Cascade Crew

aaron_sK · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 2:51 pm Post subject: Panhard bar, and what else?

Aside from the lowering springs and shocks, the rear suspension in my IROC is straight stock. I'm noticing quite a bit of wheel hop on harder street launches, and the rear axle has never been centered quite properly under the car when it's parked.

I know that if you run lowering springs, you supposedly need an adjustable panhard bar as well. Is there anything else I need to do to get everything squared away under there like LCA's, brackets, whatever? Is there a better brand? Seems like everyone makes rear suspension parts.

Thanks,

Aaron

redlava · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:37 pm Post subject:

From what I understand the lower control arm relocation brackets are supposed to get rid of wheel hop.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 9:38 pm Post subject:

Shocks get rid of wheel hop better than the Brackets do. FWIW.

aaron_sK · Posted: Wed Jul 09, 2008 10:32 pm Post subject:

Okay, so shocks before brackets. What about the LCAs themselves? Is replacing them going to do much for traction, or should I leave them alone till later down the road?

91RSVert · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 2:49 am Post subject:

Both of my camaros have been lowered, and neither one had LCA brackets. 1 for a short time had double heim LCA's.

Neither had wheel hop. They either grabbed n went, or spun like crazy.

Lowering springs
Unbalanced Eng double heim panhard bar
KYB shocks
custom made swaybar endlinks
poly swaybar mounts
TDS Wonderbars (had v1, then went to v2)
Eldabrock tie rod adjusters
Spohn Tq Arm
double heim LCAs for a short time.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 6:35 am Post subject:

LCA's themselves wont net you anything. I did mine for Bind issues and weight. Rubber or Poly bushed LCA's cause a bind under hard cornering. Tries to lift the inside tire. Rod Ended LCA's Allow the axle to stay on the road.

blue89 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 7:22 am Post subject:

You need traction to have wheel hop Jay. Very Happy

The lower control arm relocation bracket is THE FIX for wheel hop. Getting new or better shocks will only bandaid the problem. You want the LCA's to be parallel to the ground or slightly lower down in the back. For $50 you can get the brackets and its a really straight forward install.

Panhard bars need to be shortened when the vehicle is lowered. If you lower a stock F-body (82-02) it will push the axle towards the driver side causing the LCA bushings to bind slightly. The stock rubber bushings don't bind nearly as bad as Poly-urethane. When you get under the rear bumper and look forward at your suspension everything will make sense.

91RSVert · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:04 am Post subject:

Dewey316 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 9:47 am Post subject:

Shocks are the biggest controler of wheel hop. The wheel hop is caused but uncontrolled oscillation of the springs, good dampers will make all the difference. Good bushings are needed to. If you have worn out bushings, the natural frequency of the sprung suspension peices get lowered much closer to the natural frequency of the unsprung mass in the suspension, when that happens wheel hop is much more likely to happen.

LCA brackets are needed depending on how far you lower, you need to retain some descent geometry back there, but it isn't the cure-all for wheel hop.

--John

Xophertony · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 11:40 am Post subject:

i get crazy wheel hop in the T/A in reverse. i have to ride the clutch and baby the hell out of it backwards to avoid wheel hop. forwards is no problem. i also get wheel hop under medium-hard braking.

blue89 · Posted: Thu Jul 10, 2008 1:19 pm Post subject:

I think that a more reasonable solution can be achieved if the current LCA angle is known. If its way out of wack, LCA bracket. If its fine, springs and shocks.

Reverse wheel hop? Ya, I have that too. I think its caused by my lca's being too low. I don't have a higher bolt hole to go to and I think it happened about the same time i changed to the progressive springs. I like the progressives so I'll deal with for now.

Twilightoptics · Posted: Fri Jul 11, 2008 6:46 am Post subject:

I had perfect geometery with my LCA's. Lowered car. Massive wheel hop. Ditched the old shocks for Koni's... no more wheel hop.