Tires skipping

[ash1y1]

I hope someone can help me!

My tires sometimes tend to skip when I take a turn too quickly. I actually feel the back tires skipping and it rattles my entire back end. Is this a normal reaction when taking a turn too quickly because of the light back end? This mostly happens when I'm already stopped and waiting to turn right. I take off and if there any deformation or bumps in the road, my tires skip and shake the hell out of my car. What's up? And what's the fix?

[I H8 UR DSM]

well if its bumpy it could be suspension....if its traction issue it could be tires...im thinking its your rear suspension. Its typical

[ash1y1]

Well my tires seem like they actually lift off the ground for split seconds at a time and skip. No traction is part of it as well I'm sure. So what's the fix?

[1dollar240]

From what you described, I have the same exact problem, and I have brand new tires. So its probably not a tire/traction thing. I could be wrong but it is most likely suspension- 192,000 miles with stock suspension.

[w00t_Masta]

if the road is bumpy, and you are going fast on a turn your almost surely going to skip. Especially if you have a tight suspension that is made for sharp turns........but not on bumpy ground.

[FrEaK]

drop the clutch and brake traction... start a drift.. now you wheels dont skip

[ash1y1]

Well I've got an automatic, but I assume it applies right?

[pancito]

You are referring to Wheel Hop, when you apply enough energy to the tires, it has to be transmited somewhere, you don't have enough traction mostly because bad shocks. so the tire starts to bounce.

Replacing the worn shocks will eliminate Wheel hop, if you still feel the same and/or have new shocks, the bushings are worn, or you have crappy tires, or you are putting a lot of HP to the ground...

Remember that shocks keep your tires on the ground.

[ash1y1]

Pancito,

It is definitely not too much hp, because my car is stock right now. It very well could be the shocks or bearings like you said. Is there a way I could test them out myself to check if they are bad? Is there any street test or other physical check I can do that will show if these parts (shocks or bearings) are bad? Please let me know.

[pancito]

192,000 miles with stock suspension.

Thats a LOT OF MILES!!!! and here is my breakdown on things

BEST

TEIN makes TRUE COILOVERS. HA or HE (not worth it IMO)

BETTER

KONIS Adjustable and/or Lowering Springs (Eibach for instance)

GOOD (a lot better then OEM)

AGX (adjustable shock) or GR2 or something else.

[pancito]

ok

to test

everyone says to push down the car a few time (in each corner of the car) and if it rebounds more then 3 times the shocks are worn.

the most obvious (sp?) way of finding out, jack up the car or take a look at the back shocks, if they are blown (if you see a greasy kind of fluid around the shock or in the tire area) thats a sign.

sometimes they don't leak but they are still blown, again your symptoms are a very good example of blown shocks.

i had the same problem, i have a open differential and my left rear shock was the only one leaking, the other side was still good.

New shocks tend to be very hard to press down, worn shocks can go up and down and stay down with out a problem...

[1dollar240]

Pancito-

thanks for your input on my shock/strut situation. I have had my eye one some koni adjustables for a while now, but I am starting to consider Apexi World sport dampers, as I have heard great things about them. Any input on that? thanksbrett

[NISMOracing]

another ez fix could be weighing down the trunk with something heavy...I know that helps with RWD cars in the snow...but then again I don't know much. You'd be sacrificing speed though.

[FrEaK]

So what do you suggest ... putting bricks in the trunk? ahaha

[dcmetro240]

I went with the more expensive suspension the Tein Type Flex. Worth every penny that I paid. It's a totally different car now. I lowered it about 1 1/2 inches and have yet to bottom out on anything. If you have the money the suspension is well worth it.Good Luck....

[GodDrivesA240sx]

Pancito,

It is definitely not too much hp, because my car is stock right now. It very well could be the shocks or bearings like you said. Is there a way I could test them out myself to check if they are bad? Is there any street test or other physical check I can do that will show if these parts (shocks or bearings) are bad? Please let me know.

Go stand at the rear of your car and push it down as hard as you can. If it bounces more than 3 times you need new ones. I've never tried that, but I've read it on here several times

[Gledhill]

Do you have LSD? Limited Slip Diff. That could be why your skipping. The inside tire wants to turn as fast as the outside so it skips.

[SlowFiveOh]

sounds to me like sombodys rear end is on its way out, there are many things than can wear/break that will cause it to "lock" and both wheels will spin the same speed in a turn and the outside will soin faster than the inside causing the skipping.

[APEXi240]

I have the Apexi World Sport. Get the Teins instead, they are a little bit more, but you get to adjust the dampening.

I dunno, my car is slammed and I get that wheel hop, but I just attribute it to my suspension being stiff. Well my tires are bald too, and I have 100k on my car, and my bushings are probably shot.

[SlowFiveOh]

I had the skipping in my 91 towards the end, i beat the piss outof that thing, non stop burnouts. It only did it on left hand turns though. The rear end never gave up though, it complained but kept going.

EDIT: The only way that the tires should skip is worn shocks, otherwise the tire should not leave contact with the road as far as suspension being the cause is concerned.

[mewt240]

I know its an old thread but it applies to my question.I have just replaced my open differential with a VLSD unit (used) I used to get wheel hop around corners and I thought the VLSD would eliminate that. I am now noticing the same condition in straight line acceleration and around corners. I have tokico shocks/intrax springs, dunlop sport w-10(ithink) tires. there is sand/salt on the roads. After reading several threads I think it may be worn Bushings? If the VLSD is very worn would this be a symptom? it is also about 25 degrees outside so I wonder if this is affecting my shocks. I just checked my tire pressure and it was low on all of them about 25 psi. this is my first real winter since I moved to RI from FL. I don't know what cold weather can cause. thanks.

[240Kuminachu]

You guys are beating this to death. Its more to do with traction that any thing else. Sure if your suspension setup is old and worn you car cant handle or keep it under control as well as tuned suspension. Its a point between loosing traction. Your tires are on the edge of thier envelop. Your S14 isnt a powerfull car, we all know it and can admit it. Its under powered. If your in a corner and trying to drift or just spin the tires there is a piont between traction and slipage, thats why your wheels "hop" they are trying to stick yet there isnt enought power to slide. Now all cars do this, there is no way around it, I drove a camora, just for comparison, it had 260 to the wheels, while entering a slide it was fine because the power was enough to break the tires loose withoug a prob, while exiting the slide, your tires arnt under power like entering so they try to grip, causing the hop, all cars do it. My dynoed 114hp S13 does it. Deal with it. Dont get me wrong a good suspension set up does help against it, but the stiffer the suspension to worse the hop will be obvisouly.

Just my 02sorr its so long.

[knave]

No one has mentioned this so far, but maybe you need an alignment. A friend of mine experienced a similar problem (though it was his front wheels on an FF car). He said it was caused by his toe-alignment being out of spec.

Mike

[GodzillaFan]

um, its BUSHINGS. You can still get wheel hop with good shocks and good tires if your bushings are bouncin'

get subframe spacers. or new (nismo subframe bushings)

subframe bushings are the biggest factor.

things that leads to wheel hop on a 240:

subframe bushingsbad (poor quality) tirestires/wheels out of balance (steelies are bad for this - lugcentric wheels suck)control arm bushings.rubber upper strut mount.