Hopping (yes hopping like a bunny)

[Knigh7s]

That happens to me as well. I just installed the rancho 9000 a couple months ago, and it does the same as the stock shocks did. On the way to work there is this seam on the bridge that connects to the on ramp, and the vx always hopps to the left (right handed turn right over the seam). the first time i did it, scared the crap outa me, because i thought something broke underneath! But I have noticed that trucks infront of me hop to the left as well when they drive over it...

I dont know.. I sorta like "forcably" doing it!

[etlsport]

yeah i know what you are talking about.. roads in pa around me suck... like really really suck.. there are random lumps of asphalt as high as 2-3 inches on the highway next to jersey walls... potholes big enough to eat small children... bridges galore... and yeah my vx takes them with about as much grace as a sumo wrestler in stiletto heels.. ive gotten in the habit of bracing for that kind of stuff and almost always drive at 10 and 2 for better control esp at high speeds, i think its probably caused by the short wheelbase.. your front wheels dont have time to normalize again after a bump like that before the rear wheels hit so both front and back wheels are out of whack

speaking of driving onto bridges.. theres a bridge with a pretty steep uphill incline on one of my regular drives.. every time i drive up it, my tod engages violently when i hit the seam with my rear wheels.. scary at first.. kind of fun now

[VCrossfan]

Yes mine hops at times as well. My guess is the front shocks are bottoming out. I know when I installed my Rancho 9000's a couple years ago I noticed there's not much shock left for travel (sitting with no lift,torsion bars at original height) I'm going to look for a shorter bodied (cylinder) shock that will allow more clearance before bottoming out in normal road travel but will limit the total length travel (which I don't need) . The 9000's would work well if we cranked the torsion bars, but unless I install rear springs my stance is just right now, so I'll do some shock hunting. Anyone else have any thoughts or shock ideas, drop a line...thx

[Mr.Badguy]

I'm releaved that I'm not the only one that has this issue. Vcrossfan, if you do turn up any information on shocks, please let me know. I'm willing to try something new if it has good results. My mechanic also said that with the short wheel base that the rear end will want to replace the front end if i hit a bump.

Look forward to anymore comments or suggestions.

Thanks!

[VehiGAZ]

I don't have this problem (I have Bilsteins! Hahahah... ok, just kidding) but I wonder if it has to do with the alignment...

My engineer father told me never to get a thrust-angle alignment (which aligns the front wheels to compensate for & balance out any misalignment of the rear axle) because it would leave the car with an inherent tension in the suspension. What you guys are describing sounds a bit like such a tension being released when your rubber hits the slippery spot. (I made that sound dirty, huh?)

Diagnostic question - If you drive straight over a series of expansion joints, does the VX always hop to the same side?

When's the last time you had an alignment check?

[Mr.Badguy]

I don't have this problem (I have Bilsteins! Hahahah... ok, just kidding) but I wonder if it has to do with the alignment...

My engineer father told me never to get a thrust-angle alignment (which aligns the front wheels to compensate for & balance out any misalignment of the rear axle) because it would leave the car with an inherent tension in the suspension. What you guys are describing sounds a bit like such a tension being released when your rubber hits the slippery spot. (I made that sound dirty, huh?)

Diagnostic question - If you drive straight over a series of expansion joints, does the VX always hop to the same side?

When's the last time you had an alignment check?

I just recently, had an alignment done in June, but have no idea if it was a thrust-angle alignment. what sort of alignment should i get or ask for?

to answer your other question, most of the time it hops to the right, then to the left. it seems that whenever i hit the seams, the car hops up into the air (because the slide is so severe) and to the right. I have both hands on the steering wheel and try to keep it straight. if the wheel is turned any, the hop is worse, and goes in the opposite direction to which the steering wheel is turned.

I appreciate the input on this situation.

[BD-VX99]

Have Bilsteins, don't have the same problem. "-H0" back and front. My back end does bottom out on everything fun though because of sagging springs. I really wanted to cut down the bumpstops a bit but I think I'll wait until I lift next spring.

[VehiGAZ]

Well, IIRC, there are thrust-angle, two-wheel, and 4-wheel alignment methods (but the first two might be the same thing). Dino? Chopper? Anyone care to shed some light on that?

With thrust-angle alignments, they measure the alignment of the rear wheels and calculate the overall alignment of the axle, then set the front wheels to compensate for the angle of the rear alignment. It keeps the car going straight, but only because the opposing factions are equally matched. Imagine if the rear wheels were pointing the car 5* to the left (the thrust angle of the axle) - they would then align the fronts to point 5* to the right so that overall, you go straight, but as soon as the front axle hits a bump and goes light, the rear axle gets to push the car to the left.

I know that some vehicles can only be aligned by the thrust angle method, and I have no idea if the VX is one of them. Call an Isuzu dealer and find out or search the forum for "alignment" and see what comes up.

If you paid $59.99, it may not have been a 4-wheel alignment, though. 4-wheel is the best way to go - they get all 4 wheels pointing straight.