Axle hop?

jadcock · Feb 18th, 2003, 03:42 PM

I have a '95 King Cab 4x4. LOVIN' it in the recent snows we've had!! It's great. I usually keep it in 2wd for the mileage. When I do get on patch of packed snow/ice, and both rear tires start to spin, the axle hops pretty violently.

This is the first vehicle I've owned with leaf springs in the back. My family has had a couple of Cherokees, though, and this wasn't a problem. Am I just dealing with a pair of worn-out shocks here? The ride isn't bouncey, but the shocks physically look old and worn out. I want to wait until spring to replace them because it rides good...except for this axle hop problem.

Thanks,

currykid3 · Feb 18th, 2003, 04:19 PM

Make sure everthing is buttoned up good ie: bolts and such. If they start to spin let off the gas. Yea I'd say getting new shock might help, but it will probalby still happen. Do you have posi?

JoanJetta · Feb 18th, 2003, 05:51 PM

hopping is most likely due to light rear end and inability of tires to gain traction. However, there may be a slight component of weak shocks contributing to it. I would bet it is more of a weight/traction issue. Heavier trucks with weak shocks won't hop very violently. If your truck was weighted down with sand/rocks/logs etc. the truck probably wouldn't hop. And you are right, the recent snow has been fun, especially going up the hills I have to to get home.

jadcock · Feb 18th, 2003, 06:54 PM

Thanks for the responses. The truck does not have limited slip, although 10% of me thinks it does.

Whenever the tires spin, they both spin. Except during extreme situations I try to get it in, like one tire on ice, one on dry pavement (where it's then obvious it's not an LSD), the rear end hooks up very well and uses all of the traction available. Even in the deep snow we have, I drive in 2wd most of the time, and just leave the hubs locked in case I have to use 4wd.

Now that most of the snow is even starting to melt into slush, I don't even have the hubs locked anymore. More parasitic loss equals less mileage. But I just don't NEED 4wd at all anymore.

The shocks feel pretty good. The front ones will "gloosh" a little bit when it's cold -- meaning it sounds like there's air bubbles in the gas and I can hear them going through the valving. And the rear shock's metal "hood" (that covers the exposed area of the smooth pushrod) is rusting off, giving away their old age. They still work nicely though. Maybe this spring I'll put some new ones on.

Yes, when it starts to violently hop, I just smash in the clutch real quick and let it back out easily and usually don't even slow down any in the process... :-)