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boggerdak
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
11:19:14
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 Subject: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Does anyone know of a way to stop wheel hop on a 4X4 Dakota? Whenever I get in deep sand or snow my truck bucks like mad and I go nowhere. I don't want a traction bar hanging down that will get hung up on things. Any ideas would be appreciated.
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
13:34:39
|  RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Mine did that. If you still have the stock shocks swap them for a stiffer set liek the rancho 5 or 9000. I got 9000s on my truck no wheel hop after that. the stock shocks work great for the first 15-20K after that theire worthless
Rob
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
21:00:26
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Wheel hop is generally caused by the leaf springs binding into an "S" shape under load. This causes the pinion to rotate under tension. Then when the spring tension exceeds available traction the pinion housing snaps back, causing the tire to lose traction. Then the cycle repeats itself.
To prevent this, you need something that will positivly locate the axle housing and pinion, and yet still allow appropriate suspension articulation. Ideally, you want a solid bar that extends from the bottom of the axle tube, to the foreward spring eye. You will lose a little ground clearance, but if built right it should only be an inch or so. If you really want to get fancy, angle them towards the center of the truck a little.
Some heavy wall tubing, threaded bushings, and some HD rod ends and you're there. I know I've seen them for sale somewhere, but can't remember where.
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boggerdak
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
21:27:36
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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I just did a web search and came up with an excellent site for fixing wheel hop. Check it out. Click here for Axlewrap Tech
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boggerdak
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
21:32:32
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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If the link to the site doesn't work go to
www.rightcoastcrawler.com/tech/axlewrap/axlewrap.html
Sorry
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Rob454
Dodge Dakota
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1/19/2004
23:11:55
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Bob youre talking about slapper bars from your description. he has a 4x4. slapper bars are great on old 70 and 60 camaros and mustangs on the street but have NO place on a 4x4. it would kill his ground clearance. He will loose a lot more than 1 inch. Why go through all that when a set of new stronger shocks will cure his problem
Bro you dont need all that slapper bar or traction bar crap youll either loose ground clearance or axle articulation or both. you jsut need a better set of shocks. What happens is the stock shock doesnt have enough dampening to stop the axle from hopping. A stiffer set of shocks will give resistance and make the wheel hop stop.
You can also put in a set of add a leaf but that will jack the back of the truck up higher still.
Bob had a good idea about the slapper bars but it would kill your ground clearance. if youre gonna do anything liek that I would look at the rancho rear traction bars and do that but either way you loose clearance
Rob
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.boB
Dodge Dakota
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1/20/2004
03:37:33
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Slapper bars were a crude way of controlling axle wrap/wheel hop. It sort of works on a fairly low power application with a poor suspension design or poor tires.
But that's not what I'm talking about at all. I'm talking about a bar (or tube) with threaded rod ends that is bolted to the bottom of the axle tube and even with the spring eye. Think of it like the bottom half of a ladder bar. The bar only needs to be 1" in diameter, heavy walled, and only needs to be 2" below the axle tube. You could even mount it to the top of the axle tube, but then you don't get the weight transfer. It's primary function is to prevent changes in pinion angle. If you have the room, you could even use one 1.5" rod from the top of the differential housing to the frame.
If you angle the tubes inward a little, like 10*, you'll keep the axle from shifting laterally.
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wildhawk
GenIII
1/20/2004
16:29:44
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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You ought to look at the Roadmaster Active Suspension kit. I put the 3" Rancho lift on my 2000 QC and added 4" blocks to the rear instead of the 2" that came with the kit. I was unhappy with the wheel hop the tall blocks were causing, so I gave the Roadmaster set-up a shot. Works like magic. Check out: www.activesuspension.com
There was a group buy on this when I bought it, so you might see if you can get another one going.
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JES
Dodge Dakota
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1/20/2004
17:38:17
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Bob -- fantastic explanations. All should thank you for your input. *Applause Applause*
I was the victim of some pretty nasty axle wrap on my '94 Ranger. Had a lift that utilized two add-a-leafs and a 3" block under the leaf pack. This thing would wrap so bad that it would tilt the front u-joint on the rear driveshaft up into the cross-member and make some really horrific noises.
To remedy the axle wrap, I fabbed up a plate to go above the spring pack and connect to a thick walled tube of 3/4" OD via a ball-joint type connection and then connected the bar to the front leaf spring hanger connection to the frame. Worked great for about a year ... but I finally learned the limitations of this set-up. Under severe articulation, my passenger side wheel hopped over a rock while I was spinning and snapped the trac-bar ... then a split second later, still under severe articulation, the driver's side snapped.
My next set-up was similar to the last set-up in the link in the earlier post above from boggerdak. Fabbed up a bracket that was welded on the front/top of the diff then both bars from this were connected to a shackle on a cross-member near the middle-front of the truck. Worked great for a year (til a bluehair crossed the centerline and totaled her). Didn't limit ground clearance or articulation and I never got any axle wrap/hop with this set up. Kinda pricey though, and a bit of a pain to fab and install (welding the bracket onto the diff resulted in quite a few expletives flying around the garage from a welder friend of mine).
Just thought I'd thro in my 2 cents to see if it could help anyone. I'm thinking I might try the active suspension on my QC, for all the more off-roading I do in it, it should do great. Keep up the great work guys ... great input around this board.
Eric -- http://www.geocities.com/jes_96
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conig
Dodge Dakota
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1/20/2004
22:39:00
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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It would probable limit articulation but ou could try spring clamps. worked well for me when my truc was dropped two in the rear.
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boggerdak
Dodge Dakota
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1/21/2004
19:13:41
| RE: Cure for Wheel Hop?
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Thanks to everyone for their input. I currently have a set-up like Bob described. I have a 1" tube with urethane bushings on each end attached to the frame that then runs to the bottom of the axle tube at each wheel. It works ok in drive but sucks in reverse. The road-master looks like it would do about the same. Come spring time I am going to fab up the 3 point set-up that I found in the web site I mentioned before. That should take care of the axle wrap in forward and reverse.
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