Car: 1999 Honda Civic Si

Modifications: Intake, Exhaust, Eibach Pro Kit (installed 1 month ago), Tokico Illuminas (installed 1 month ago), Exedy Stage 1 Clutch (7000 miles on it. Grabs hard), Dunlop FM901 tires (worn). Stock everything else.

Symptoms: Any time a wheel(s) spins there is wheel hop. BAD wheel hop. I have driven many other cars that don't get it this bad. This isn't like a normal chirping, banging or skipping; this is teeth chatering, dash breaking, axle snapping. I actually broke my climate control and now its loose. On a launch its horrible and I can't shift fast into 2nd or 3rd or it will "hop" like 5 times bad and i dont want to break anything. The car has always done this. I at first thought it was my suspension (blown stock struts and H&R sports). I replaced the suspension (needed it anyway) and its pretty much the same maybe slightly better. The wheel hop isnt as bad with the front struts on setting 1 but its still bad. It gets worse as you stiffen up the front.

Some other insight is the car could use an alignment, reset suspension bushings, and tires. How much of a possibility is it that one of those may be causing this?

What do you think it could be? Where should I look and what should I do? Thanks!!!

 

Worn motor mounts maybe? I have the same thing going on. Planned on doing MM inserts soon. We'll see what happens

 

check your motor mounts, axles, bushings, tie rods and balljoints.

Those dunlops FM901 barely hold ground when they are new, so you got some major issues. You must of broke something or something is loose.

 

is there anyway to test my motor mounts, axles, bushings, tie rods and balljoints for wear?

 

My first idea is to get some new tires because I had completely worn out my front tires and it was horrible hop to the point if I did burn out if I ever stoped hopping it would be a silent burn out no tire screech or anything. I got new tires and first gear grabbed full power.

 

for the motor mounts just look at them. i've had to replace one on my SI and the same one twice on an EX i use to have. you should be able to see cracks in the motor mount w/o having to uninstall them. i highly suggest motor mount inserts. i have some from Energy Suspension.

 

if there was a bad motor mount would it make the car jerky to drive also?

 

Yes it would make it jerky I believe there would be a tug everytime you shift and under accel and deceleration.

 

ON EKs it's mostly the driverside mount that goes bad. Possibly the rear one. Just check them for rips.

then block the rear wheels pull up the handbrake, and have a friend try to drive the car off. Like slipping the clutch but not moving the car. If the engine moves alot your engine mounts are shot.

Sometimes you can tell in the shifter moving alot.

 

when i had bad wheel hop the strut had blown from putting on shitty springs

 

First thing I'd check would be the motor mounts, then get new tires. Should solve it.

 

it sounds like your shocks are too stiff for your spring rate.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by SkoundrelUSA &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Worn motor mounts maybe? I have the same thing going on. Planned on doing MM inserts soon. We'll see what happens</TD></TR></TABLE>

yeah wat he said...i have the shitty hop hop ever too..171wph on stock mount..i dont even hear a chirp in 2nd 3rd or 4th.. my radio flys out of my car when i hit 2nd...ahahah

 

i would jack the front up and wiggle the axles and wheels to see if yer bearing are bad

 

First of all if the tires have flat spots that can cause wheel hop. New tires & alignment first. Then check the motor mounts and front suspension bushings.

 

What do your mayor/most important suspension bushings look like also? they can also contribute to wheel hop. But most likely it's a motor mount issue.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by ABK &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">ON EKs it's mostly the driverside mount that goes bad. Possibly the rear one. Just check them for rips.

then block the rear wheels pull up the handbrake, and have a friend try to drive the car off. Like slipping the clutch but not moving the car. If the engine moves alot your engine mounts are shot.

Sometimes you can tell in the shifter moving alot.</TD></TR></TABLE>

My shifter does move slightly when you go on and off the gas. I will definately check the motor mounts because thats what it seems to be.


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by jdmjaser &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

yeah wat he said...i have the shitty hop hop ever too..171wph on stock mount..i dont even hear a chirp in 2nd 3rd or 4th.. my radio flys out of my car when i hit 2nd...ahahah </TD></TR></TABLE>

lol

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by biggnutz123 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">i would jack the front up and wiggle the axles and wheels to see if yer bearing are bad</TD></TR></TABLE>

Will do thanks!


<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JeffBro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">First of all if the tires have flat spots that can cause wheel hop. New tires & alignment first. Then check the motor mounts and front suspension bushings. </TD></TR></TABLE>

That is a strong possibility that these tires have flat spots.

Thanks for all the responses guys. As of right now I am going to check over the mounts, all the suspension parts and see what i find out. Thanks for the help.

 

i'm having the same problem as this guy^ only i have the hasport ek mount kit, lakewood TI. traction bar, apexi n1 susp. rolling on falken azenis making 215 hp and 145 tq. ... (also have a 6 puck act clutch and a cusco clutch style lsd.)

what could be causing my wheel hop? axles? can you adjust the traction bar?

 

this could be totally wrong but I thought the stiffer you made your front springs , the more it would reduce wheel hop. because if their too soft they will let the tire basically bounce like a basket ball off of the pavement. I also had two friends with turbo eclipses that had terrible wheel hop, they swapped for stiffer springs and added upper strut bars and no more wheel hop. this could be absolutely useless info but I thought I would post just in case it helps.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 5THGENSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this could be totally wrong but I thought the stiffer you made your front springs , the more it would reduce wheel hop. because if their too soft they will let the tire basically bounce like a basket ball off of the pavement. I also had two friends with turbo eclipses that had terrible wheel hop, they swapped for stiffer springs and added upper strut bars and no more wheel hop. this could be absolutely useless info but I thought I would post just in case it helps. </TD></TR></TABLE>
if you add stiffer springs they will make it hop worse if you dont have shocks with good enough damper rates to control them.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 5THGENSI &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">this could be totally wrong but I thought the stiffer you made your front springs , the more it would reduce wheel hop. because if their too soft they will let the tire basically bounce like a basket ball off of the pavement. I also had two friends with turbo eclipses that had terrible wheel hop, they swapped for stiffer springs and added upper strut bars and no more wheel hop. this could be absolutely useless info but I thought I would post just in case it helps. </TD></TR></TABLE>

All you need is some good shocks, slightly stiffer then stock springs upfront, and really really stiff springs in the back. That's the formula for tractoin while going straight on a front wheel drive.

 

yep i had worse wheel hop w/ my blown stock suspension. just installed Tein SS's a couple weeks back and there's a difference.

 

traction bar an h-brace = pluse mounts, will help alot

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by phyz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">traction bar an h-brace = pluse mounts, will help alot</TD></TR></TABLE>

Someone translate that, please.

 

i would check the differential i had this exact problem 2 weeks ago the car was fine for like like 4 months then all of a sudden i was gettin these horrible hops and bumps on a launch. then when i started turning the whole car would like buckle. Lo and behold the diff died. hope this didnt happen to u but its somethin to look into.