Wheel-hop

weedburner said
Pretty common to see casual stick shift drag racers fix a launch problem with stiffer $$$ shocks, not realizing the root cause of the issue might be a clutch that's hitting the tires/suspension too hard. Basically if you fix the clutch hit first, you might not need stiffer shocks.

The significant difference between the two approaches is that stiffer shocks won't increase power production, but a looser clutch hit will.

Grant

Stiffer shocks may not be a cure-all for everyone but will probably help a lot of people here. But each car is different. Stiffer shocks like Rancho or CalTracs are not usually considered high dollar either. There are different clutch materials and configurations that stick racers can choose from but they can also have adjustability. An auto trans racer can't swap a converter as easily as adjusting a clutch. But it still has to work together with the rest of the car.

I think a more accurate description would be that a clutch controls the application of power to the drivetrain while shocks control the application of that power to the suspension. Sticks just have that extra tuning aid further upstream. But it all still has to be tuned to work together because each combo is different.

I understand what you are saying - FAST cars are a good example but that's a whole different ball game. There is a LOT more going on with the whole combo than meets the eye. That's why their 60' and ET tend be soft for the MPH they can run when compared to combos unrestricted by specific rules. Lots of HP but they are usually not spinning.

DARTLARRY found a much cheaper fix, but that doesn't mean that it can't get better. Each car is different. Track prep can also vary. I still spun on rare occasions but I didn't wheel-hop. Then there was this fast NHRA Stock racer who was talked into switching from his proven but "old school" "Launcher" SS springs to the trick Cal-trac system. Weight was added to make up for the lighter set-up to keep everything equal. Final results were that it didn't hurt, but didn't help either.

Everybody just has to figure it out for their combo.