Hey everybody, I'm starting this thread to show my theory of the SuperDuty Hop that's common on our trucks. This problem has spanned many years from what I've read and people I've talked to, but this has been most prevalent in the CCLB Super Duty platform. From 2000's with 7.3s to 2014s with 6.7s and all years in between there's a bunch of folks who seem to have this problem.
This isn't death wobble. That's the intense shaking of the front axle back and forth, due to front end parts being loose like ball joints, track bars, etc.
This is the weird vibration that feels like the rear end is hopping. It happens when driving down a straight road at a speed of usually 40-45mph, and when it's bad enough, you can see it. People with it can drive under that and its ok, then it comes on around that speed, then goes away once you get above it. That's ok for most folks, but for some of us with 45mph speed limits in areas, it really sucks. Check out these threads for more info.
http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-0-drivetrain-problems/508202-rear-end-hop.html
Rear end bounces @ 40-45 MPH - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Wheel hop/ back seat shake - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
There's a bunch more, just check out google.
Most of the time, this gets (IMO) misdiagnosed as an unbalanced driveshaft, bad shocks, warped rotors, bad springs, etc. People spend a lot of time and money replacing these things and yet still have the same problem. Ford even came out with a TSB for us 05-07 guys that involves a $450 damper kit that attaches to the rear driveshaft and is supposed to fix it. Well guess what, it doesn't. Mine has this damper and it still has the hop.
My primary mechanics specialty is suspension/brakes/steering, with engines as a secondary. I've done a lot of work on a lot of different vehicles and have come up with a running theory that until now, I wasn't so sure was even in the ball park, until I talked with a member on here, Mhatlen. He thought along the same lines as me and had done some work on his truck and it got rid of the hop.
My theory is that it's not the drivetrain or axles that are vibrating/hopping, but the frame itself flexing........think like a large I-beam only supported by the ends and you jump up and down in the middle. Especially under a CCLB, there's a ton of open frame area that has no crossmembers, and I don't think the stamped crossmembers running across the top of the frame in front of the fuel tank/front axle are working well enough. They're holding the frame well side to side and back and forth to a degree, but they don't hold it that well from flexing up and down.
I started thinking this because I can't believe there are that many faulty springs/driveshafts/axles causing this issue and it seemed to be the only thing that would explain the wide range in years that this happens to.
This isn't death wobble. That's the intense shaking of the front axle back and forth, due to front end parts being loose like ball joints, track bars, etc.
This is the weird vibration that feels like the rear end is hopping. It happens when driving down a straight road at a speed of usually 40-45mph, and when it's bad enough, you can see it. People with it can drive under that and its ok, then it comes on around that speed, then goes away once you get above it. That's ok for most folks, but for some of us with 45mph speed limits in areas, it really sucks. Check out these threads for more info.
http://www.powerstroke.org/forum/6-0-drivetrain-problems/508202-rear-end-hop.html
Rear end bounces @ 40-45 MPH - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
Wheel hop/ back seat shake - Ford Truck Enthusiasts Forums
There's a bunch more, just check out google.
Most of the time, this gets (IMO) misdiagnosed as an unbalanced driveshaft, bad shocks, warped rotors, bad springs, etc. People spend a lot of time and money replacing these things and yet still have the same problem. Ford even came out with a TSB for us 05-07 guys that involves a $450 damper kit that attaches to the rear driveshaft and is supposed to fix it. Well guess what, it doesn't. Mine has this damper and it still has the hop.
My primary mechanics specialty is suspension/brakes/steering, with engines as a secondary. I've done a lot of work on a lot of different vehicles and have come up with a running theory that until now, I wasn't so sure was even in the ball park, until I talked with a member on here, Mhatlen. He thought along the same lines as me and had done some work on his truck and it got rid of the hop.
My theory is that it's not the drivetrain or axles that are vibrating/hopping, but the frame itself flexing........think like a large I-beam only supported by the ends and you jump up and down in the middle. Especially under a CCLB, there's a ton of open frame area that has no crossmembers, and I don't think the stamped crossmembers running across the top of the frame in front of the fuel tank/front axle are working well enough. They're holding the frame well side to side and back and forth to a degree, but they don't hold it that well from flexing up and down.
I started thinking this because I can't believe there are that many faulty springs/driveshafts/axles causing this issue and it seemed to be the only thing that would explain the wide range in years that this happens to.