i took my XB2 to the strip a week ago and im getting a lot of wheel hop when i launch and im afraid im going to break something. its not the traction controll because i switched it off. what can do to cure this. sometimes i hops other times it just spins a little, hooks up and goes and other times it just plain hooks up. its hops really bad when i roll up for the burnout. im having trouble getting consistant E/T's. but i did run a 16.8.

any ideas?

 

Is it a standard trans? Could be the driver, clutch application may not be consistent. Could be the routine before launch. Likely a little both. Tires track surface and lane choice all make a difference also. Did you say "When I roll up for the burnout"? I think you did. If you are doing a burnout before lauch and it is allowable to not do one , try that. A number of bracket racers I know drive around the box as they get more even traction that way. Good luck.

 

In my VW wheel hop was horrible. Suspension helped, complete matched valved kit, not just springs. Huge difference was engine mounts, harder durometer rating. I would also warm up the tires of course and the tire pressure is a factor for traction. Feather the crap outta the clutch too

 

I don't think you need to do a burnout unless you spin like crazy when you launch if you don't do one. Wheel hop does carry a huge risk of damaging parts because the suspension is jumping around and you are getting a lot of traction when the tire is making contact with the ground and no traction when it hops. Those type of changes in stress can sheer a driveshaft quickly.

One of the big problems with drag racing front wheel drive cars is when you launch your are transferring weight towards the rear of the car away from the drive wheels. This lessens the traction and as you have seen can cause wheel hop. There are several things you can do to reduce the chance wheel hop.

a. Don't dump the clutch. Learn how to let it out quickly enough to get the most power to the ground but not all of it immediately. The pros use trannys that do this for them.
b. Don't do a burn out so the tires will slip some as you launch. If it spins too much, work on finding the right combo of clutch and maybe a short burnout just to clean the tires.
c. Do some suspension work to reduce the amout of weight transfer to the rear.

Just remember that when you launch the energy created by the engine has to go somewhere. Turning all of it into forward motion is not easy. Even the pros use advanced engineering to help get it right.

 

Wheel hop....yeah, welcome to the world of FWD drag racing.

 

when they make a engine damper for the xB2, those will help alot!!!

 

Wheel hop is not caused by weight transfer, it is caused by suspension design. A suspensions and drivelines that are designed for a lot of back and forth movement are very susceptible to wheel hop because of their ability to move. Plenty of RWD cars have this problem too, noteable examples would be the recent GTO and the Caddilac CTS-V. Changes to the suspension of the drive wheels can usually cure it. It is generally fixed with stiffer bushings or a damper, etc.

Corvette:
http://forums.corvetteforum.com/show....php?t=1403559
CTS-V:
http://www.cadillacfaq.com/faq/answers/wheelhop.html
Tundra:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forum...ear-wheel-hop/

All RWD...as in, the weight gets shifted to, not away from the drive wheels.

 

Wheel hop is the result of the vehicle dynamics, including weight transfer, spring rates and shock damping. And tire pressures. The tire can act as a spring too.

To control wheel hop, you have to control the dynamics. This can be done with parts and with technique. Both are required if you really want to go fast.

The stock suspension is designed to control lateral motion and respond predictably stable even if the driver does something stupid. This is counter productive to extreme acceleration.

The best thing you can do, and this applies to autocross as well, is control all movement in a smooth progressive touch. Smooth on the gas, smooth on the clutch, and keep the wheels straight without jerking the steering wheel.

 

16.8? Is yours auto or manual? I was really hoping for 15's out of these things. I can hit 15.6 consistently in my tC(stock 07, 5-spd) and was hoping the added weight and downgrade in aerodynamics wouldn't add too much, maybe push it up to a 15.9 or something.

Anyone else taken theirs to the strip yet? What are you all getting in these things?

 

i sure i could get the e/t down with some practice. my r/t is like .858 on an incandesant tree or something like that. so right there i could get .3 seconds off the e/t.