Confusing automotive issue

"Denver Is Stuck In The 90s" (denver80222) 01/07/2015 at 23:40 • Filed to: None

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So I parked my truck for a few hours at a friends house today, his street is covered in ice. Like its all Ice, no asphalt visible. I parked in first, idled for a bit in neutral then proceeded to drive off in first. But the rear wheels "kicked back" it kinda reminded me of a shotgun going off and recoiling into your shoulder, but forward instead of reverse. It only happened on first egress, never happened again on my drive home. Could this be a mechanical issue with the differential and/or driveline? Or could I just have rolled over a big chunk of Ice. I dont know, Colorado is in a huge freeze/thaw cycle right now and the streets are caked in a mixture of slush, ice and snow. I hate these conditions because I can never tell if My truck is driving rough because its a truck or because of a mechanical issue.

PS- Could the diff fluid have been frozen? It is 12 degrees fahrenheit out right now with windchill

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/07/2015 at 23:46

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doubt its the tranny fluid, did you see any slush or anything else from the truck when you set off?

jariten1781 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/07/2015 at 23:46

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Meh, sounds like you got a bit of slip then caught traction. Can cause a pretty big jolt. Wouldn't worry about it.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 01/07/2015 at 23:48

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The transmission is at the front of the truck, the diff is at the rear, wouldnt be tranny. The entire street was coated in at least an inch of ice, so I could have slipped. It was pretty violent though

shop-teacher > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/07/2015 at 23:48

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Sounds like axle wrap/axle hop. It happens with leaf sprung rear-ends in certain conditions. I'm guessing in your case the wheels were spinning on ice, and then suddenly they "bit" some traction. That loads up the leaf spring and twists it a bit, and then snaps back.

The good news is nothing is really wrong or broken, it just happens some times. My Sierra does it occasionally, my old '98 S-10 used to do it a lot more. If you care to learn more, hit the googles.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > shop-teacher 01/07/2015 at 23:55

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My truck is the first vehicle that Ive driven with leaf springs, with drum brakes, with an OHV engine and with a manual. This thing is teaching me alot I would have never known had I bought a newer car

Logansteno: Bought a VW? > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/07/2015 at 23:59

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What shop-teacher said, my Safari did it a couple times today as well. Leaf springs FTW.

shop-teacher > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/07/2015 at 23:59

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Yep, lots to learn! That particular one is a ... uhhh ... "quirk" of leaf springs.

Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 00:00

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yeah, I meant diff, my mind is still nuts. could it be axle tramp?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > shop-teacher 01/08/2015 at 00:01

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That explains why I only felt it in the rear. I have coils up front

shop-teacher > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 00:04

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You would have only felt it in the rear anyways, because it's the power being applied to the leaf springs that wraps them up. The only way to have axle wrap up front, is to have a leaf sprung solid front axle and four wheel drive.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Zipppy, Mazdurp builder, Probeski owner and former ricerboy 01/08/2015 at 00:05

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It was leaf binding. No big issue. Just something Ive never experienced before

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > shop-teacher 01/08/2015 at 00:06

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Good to know.

Manwich - now Keto-Friendly > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 00:06

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"Could this be a mechanical issue with the differential and/or driveline? Or could I just have rolled over a big chunk of Ice."

Don't worry.

At worst, you rolled over a homeless person who was sleeping under your car.

And that kick back was just the moment you bifurcated them...

norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 00:11

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New trucks still have leaf springs in the rear. So if you'd purchased a new truck you still could've had it happen. I've felt it before in a 2011.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > norskracer98-ExploringTheOutback 01/08/2015 at 00:16

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Its jarring, but it doesnt seem to bother anything. Super weird

Dingers Ghost, Champion Jockey > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 06:24

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Axle hop! Exactly what shop-teacher said. Rangers love to do it. It is quite annoying and can be quite a jolt.

I own dead car brands only > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s 01/08/2015 at 10:48

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relax. Don't freak out over every little thing.

If it does something unusual more than three times and under the same conditions, then yes, you can worry a bit. Research said symptom on ranger forums, if it show up there great. If not, ask other sources such as here.

That's how I take care of car issues. My car once started and died right away. I didn't have a freak out because I tested it the next day same time same conditions and it didn't do that again until the car got totaled two years later.

Another time was when I noticed it shifting weird. Backtracked and did some research. Learned that the fluid wasn't correct. Changed it myself. All without freaking out and researching myself to see if it was a common problem

The best way to learn about cars and its peculiar qualities is to see if it repeats itself and search car-specific forums first.

Either way. It was also could be the truck being frozen to the road. My car did that yesterday