Axle Hop

[dimrod]

Speaking of axle hop, I notice that my new 2016 PW is prone to that in loose river gravel and sand. It's downright annoying. On paper, my less capable GMC half ton would negotiate both types terrain better. I need the winch just to self-rescue. No wonder it's included!

Maybe I don't understand how to drive my new Power Wagon. I even have a manual locker kit installed. I haven't tried it in snow yet but dread the possible axle hop. It steals my forward momentum and just digs the tires down. Please enlighten me on how best to operate this vehicle in these conditions.

[Low_Sky]

Tire pressure.

[Colibri]

X1000

[olyelr]

Low tire pressure surely helps, but it also wont eliminate it.

[mystro]

It's a heck of a lot better than leaf springs.

[adeluca73]

Speaking of axle hop, I notice that my new 2016 PW is prone to that in loose river gravel and sand. It's downright annoying. On paper, my less capable GMC half ton would negotiate both types terrain better. I need the winch just to self-rescue. No wonder it's included!

Maybe I don't understand how to drive my new Power Wagon. I even have a manual locker kit installed. I haven't tried it in snow yet but dread the possible axle hop. It steals my forward momentum and just digs the tires down. Please enlighten me on how best to operate this vehicle in these conditions.

Install two more of the anti-hop shocks, you'd be surprised how tame it gets under hard acceleration in loose footing. Kind of a pain to install, but worth it. You can find the shocks for about $110-120/eA, they're $170 at the stealership.

[dimrod]

What tire pressure do you recommend? That sounds like a hassle to get out and deflate them just to launch your boat and then reinflate them afterwards. What type of compressor do you carry with you?

As for adding two more shocks, can a guy buy extra mount brackets or do you have to custom make some?

I intend to keep this truck for 10 years. I want it to be functional.

[Low_Sky]

There are recent threads about tire pressure for sand (this one is on the first page of the general forum), air compressors, and the anti-hop shock. The search feature is your friend. You drive an ~8000 lbs truck, you're going to have to lower the tire pressure if you want to drive on sand without axle hop or sinking to the frame. If you drive around unloaded, the 65/60 psi that Ram uses for TPMS thresholds are too high anyway.


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[dimrod]

I learned a lot from searching around. But I am also dismayed as it seems like many owners have problems with axle wrap/wheel hop that lingers even after they add triple axle shocks and air down. I am going to try the triple shock mod. I crawled under my rig and read that the shock is a Bilstein F4-BE5-1987-W1. A google search didn't turn up any vendors for that number. In fact it turned up very little. Is the shock referred to by a different number? Where can I find them for around $110-$120 each?
Thanks.

[adeluca73]

I learned a lot from searching around. But I am also dismayed as it seems like many owners have problems with axle wrap/wheel hop that lingers even after they add triple axle shocks and air down. I am going to try the triple shock mod. I crawled under my rig and read that the shock is a Bilstein F4-BE5-1987-W1. A google search didn't turn up any vendors for that number. In fact it turned up very little. Is the shock referred to by a different number? Where can I find them for around $110-$120 each?
Thanks.

Purchased mine from quirk parts : http://www.quirkparts.com

Purchased the 180mm replacement bolts from Fastenal on-line. My build thread has details.

[Black Pearl]

I was surprised that i had some in Pismo last weekend.
I was only aired down to 26 and even with the king's she still had some hop. Not a bunch. but just enough to keep me from mashing the peddle. Might disappear at 18 psi....

[TwinStick]

Trouble is: when you air down that low you lose a lot of ground clearance. In situations like that you also need all the ground clearance you can get. Axle hop seems to be the byproduct of a soft/er, flexy/er suspension. I get it really bad in good packing snow. 4th or 5th gear, lo range & a healthy dose of the skinny pedal usually works, but not always.

[Low_Sky]

I routinely get axle hop getting off the beaches here in south central Alaska. Our beaches are pretty hard packed sand, but the berms you have to cross to get on/off of them are fine loose sand and smooth slate gravel. If I take a run at them with my normal 50 psi I can usually get over, but with a lot of axle hop in 4HI. Airing down to 35 psi gets me over with no problem.


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[olyelr]

... Might disappear at 18 psi....

Dont go all in on it

[laramieskibum]

... Might disappear at 18 psi....

Dont go all in on it

depends on the tire. I run 18-20PSI in the rear and 40PSI front when not towing (seriously)

offroad I have a hard time telling the difference from 25 to 30psi front, so been experimenting with 30-35 front.

Your mileage may vary (pun intended?). Check load tables for your tires, mine is heavier than yours in the front. One benefit from 37" load range D's is lower psi

I have only had bad axle hop situation, it was on a slope steep enough and loose enough that lockers and throttle wasn't going to make it...stupid steep.

normal day to day I've been running 32psi rear and 40psi front so I don't have to constantly air up for towing every weekend. Rear tire wear is showing it though.

[laramieskibum]

Trouble is: when you air down that low you lose a lot of ground clearance. In situations like that you also need all the ground clearance you can get. Axle hop seems to be the byproduct of a soft/er, flexy/er suspension. I get it really bad in good packing snow. 4th or 5th gear, lo range & a healthy dose of the skinny pedal usually works, but not always.

I total believe the soft suspension comment...agreed. might be the difference between the prospector (normal gas non-PW springs) vs the wagons vs the diesels

Not sure i'm in agreement with the ground clearance, when getting hop is 1/4" or 1/2" at the most going to hurt that bad? Depends on how/where you wheel. In my neck of the woods that would mean rocks and very slow non-hopping type speeds.