Axle wrap/hop, whats happening..?

[Kachess]

Ever since i lifted my truck the first time with a 4" Rough Country and blocks, now with skyjacker and the SJ leaves and stock block, from 31s to 33s. The back has bounced really hard on gravel roads and ridin horrible. Slidding all over the place while just in first gear. The axle hops all over the place and seems too stiff. And when i spin them, even in soft snow, it hops like a mofo, shaking the truck apart. However when i go down the highway, it bounces like old tired springs that are too soft. When in 4wheel, it seems to stop the hop somewhat. Adding 260lbs worth of sandbags and a canopy, the hoping still continues. I know people run taller blocks and bigger tires and only experience hop and axle wrap on pavement. I get it everytime they spin, even in extremely low traction conditions!!!
I know about traction bars, but this happens all the time, while my buddies rangers do not. Do i and can i, add-a-leaf to the skyjacker to help against the 33s bouncing or is it something else altogether like a rearend issue? Help, im sick up being shaken apart...

 

[07rangersport]

Sounds like axle wrap. You need to ditch those blocks. That should solve the issue for the most part. I would suggest traction bars.

 

[Sunk]

I don't think an AAL would help the situation. You could try running extended shackles to get rid of the stock blocks, but I know many people who run stock blocks and have no problems with them, myself included.

As for the bouncing on the highway, are your shocks bad? Souns like what mine did when I drove it around without shocks.

 

[Kachess]

all shocks and skyjacker springs have about 500 miles on them, brand new. I thought my rough country ones were bad, but i put the SJ system on and its the same. I hate to resort to $350 traction bars on a guess. Thats how i landed my skyjacker leaves, hoping it would fix it.

 

[4x4junkie]

It had to have become less with the new leaves, but that's just a normal characteristic of these trucks it seems.

Mine does it too if I spin the tires on pretty much any terrain besides slick mud.

 

[Kachess]

Thanks 4x4junkie, it did improve somewhat. When i look at pictures of other peoples setups. Most have more than four leaves in their pack. There are only three and an overload in mine. I was wondering if a somewhat beefier spring pack is better. And if so, what can i add to a skyjacker pack to help?

 

[canyoncritter]

something is wrong, when I had the skyjacker stuff under my truck I could light up the tires(well tire at that time) on pavment and not get wheel hop and even had a 3 or 3.5 inch block under the springs.and they rode fairly nice for a lifted spring.


ubolts tight.

centering pin broken off or not fit well in the perches

shackle bushings toast?
right size bolt threw the spring bushing and the shackle.Ive seen 14mm-9/16 and 5/8 bolts before in rangers on the spring bushing to the shackle end.

possible bent axle shaft maybe?



if you have gas charged shocks you may want to make sure they cycle.possible the divding pistion between the oil and gas leaked and hydro locked a shock or is working on it.and that could be causing a stiff ride.

my skyjacker springs fr34's 4inch lift had 5 leafs if I rember ...photbucket still down so cant get to pics to double check.

 

[Kachess]

The shocks are the Hydros and have done it since i bought them. I will definitely check shackle bushing. That would make alot of sense. I installed the 1-peice driveline when i did my first lift so the sh*tyness started with the new driveline. It never causes any vibration while typical driving though. How can i check if its bent or warped, even a little bit?

 

[canyoncritter]

"at home" you could jack up the rear wheels throw it in gear and let the driveshaft spin (use common sense here use jacks stand's etc)and see if you have run out on the drive shaft.this would really only show major amounts.

if you have a way to mount a dial indicator you could get a pretty good ideal,if you happen to have a DI to start with.

best way would to be to take the d shaft to a shop and have them check run out and balance.


you do have the shaft/joints in correct phase with each other?(cant rember if the slip yoke is keyed one way only or not)


something else you may want to double check is the tranny and motor mounts.if one if giving up the gost that could feel like wheel hop also.

 

[Kyle M.]

You can get wheel hop also by having improper pinion angle. Maybe you put the blocks in back wards? I think the have an angle on them to correct the pinion angle and if put on wrong, it will only make that much worse.

 

[Hahnsb2]

I would ditch the blocks regardless and stick some Belltech 6400 shackles on it.

 

[martin]

This might sound like a stupid question but did you change to longer shocks when you installed the lift? If not you might have little or no droop available on the suspension.

 

[Kachess]

I plan on doing shackles soon, regardless. Martin, about the shocks, i did replace with supposedly the correct ones from 4wheelparts. I tried to get ranchos but he said skyjackers were the only ones long enough. I thought the same thing as you. It feels exactly like the droop is being limited, or stopped suddenly. When bouncing on the tailgate, i weigh 120, i can almost get the tires to hop off the ground. Im waiting untill the weekend ( for my shop) and will pull of the shocks and check it with out, then with swaybar disconected. Could the limited droop issue be linked to the wheel hop??? Also, where is best place to get those Belltech shackles??? Thanks.

 

[canyoncritter]

Do you have fr34's(4inch) or fr36's(6inch)? rear springs......etheir way I say the guy at 4wheel was on crack or padding a comish selling certain shocks.

My truck came with rancho's when I bought it, had fr34 springs and 3 inch blocks. and they are plenty long enuff. they are the rs9000's.

But yes, to short of a shock thats limiting down travel or making for nearly none will make for a crappy ride.

pop a shock and check the lenth....

 

[Kachess]

I got them off of TRS Fab and Offroad so the fr34s. I could not believe that guy about the Ranchos, it seemed f***ed up but i didnt know for sure so was not going to argue. Ill try it out. I might be havin to go for the Ranchos. Hate buyin my third set of shocks in a year.