Bad wheel hop on U-turns at full turn after lowering...

[FreeStyler]

Well, i got my car lowered finally (koni springs). However, now that my car is lowered i get bad wheel hop on u-turns at full and almost full steering turn. I try to avoid u-turns because of this problem haha. Just for the record I have not replaced my shocks yet, and my car has been riding on these shocks for over 120,ooo miles. Is it the shocks or what do you guys think?

thanks
Dan

[1995c280]

i read your lists of mods on your signature. i see u have 18" monoblocks. now that you lowered your car, those wheels have to rub at full lock-2-lock. you sure that's not the noise and vibration you are hearing/feeling. i can only go about 1 1/2 turns with the wheels before the fronts rub hardcore. no u-turns for me just 100 point turns, LOL. as for the rears, i had to cut out portions of the black platic inner fenders so they don't rub. fit perfectly now though!

i would replace those shocks ASAP. even by a miracle if they are not completely gone yet, they will be shortly because of the lowering springs. you'll get mixed reviews on opinions but i have the bilstein sports and i love them expecially in the corners!

Jason

[714guy]

what do you mean by wheel hop? i have 18s/dropped and can lock the steering wheel and do a U turn no problem.

[FreeStyler]

Feels like wheel hop...hmmm....dont know how to explain it. Feels like going over railroad tracks except that the ground is smooth and i am turning a full u-turn. I think its the front shocks..

[SDR]

I think you should turn the wheel to one lock position while parked and get out and have a look. Bad/worn shocks shouldn't cause what you're describing.

[1995c280]

714guy, are your fenders rolled? to me it doesn't sound like he has rolled fenders and with 18" monoblock, i am willing to bet that's the sound he hears based on his second post! idk just my 2 cents...wut do u think?

like SDR said, turn you wheel lock-to-lock and feel inside the fender to see if the innder part of the whee/tire is rubbing on the black innder fender!

shocks will definately not cause this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason

[c55m8o]

I'm assuming you aren't talking about rear-wheel hop; for me that was motor mounts but could be shocks too.

Yes, it happens. FreeStyler, this is normal depending on the amount of your drop and your tire's grip characterisitcs.

Having had my speedybenz suspension aligned many different ways and raised an lowered, I find the severity has to do with ...
- the amount of your drop
- your front alignment
- the stickiness of your front tires as well as the tires 'loss of grip behaviour'; whether it grips hard then completely lets go after reaching a force threshold, or eases into a loss of grip linearly.

Steve K. [MBenzNL] is the 1st one that told me about it on lowered cars years and years ago (as his did it). My car was doing it with the stock suspension, becuase of the tires I was using. I surmise -- meaning I figure on my own but am not an authority on it and don't know for sure -- it happens because of how camber, toe, and caster, plus the suspension geometry all end up working together when you clock the wheels all the way over... there's a greater difference between the amount one wheel is turning from the other wheel now that the car is lower and your toe, camber and caster are different. (btw, this 'scrubbing' of the inside wheel on a turn is a 'good thing' ; though not good for the tire's wear)

Case in point. Pulling out of my garage, where I have to do a sharp left right after getting the nose out, the noise and feel of the hopping it's excruciating (sp?) and scares the heck out of my wife -- when the car is wearing the Goodyear Eagle F1 GSD3 tires which have a tendancy to grip the road very well up to a point then let go with a dramatic loss of grip, as opposed to easing into its loss of grip. I had those tires on before installing the speedybenz suspension and the hopping of full clock got much worse after the drop. The amount changed with different alignments I ran.

Now, with my car @ the same height and alignment, just wearing the Nokian Hakkapeliitta RSi winter tires (yes that's spelled right) -- which have tons of sipes to form rubber studs, which inturn creates a mushy tire whose tread rolls over easily and gives the tires the grip characteristic of losing grip soon but eases into it linearly -- NO HOPPING.

[714guy]

Originally posted by 1995c280
714guy, are your fenders rolled? to me it doesn't sound like he has rolled fenders and with 18" monoblock, i am willing to bet that's the sound he hears based on his second post! idk just my 2 cents...wut do u think?

like SDR said, turn you wheel lock-to-lock and feel inside the fender to see if the innder part of the whee/tire is rubbing on the black innder fender!

shocks will definately not cause this!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jason

my fenders are rolled but it wouldn't matter in this case since your wheels are locked and rolled fender won't really affect it.

Freestyler, I'd check your tires, then your control arm bushings also, and see when you're turning if the tire hits the top of the fender.

[FreeStyler]

I will check for rubbing but i dont really hear that much its mostly the feeling when turning. Not that much noise. Anyway do you think alignment might be a problem too? The place i went to for my alignment sucks....

After work im going to take a look around the wheel at full turn and see what is up...

[hvmercy]

Originally posted by 714guy
my fenders are rolled but it wouldn't matter in this case since your wheels are locked and rolled fender won't really affect it.

Freestyler, I'd check your tires, then your control arm bushings also, and see when you're turning if the tire hits the top of the fender.

I totally agree with 714guy. Rolled fenders does not have
anything to do with this.

Check your LCA bushings as well as motor mounts. Change them
if they're bad or worn out. I'm lowered using Eibach springs and KYB shocks and have not come across this problem.

[c55m8o]

Originally posted by FreeStyler
Anyway do you think alignment might be a problem too? The place i went to for my alignment sucks....
After work im going to take a look around the wheel at full turn and see what is up... I have a very good speed shop doing the alignment with a great machine and they give me a printout of the complete before and after settings. Still, you won't -negate- the behaviour with an alignment; I just noticed a slight reduction in it one time then another

[edit: it hops worse when the alignment is setup close to perfect]

...like I said, it hops with some tires and not with some others. If the tire losses traction linearily without much break-away, it won't hop. If your tires grab strong then let go with a lot of break-away after a certain threshold, it will hop.