Has anybody out there experienced any wheel hop when in loose dirt or sand. I took my 2000 SD 250 in the sand the other day and when I got on it in the sand (2wd) I got some severe wheel hop. Please advise if anybody else has some off road input.

 

I went out and bought a pair of Rancho rs9000 shocks for the rearend and they reduced the wheel hop but it still happens in real soft sand.I am going to either pay the $$ for the Pro Comp ladder bars or lose ride quality and put an add-a-leaf at a local spring shop.Let me know if anybody has a better idea.

 

>Has anybody out there experienced any wheel
>hop when in loose dirt or
>sand. I took my 2000 SD
>250 in the sand the other
>day and when I got on
>it in the sand (2wd) I
>got some severe wheel hop. Please
>advise if anybody else has some
>off road input.

Try letting your tire pressure down. 18 psi works well on my 33 x 12.50 x 16.5 tires. If you have 15" wheels you should be able to go down around 10-15 psi. Between that and using low gear you should be able to eliminate hop, even on stock suspension trucks.

 

Thanks for the input.
Rod

 

I too have experienced severe wheel hop in sand and snow conditions. Very hard on the truck and my 8 month old son in his car seat did not appreciate it either. Solution: I have a local shop building some custom traction bars for the front and rear. Not exactly sure of the price yet but might be around $500 for the set. This shop builds off road race suspensions and sand cars. Lots of experience and excellent recommendations. They assure me that this will fix the problem. I'll let you folks know how it works out.

Joe

 

Its all do to the rear end being significantly lighter than the front. This is why the ladders work best because they transfer weight to the rear. The cheap way is to throw some sand, blocks or any other weight in the bed and use smooth acceloration while in lose surfaces. I've done that for years with all of my stiff trucks reguardless of the make. Good luck, Vinny

 

Loose dirt and sand are not the same. Loose dirt generally has a base to it, sand has none.
You have a two wheel drive truck, and I'll bet it isnt a limited slip axle either.
One wheel is trying to do all the work and it cant. So the frame is taking the punishment.
I sell Ford Super Duty Trucks. If you are going to play in the sand, get 4X, or LTD slip axle and pray.

 

You are voiding your factory warranty.

Just put extra bands on the existing leaf springs
(if it is 4X)

If it isnt 4X, get LTD slip axle.

 

DO NOT lower your tire pressure if you drive this vehicle on the road at highway speeds!
Read the paper! Firestone and Ford are paying the price for running low tire pressure.
If this is strictly an off-road vehicle, thats different.

Either use 4X, or LTD slip axle, or put more weight in the back of the truck to keep the rear end on the ground.

 

www.drivetrain.com offers spring shackles called velvet-ride hopper stoppers.They take all the wheel hop out and you still haul a load,169.95

 

you dont even have to be on dirt or sand in my 99 f-250 SD SC 4x4 V-10 with LS 4.30 rears. If I try to (light em up) on wet asphalt, the truck feals like its going to come to pieces. This is very unfortunate considering how much I enjoy doing tail out manuveres at lonely intersections on rainy days. Didn't have this problem with my 96 Dodge V-10 4x4,so I guess thats how I developed the habit to begin with.

 

Also, be careful if your truck is lifted with rear blocks.. heres the story: I have a '01 F350 diesel, with a 12" lift.. I did the rear blocks, and now regret it, and today was the icing on the cake. A fellow Ford was stuck, so I decided to give him a little tug. We were in some pretty soft sand, so I nosed up to the front of his truck and thought I'd pull him out in reverse.. Once the 4X was locked in, I pulled the tow strap tight.. We were moving along pretty good, until I started to get some wheel hop.. then *BAM* I heard a thud.. Threw her into park, and hopped out.. low and behold, my rear driveline had slipped out of the upper yoke, tearing the boot in half.. the angle of the driveline coupled with the axle wrap, and the wheel hop made for an unenjoyable afternoon.. luckily, the splines were in perfect shape, and we were able to get her back together. wrapped it up in duct tape, and away we went... (got the other truck unstuck by the way) So, anybody got any information on traction bars? Any pictures? Everybody makes em different, so I've got to find a style that I like... Thanks!

 

Ford has spent literally millions of dollars engineering the best truck to ever hit the road and you are upset with them because it has the best traction of any truck on the road?
Grow up. Your drive train is taking a whooping because it was designed NOT TO SLIP!

 

12" Lift? It isnt even legal in most states.
Why try to re-do what Ford has done so well?

 

You are right.. Ford built a beautiful truck... I just accessorized... Have'nt you ever added aftermarket styling accesories to "personalize" your truck? I just did it in bigger proportions...


-Ry
2001 Monster F350 CrewCab 4X4 7.3 PowerStroke, Bright Amber Metallic, 12" lift, 39" Mickey Thompsons on Weld Typhoons..