Traction Bars
 

So, looking forward to a built motor project, I see wheel hop as a major issue. It was an issue n/a, it was a big issue when I ran a 13.1@110 and it will most likely be a major issue once I am finding the limits of my disco potato. I saw a while back where TravisR was talking about fabrication traction bars but I couldnt find much else on the subject. I have never been able to break my 60ft times out of the 2 second range due to wheel hop and it is killing my ET's.

My question is, how hard are they (traction bars) to fabricate and can these really be universal?

"Fits cars and mini-trucks with leaf springs under the axle "

im not sure how you do traction bars on an independent multilink suspension... but that's not it

might require a minor conversion to your rear axle. :giggle:

seriously though, I think the traction/slapper bar is a solution for a problem a miata will never have. since the diff is rigidly attached to the PPF and tranny, the diff cant "wind up" like a muscle car.

Those in your link are for cars with leaf springs. Won't work on a wishbone setup.

FWIW, I had terrible wheel hop. Always have. When I pulled the engine to turbo, I found my drivers side motor mount was broken in half. Switched it to the passengers side as that one was only slightly torn. :) So now I have a torn drivers side and broken passengers side. Made a big difference in wheel hop. I will 100% be buying some stiff ass motor mounts soon, and diff mounts too.

As for traction bars, I think Travis is working on some. If you want to build your own, get on m.net and search through the V8 section. There's a few guys there that have built some and reported good results with V8 power.

Awesome. Thanks guys. I have a couple of connections with some good fabricators so I may do some research with the v8 guys and see if we can come up with a working solution.

I'm hoping to get my car out of storage and into the shop to build some traction bar jigs. It is one of the main business lines for ETD (Welcome to ETDRacing.com 2.0) and therefore we would love to make some for the Miata also.

Well, as I've found out more about this, I read a couple of SAE research articles on it, read a book about it (carols), and I really don't think traction bars are the answer for an IRS. What you have to do is put a comprehensive kit together that works on alot of little things in the rear to kill the big problem. Traction bars will always degrade turning performance on an IRS suspension, and they have to be very carefully placed if you do use them on any car or you'll completely bind your suspension. So while you can bolt up a set of universal bars, they really arn't what you need, and you have to crunch alot of numbers to get any positive effect at all.

i have never thought about it, but i have the MMR motor mounts only and i have NEVER had ANY wheelhop. so that makes sense

we just need something to hold the diff in place, it is winding up because its not hard mounted to anything. When I went from rubber to poly diff mounts it REALLY helped, I get very little wheel hop now where as I used to get it ALL THE TIME.

that and making sure your shocks are not blown lol.

I am just about to put in some solidish diff mounts in - the MS engine mounts help I'm sure.

I thought the question was more a diff brace - something to grab the front and keep it from moving. that seems like it might be useful?

Thats one of the things I"ve got in my kit. Thats a big key. Can't do a whole lot with the pumpkin floating up and down back there.

On my 99' the tire will move forward over an inch on a hard launch. That's not just the diff winding up.....

Thats a part not the whole thing ;)

Good lord!

On my tires, the car stays still, and so do the wheels. :-)

Where's this Kit, Travis? :-) Linkage!

How the hell did you find that out?

Havent I seen a bar out there that bolts to the lower 2 bolts on the housing, and run to the rear subframe or something? I cant recall exactly how it looked ,but do recall seeing it. Dont remember the maker either. I also have a good bit of hop, but havent really gotten to try it out since new engine mounts. My old ones were fully ripped in half, so Im guessing it should be MUCH better now. Plus all new suspension bushings, so maybe that contributes to less suspension flex in the rear. Diff mounts will come when I get the 3.6 gear set.

Also, anybody ever used those PPF braces Ive seen out there for sale? I cant see how this would improve things much, but Trackdog claims a decent improvement.

I watched my car do this while it was strapped down to a dyno. I was thinking either new rear control arms with heim joints or stiffer bushings would help out the most.

This brace?

Miata BeatRush P.P.F. Performance Bar 1990-1997

http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.c..._2035_40091005

When I launched hard in 1st gear on the nitrous at the 1/8 mile, I could hear my drivers side tire "rubbing" the car's fender. After the run I have cuts in said tire and a damaged inner fender metal. I beat it in with a hammer but it still rubs on a very hard launch with 225's.

The Beatrush PPF brace is a nice piece. Haven't been to the track since I installed it, so I don't know if it helps with wheel hop any...