Ram 1500 Rear End Hop When Plowing

I'm posting for help here in the Towing and Hauling forum, because whenever I'm plowing snow, I'm hauling too (weight in back).

This is the forth year that I've been plowing with this rig but the snow has been particularly thick lately in N. Central Idaho and I'd like to do something about a rear wheel hop problem. How might I fix my wheel hop? I don't care about the ride. Only traction performance matters to me.

Even when I'm not hauling or plowing, rear end wheel hop is what usually limits my traction. When it's bad, I typically need to throttle back to stop the hop but then I soon come to a stop--even though had been making good progress when powered-up. Of course the hop degrades traction too. It can develop on a smooth surface too (free of any washboards, etc.) when climbing a hill or pushing snow. I think the hop is more likely to develop when the wheels start to spin, but sometimes at least some spin is necessary to enable progress, depending on conditions.

My setup:

2WD 2004 Ram 1500 with manual transmission. 180,000+ miles.

DK2 88" Summit plow ("consumer grade").

Yukon Duragrip aftermarket limited slip differential.

Commercial grade chains (x4 for help with braking and steering too).

Almost 1000lb of concrete ballist in the rear of the bed for traction and "ballast/balance" of the front plow.

Hellwig 3500 helper springs--originally installed to level my camper. Yeah--3500s are overkill but they are set very loose and my previous light 1500-application Hellwig springs took a sag/set within a year's time so I got the 3500, which don't require much preload. Even though the ride feels normal, with or without a load, being over-sprung might still be the root cause so perhaps heavily damped shocks would help? What about compression to rebound damping ratios?

My pickup still has OEM shocks. They still feel normai when driving under normal street conditions or when doing the shove and wait for a bounce test, but might they still be a good place to start? Any recommendations for shocks brand and model would be very appreciated!

Yeah--I know a 4WD Ram 2500 would be better for the job but they are super expensive these days. Actually, I already have one (a Cummins Big Horn) but it's my hunting/camping rig and I don't want to trash my nice pickup plowing either. If I ever find a gasoline 4WD 2500 at a good price (like pre-COVID price...haha), I'll buy it!

Thanks for any advice!

-Cal

Did you mention sway bars, etc.

maybe read this https://www.ramforum.com/threads/wheel-hop-2500.96392/

GTyankee said:

Did you mention sway bars, etc.

maybe read this https://www.ramforum.com/threads/wheel-hop-2500.96392/

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Interesting thread. Thanks! Yeah--soft stuff and snow is usually when it happens but it can be dirt and gravel sometimes too.

I don't have an aftermarket sway bar but I think it has a small OEM one. I'll have to look under the front end, because I don't remember. Of course sway bars stiffen when the pickup sways or rocks. I've never noticed any motion in that regard in association with my rear wheel hop.

I have leaf springs in back in this 2004 Gen 3 of course.

Backing off the gas is rarely a useful option. By the time I back off enough to stop the hop, I won't make it up the hill!

You might want to try some new shocks, the staggered layout of the shocks helps with axle wrap.
Other possibilities are traction bars, BDS sells some but only listed for 4X4, not sure how much difference there is between 2WD vs 4X4 for the rear axle.

New shocks and traction bars for axle wrap.l would definitely be a good idea. Crash is pretty much spot on. Even if your shocks feel ok they may be failing and under heavy conditions will make them act up. Your leaf springs may be getting tired as well so a new set may help prevent any unwanted twisting or warping under load even with the helper springs.

Many years ago when I hot rodded cars and had a wheel hop problem it was solved with better shocks and traction bars. I would definitely start by getting rid of the OEM shocks and see what the results are. That hop is hard on everything in your drive train and it can be eliminated.

crash68 said:

You might want to try some new shocks, the staggered layout of the shocks helps with axle wrap.
Other possibilities are traction bars, BDS sells some but only listed for 4X4, not sure how much difference there is between 2WD vs 4X4 for the rear axle.

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Thanks, crash68! I will start with shocks. It's been a long time since I've looked at the 4x4 Ram 1500 but I think it uses the same rear end so I'll look into traction bars, if shocks don't solve the problem.

crazykid1994 said:

New shocks and traction bars for axle wrap.l would definitely be a good idea. Crash is pretty much spot on. Even if your shocks feel ok they may be failing and under heavy conditions will make them act up. Your leaf springs may be getting tired as well so a new set may help prevent any unwanted twisting or warping under load even with the helper springs.

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Sounds like a "second the motion", crazykid1994! I never had wheel hop before I put the Yukon LSD in my rear end, because I'd get wheel spin first. Now I don't get wheel spin and it's hop that shuts me down!

Smokeybear01 said:

Many years ago when I hot rodded cars and had a wheel hop problem it was solved with better shocks and traction bars. I would definitely start by getting rid of the OEM shocks and see what the results are. That hop is hard on everything in your drive train and it can be eliminated.

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I hope the shocks take care of it, Smokeybear01. I'll say's it's hard on everything in the drive train! I shudder to think of the wear I might have done, due to the hop, when I was desperate to make it up the driveway and just pressed on with it. It also tosses my concrete cinder block ballast all over the bed. This has been the worst winter so far since we moved to N. Central Idaho. The snow was falling at about an inch per hour and it got deep overnight and then heavy from a thaw and a refreeze. I got behind the curve with my plowing. My neighbor's brother-in-law came by with a D50 Cat and dozered us all out! Usually I keep the neighbor's driveways clear too so I've got to shop for some new shocks this weekend. The weather is pretty nice right now, but we're only halfway through January. We had a huge snow dump in late March and into April three years ago.

Of course I'll provide updates on my progress in solving this problem.

3pedals said:

https://www.hellwigproducts.com/products/?partnumber=2002

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Thanks for the link, 3pedals!

I have Hellwig LP35 helper springs on it now. Without additional dampening, they might be causing or exacerbating the problem--even when backed way off! I originally had lighter Hellwigs on it, but they took a permanent set in less than a year's time (hauling my camper) so I got the LP35 set and they haven't sagged in 10 years!

I don't haul the camper very often with my 1500 any longer so I'll call Hellwig and ask them about the traction control springs as an alternative to my LP35s and see if they have a set for my 2004 Ram 1500.

No problemo…they work well on my ‘08 4.7 6spd with truetrac. Would get wheel hop previously when accelerating at low speed around a turn. With these cheap traction springs, I can feel the rear end wanting to hop but being held in place by the helper spring. Part is universal and bolts to front of leaf pack…so that link is the exact part I used and will work for your truck.