Crackerbox

Hello Everyone. I'm new here. I bought a 2016 Rubicon Hard Rock unlimited in late '16. I live in a pretty snowy area and any time I really need traction this thing gets to bucking like an early Bronco. It's done it since new and I just turned 30,000 miles today. I know the fix for the early Bronco's was dual shocks. Is this a fairly common complaint on these? Is it as easy to fix as just putting on some stiffer shocks. I really like the way it rides so not really wanting to mess that up too much. I sell real estate and it's hard enough for people to get in the back seat the way it sits that it's really not feasible to put in anything that would lift it. Just wondering what some people have done about it. I've had Jeeps and Land Cruisers for the last 40 years and never encountered this much wheel hop but they have all been leaf spring rigs. Thank you for any advice.

resharp001

Curious to see what others say, cuz I can't fathom what in the world you're describing.

tjkamp

The only time I've ever had wheel hop, or chatter, is from gassing it too hard in deep sugar sand.

First time I've ever heard of anybody with this complaint.

Idk.

Under what conditions is it happening, ice, snow, slush? Wet pavement?

nthinuf

I was waiting for some other comments as well. The first thing that came to my mind was binding from being in 4wd on dry pavement and turning. But doesn't sound like what he's saying?

Are you in 4wd when this happens?

Mark Doiron

Just a wild guess here (couldn't find your profile info to answer this question): Is this a manual transmission? If so, clutch problems can cause bucking of the vehicle as you engage the clutch. As nthinuf wrote, except for running in 4WD on dry pavement, I've not heard of this problem ever.

Sunnysideup

If you are talking about when you stall out in a snow drift... I think all u-joint front axles will hop. Maybe if you have RCV or something they might not? The best thing to do is not do it... LOL. When it starts to hop... let off and backup... take another run at it. I have hit a lot of snowbanks in my jku... and it will always hop when I begin to highcenter... or push a mass of snow in front of the axle that gets too high. But... it takes a lot of snow to do it on mine... 37 inch tires 4 inches of lift... it normally doesn't do this unless I'm really pushing it.

The reason could be as simple as the lack of Ground Clearance under the body of a stock JK... if you came from modified trucks or jeeps... they might not have the low COG of a Jeep. Or even an XJ or TOY truck from the 80's has a higher body. Wheel hop happens as your axle looses traction with solid ground... has no forward motion and it starts to bounce. It is a good way to break things... so stop when it starts. The longer it bounces the more damage you can do... the front axle u-joints will break inside your C's

Get a lift, a set of RCV's .... or both. You are right that shocks and springs can dampen the hop some... but it will still do it if you push into deeper snow.
I don't think Jks are more likely to have wheel hop... but maybe your front springs are shot? or too soft...

Crackerbox

Sorry about that you guys. I've been swamped at work and forgot to follow up and then couldn't find my back in here. I thought I set it to notify me if anyone responded but I didn't get any. So, stone stock Hard Rock Rubicon JKU. Still has the stock KM tires on it with 30,000 miles on them. It has hopped in the snow since new. When I first got it, it was winter and the stock Mud Terrains were terrible in the ice. I took it straight in and had the tires siped and it made a world of difference. Four wheel drive is a fact of life here every day. Both from the snow 5 months out of the year and my job as a real estate broker showing mostly land. I have a '51 CJ3A my dad and I built when I was fifteen. 350/T90/5:38's/Air locker in the rear and a Tru Trac in the front. Stock suspension and 40 year old shocks. Never seen it bounce. I sold my '69 FJ40 when I bought the Rubi. Stock suspension 255/85-16 KM2's on split rims. Stock straight six F and three speed on the column. Had it for ten years. Never saw it bounce. I still have a '66 FJ45 LPB pickup. Stock suspension and 10-33-15 KM2's. 2F six cylinder and four speed with 4:10's. Never bounces. The Rubi is a manual transmission. I had to pay an extra $1,500 to get it brought here from Wyoming because I wanted the manual and a Red Hard Rock. Big mistake. I drove a million and a half miles in my own semi and shifting is just second nature and i way prefer a manual off road......but not this one. The JK just doesn't have the torque. Very poor combination in my opinion. Wish I would have bought an automatic. Way too tall of a first gear and reverse. You can't back up a little hill to turn around without dropping in to low range. It's good to know this isn't a common problem. I'm sure the combination of having to have your rpm's up because the lack of torque and the direct transfer of power with a manual exaggerates the problem. I've never seen it do it in dirt. Just snow. And it's not from pushing snow. It can be a hill in a foot of snow and you start hopping and you are done. I bought twenty acres this year and decided to go in there weekend before last. 4,000' elevation at the property. Should be 3 to 4 feet of snow and there's only about twenty inches this year. Really icy underneath. The JK couldn't make it up the first hill. Low range with the axles locked. Bucking and once you let off you're done. Went back and got the 45 and it went right in. No lockers just open difs. The KM2's are waaay better in the snow but it's all about the hopping. It's bucked since new so I doubt it has anything to do with clutch slippage. Sounds like short of modifying the suspension I'll just have to live with it. Thank you for the feedback.

Crackerbox

As a follow up to this I ended up adding some Bilstein gas shocks and it helped. It didn't eliminate it but it helped. This post was four years ago. Now today going up the same big hill it hopped almost as bad or worse than ever. In 4 or 5 inches of snow. Stock size KM2's. It's so bad and always has been I'm surprised there isn't more out there on it. Must be a manual transmission problem more so than an automatic. But it wash boarded that hill up from bottom to top in one pass. It's a little silly to say just stop when it starts to hop. It hops on just about any grade in the snow. I guess dual shocks would be the answer like an early Bronco.

Sixty4x4

Mine just spins in the snow - no hop and it is a well used 2008. You might want to check out suspension bushings on CA's and track bars. Also try the same run in the snow, where it hops, with about 12-15PSI in the tires but don't run on the road like that for long with tires that soft. I believe the wet snow could be an issue as deep and wet does act like the fine sand others mentioned earlier on a few years back. I remember a spring drive up a mountain logging road and slushy snow as we got further up in my 3500 RAM and it bunny hopped in the slush.

Seizer

No advice wanted to post a video demonstration.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ViyL6UQ8msI