgraded rear suspensions so it's never been a solid yes or no deal, this is why we all pretty much stated some cars do it, some don't and some worse than others. Also straight from MMS website I quote " While there are other factors besides the compliance of the control arm bushings that cause wheel hop, the mm arms usually reduce axle wind-up enough to allow removal of the factory quad shocks. Myth or not even MMS will not say for sure take them off even with thier arms. they just say usually, meaning that if you still have wheel hop then basically put them back on or get a torque arm/panhard bar or something along those lines to stop it.
 

cenok is family

15 Year Member
Jun 25, 2003
1,409
69
79
Norman, Ok
Sep 24, 2009
#13
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #13
like 91lxcoupe said, did you tighten the control arm bolts with the suspension loaded? i have non-adjustable UPR uppers and lowers with urethane bushings on both ends, tokico HP shocks (blues) and some cheap maxspeed lowering springs. i removed my quads to fit 10" wheels out back and i have absolutely no wheel hop. never have. like everyone has said, it differs car to car.
 

Bullitt347

I have been doing it wrong this whole time
15 Year Member
Mar 23, 2007
3,974
2,956
194
Middle of Maine
Sep 24, 2009
#14
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #14
Adjustable control arms (upper and lower) and pinion angle.............did I mention pinion angle? Proper pinion angle that is. And this is not the pinion angle your buddy says, just because he "knows". Finding the pinion angle your car needs (not your buddy's car) is not a guess and go proposition. Done right, quads are NOT necessary. Period. If you do not want to do the work, keep them on. It is the quick and easy way out.
 
D

Deleted member 87397

Sep 24, 2009
#15
  • Sep 24, 2009
  • #15
An adjustable pinion snubber may help some.
 

AnthonyR23

Member
Sep 8, 2006
661
0
16
Ontario
Sep 25, 2009
#16
  • Sep 25, 2009
  • #16
Can't you just flip the quad shocks to fit larger wheels rather than removing them altogether.. Thought I read that somewhere!
 

white 89 GT

Member
Apr 3, 2003
281
0
17
Tacoma
Sep 25, 2009
#17
  • Sep 25, 2009
  • #17
No quads hear, oh yeah 1980 straight 6 cars never came with them.
Preload when installing ca`s as said and work on that pinion angle.
 
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