Considering Ford and Ram are both using SFA's on their HD trucks, that haven't really been altered since the 90's (because that's when GM dropped them), yes, it's normal.

If you're using 4wd on pavement that isn't actually slick, yes, it's going to hop...that is absolutely normal. For instance, there is a roundabout on my drive that is a bit tighter than most, and if roads are sketchy but the roundabout is dry-ish, my truck will hop - every SFA truck I have owned for the last 20 years has done that.

I was learning to drive when my dad went from his '86 GMC 4x4 dually (SFA) to his '94 GMC 4x4 dually (IFS), and one of the major differences was that it didn't bind as quickly going around corners in 4wd. Their '90 GMC suburban still hopped in corners when in 4wd on pavement, because it was a SFA.

The difference is that a SFA still uses u-joints at the ends,where an IFS uses CV joints. The CV joints take more angle when you turn the wheel to bind just because of their design. You're used to the higher turn angle before binding occurs.

So yes, it is completely normal for your truck to 'hop' going around a corner on mostly dry pavement. You'll need to adjust your driving habits to accomodate the different behavior of your truck.

 

I thought the binding and hopping with the 4WD engaged on dry, none slippery roads was caused by the transfer case binding. The E-Locker on dry roads also causes binding. I don’t use either on non slippery roads.

If I’m not mistaken even my wife’s 2021 GMC Canyon transfer case binds on dry roads if left in 4WD. I’ll confirm that later. It has automatic locking LSD rear and the auto 4WD mode settings on the 4WD switch makes driving on wet/dry road surfaces safe and easy. That is why I got it for her, she doesn’t have to constantly be engaging and disengaging the 4WD and locking and unlocking a E-locking rear axle.

 

They both contribute, but in my experience it's got more to do with the SFA than the t-case. A SFA will reach its 'hop point' for lack of a better word, sooner than an IFS truck. It's really not even due to an LSD - most 4wd front axles are open regardless.

Think of it this way:

On a SFA truck with actual free/lock lockout hubs, if you leave the hubs UNLOCKED but put it in 4wd, it will start to hop a bit when you turn on dry pavement, because the u-joints are working and being driven. Their centerline of the angle changes slightly as they rotate. Likewise, if you leave it OUT of 4wd but LOCK the hubs, you'll get noise from the front axle as you turn, and maybe a slight vibration. It doesn't 'hop' because they're not powered, they're just along for the ride. But that noise/vibration is still from the u-joints. When you have the hubs LOCKED and are IN 4wd, That's the worst of both worlds and is when stuff breaks.

But look at a FWD car with an open differential (or even an LSD). You can go lock to lock on the steering with no hop. The CV joints can go to a much higher angle without bind, because their centerline of the angle doesn't change.

Now, I don't know for sure with GM, but Ford's Auto4wd system uses a clutched transfer case, and CV joints/half shafts for the front (even with a SRA). This lets you have no bind or vibrations when in Auto 4wd, because the CV joints can handle the turns better, and the clutched t-case prevents binding there. If you put those same systems into full-4wd, they'll lock the t-case clutch and you'll start to get hop again, though not as pronounced as with a SFA truck.

 

I understand why this truck is more susceptible to binding/hopping... and do try to use the 4x4 & the rear locking diff only when absolutely "needed" so, I do NOT use it as it's being suggested on non-slippery conditions... 6" of snow is slippery enough to not have this problem but sometimes the truck does start to buck, hop, jerk around like a bucking horse, and that has never happened in any other truck I have ever driven, thus my negative review of the 4x4 system of this trucks real world use in this thread...

 

Yup just checked, my wife’s 2021 Canyon binds up just like every other 4x4 I’ve ever driven in 4WD if put in 4WD on non slippery roads.

Which leads me to believe the binding is caused by the transfer case not Ujoints.

 

The reason live axles bind when locked & turning on solid surfaces has little to do with the angles of the u joint unless they are at full steering lock, it's because the wheels are trying to rotate at different speeds.
Its because when locked you have taken the differential out of the equation.
What does a differential do? It allows wheels to rotate at different speeds when put through an arc (such as turning). The wheels are actually traveling different distances as they go through the arc. (Outside wheel travels further than the inside).
On an open differential it doesn't matter, only one wheel is providing torque to the ground, the other is just along for the ride.
With a limited slip there is a degree of allowable slip via clutch plates, cones etc. to allow some differentiation of rotational speeds.
All that goes away with a locking differential, it may as well be a solid rod between the wheels-the wheels "have" to rotate at the same speeds.
On a slippery surface the wheels can spin at different speeds, not so on solid surfaces.

Transfer cases on 4wd vehicles rarely have any differentiation built in so you can get unequal axle speed bind on dry surfaces.
This is why it is so critical on 4wd vehicles to have all of the wheels/tires the same diameter both side to side and front to back.