Wheelhop Remedies - F41 Suspension

Discussion in 'Got gears?' started by Brett Slater, Apr 15, 2017.

  1. BadBrad

    BadBrad Got 4-speed?

    Same here (perhaps). See my edit above.
     
  2. Richie

    Richie Well-Known Member

    I measured the diameter on my unrestored GS this morning and it is 7/8". This car came from the factory with 15" tires.
     
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  3. Gary Bohannon

    Gary Bohannon Well-Known Member

    Tall rear springs may cause wheel hop, even if all the other things are fixed. That happened to me when I had tall springs to stop tire rub at the fenders.
    Shorter springs and rolled inner fenders solved the wheel hop. But still had tire rub in driveway pot holes or sharp turns.
    NOW... I run MT 275/60R-15 ss drag radials and have plenty of clearance with lower springs.
    No more bias drag tires for me.
     
  4. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Regurgitating my original thread.

    Could the omission (or removal years ago) of these frame braces contribute to wheelhop? I know my car had ladder bars (and air shocks) on it for most of the 70's and keep forgetting to see if they are still intact.

    I'll climb under this weekend and confirm whether they are still with the car but was just thinking outloud.

    What say you?

    f41 rear suspension strengthener braces 003.jpg Screenshot_20191205-144600_Messenger.jpg
     
  5. 72gs4spd

    72gs4spd Well-Known Member

    First do the obvious and replace the bushings and shocks. If you still have wheel hop a set of no hop bars that relocate the top control arm at the rear end will cure it. I also seen a lower control arm relocation bracket made by UMI, but I have no experience with them so I can’t vouch for them. I have Hotchkis control arms with no hop bars and KYB shocks. Now he’ll hop with standard springs and 275-60-15’s.
     
  6. monzaz

    monzaz Jim

    No those braces are for cornering and keeping the frame from diamonding from side body twist etc.
    Your wheel hop is from BAD shocks or not the right ones... Then the Control arm Bushings next...Rubber installed wrong will be trouble usually urethane will help greatly BUT you will also feel the road bumps etc more too.
    The wheel hop is made by the rear end pinion twist up to the floor board then the suspension gets pinned the wheels break loose quick, pinion angle drops and starts to climb again doing this excessively and quickly will make what we feel is wheel hop. It is slipping and gripping IT is not good to let keep happening... That is why the ladders bars help they control the rear end twist effect.
     
  7. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    I looked today and those braces aren't in the car. I'm thinking they were removed way back when the ladder bars were installed.

    Agreed on the bushings. I have new ones to install from PST but need to work around my mechanic friend's schedule in order to get the car on the lift.

    I'm also aware that job is nothing nice, so I have that to look forward to.

    Back in 2017, I ditched the air shocks that came with the car and replaced them with Delcos - whichever part number it called for. I also put the sway bar back on and those two things dramatically changed the way the car rides.

    I'm hoping the bushings solve the problem - more so because I wanna leave the suspension stock.

    Tell me this: did these cars wheelhop when they were new or were the bias ply tires that forgiving?
     
  8. 300sbb_overkill

    300sbb_overkill WWG1WGA. MAGA

    If the Delcos you installed are oil filled shocks the ride won't be very good compared to a modern day gas charged shock. If you drive the car a lot, do yourself a favor and swap in a set of gas charged replacement shocks for your car, you'll like the way it rides a lot more than oil charged shocks ride.(if that's what you have?)
     
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  9. monzaz

    monzaz Jim

    My 454 SS Monte is Stock Armed and do not have Wheel hop...Might get it once in a blue moon at the track if I am trying to run stock tires on a super sticky track...

    It keeps all our Friends cars kind of equal if someone had much more power than another guy...lol. :) Street tires kind of even the playing field a bit...
     
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  10. UNDERDOG350

    UNDERDOG350 350 Buick purestock racer

    My 70 Chevelle hopped when the rear was jacked up. With the car level it does not.

    Yes the rear sway bar helps alot.
     
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  11. monzaz

    monzaz Jim

    We have usewd Upper adjustable control arms with good success of controling wheel hop preloading the pinion angle a but. JUST like NO HOP bars do.
    Now tyou can only go so far before you get the driveshaft angle out of wack and have drive line vibrations at constant speeds.

    who knows...Your drive line angle could already be out of correct alignment with the trans angle...?? Jim
     
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  12. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    I use the TA No Hops. They are way better quality than others on the market.

    TANoHopBars.JPG
     
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  13. 12lives

    12lives Control the controllable, let the rest go

    1) "Gas" shocks have oil in them. The gas is added to reduce foaming: "When a shock absorber is referred to as a "Gas Shock" it means that a charge of an inert gas, almost always nitrogen, has been installed inside the fluid chamber of the shock absorber. ... An "Air Shock" on the other hand is a shock absorber with an air bladder to provide more lift by using compressed air as a spring."
    2) The F41 braces spread out the load and transfer the forward force to the frame. Cars without them have torn the control arms out in extreme cases. Stiffens the frame a bit.
     
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  14. Gary Bohannon

    Gary Bohannon Well-Known Member

    I knew a fellow who destroyed that crossmember with a 421 pontiac lemans
    4 speed without braces.
    Also, tall rear springs will cause wheel hop.
     
  15. Brett Slater

    Brett Slater Super Moderator Staff Member

    Update:

    I put the frame braces back in and also all new bushings from PST that were previously recommended in this thread. However, wheelhop still persists.

    Do the TA bars require any drilling or are they just plug and play?
     
  16. LARRY70GS

    LARRY70GS a.k.a. "THE WIZARD" Staff Member

    The TA No Hops? You have to drill two small holes in the webbing, no big deal.
    NoHop1.jpg
     
  17. Gary Bohannon

    Gary Bohannon Well-Known Member

    Be sure bushing bolts are torqued with full weight on the rear tires. They try to hold the position they are in when torqued.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2020
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  18. monzaz

    monzaz Jim

    That is only with factory stock rubber bushings.
    Urethane and aftermarket stuff does not matter.
     
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  19. Gary Bohannon

    Gary Bohannon Well-Known Member

    The poly bushings in my TA no hop bars, (and the Edelbrock arms), are solid and do not rotate other than twisting like the rubber. I would think any press in or hammer in rubber or poly is the same. These must be torqued with full vehicle weight on the wheels. You can leave the bolts loose and let them rotate, but not on my car!!
    Drop in style poly bushings that have a grease fittings can rotate with suspension movement. My UMI adjustable roto joints are an excelent choice, and Global West del-a-lum joints are superior also. These can be torqued in any position.
    All this applies to front end A-arms as well. I love Global West on the front for sure.
    Torque them in any position and these hold lateral movement rock solid, straight ahead, and last forever..
    Just put good shocks on front or you'll be pulling wheelies.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2020
  20. monzaz

    monzaz Jim

    No They are not. Rubber sleeve is impregnated to the rubber while urethane are just sleeve that can be inserted and removed. HUGE difference from rubber to urethane install.
    Once the rubber bushing sleeve is broken from the rubber they are JUNK. They are built for a totally different ride and feel when driving. They are there own little shock absorbers. Rubber is for a stock cushy ride and does not handle the torque as well as other aftermarket upgrades. BUT you loose some cushy ride with the aftermarket stuff. Again you have to make a compromise some times.
    Rubber bushing must be tighten when vehicle is loaded suspension
    Urethane and most any other does not matter. Just want to be clear on that install.

    Jim
    JD
     

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