20 replies to this topic

[BigRanchInSky]

I should have posted this nearer to Halloween, it's that scary...

 

I encountered the Ford F250 Death Wobble phenomenon on the highway this past fall. We have a 2019 Hawk on our crew cab F250 and I was doing about 70-72.

 

It was on a stretch of southbound highway in Lehi, Utah that was pretty new, but it has these strange indentations on the roadway that are evenly spaced. They look like small, engraved rough patches the are small, 5" x 24" is my estimate, spaced two per lane every 20 feet. I remember that a year earlier going in the northbound lanes in the exact same area that I also experienced a pretty big wobble, but I was not going as fast, AND I was able to get over into a right hand lane/offramp almost immediately.

 

I only use the truck to camp with camper on it, it stays in storage otherwise, so it only has 22K miles on it, bought it brand new in 2019. I had never heard of this until I started hunting around to read about this aspect of the Ford F-series.

 

It starts with a a vibration and proceeded to get to a mammoth sized oscillation that was pretty violent. I had to do an emergency slow-down into the lefthand shoulder lane (I obviously no other choice in busy traffic). We had to come to a complete stop to end it. It was LOUD. It shook HARD.

 

Needless to say me wife was freaked out, as was I, and are two dogs were also mortified. I quickly found my way back into traffic and we got off and checked the camper connections, all were in perfect shape. So we went on camping, but I was/am scared to go over 70. 

 

I need to check the mount holes to make sure there are no sheared rips, bulges or deformations, but the original installation included giant aluminum plates under the bed attachement zones, so they wouldn't be able to go back into place if they were sheared thru.

 

Anyway, I was really stoked about the F250, but now I'm thinking that I'd like to with to a get chevy. I'm very happy to be alive and do not want to ever have that happen again.

 

Ideas, thoughts and comments appreciated. 

Edited by BigRanchInSky, 12 November 2022 - 06:23 PM.

[Jon R]

I suspect your mounts will be fine but a full inspection is wise. The experience of two of my neighbors with their fairly new F350s and what I have read about this caused me to rule out buying the Ford HD truck. Please report your event to NHTSA. Eventually when enough safety related events are reported they react.

Edited by Jon R, 12 November 2022 - 06:55 PM.

[heinphoto]

This happened to a good friend of ours with a 2020 F350 and a flatbed Hawk camper and it does sound terrifying. They took it to the dealer afterwards and they replaced some front end parts.  They haven't had a re-occurance yet, but it hasn't been long.  We also have a 2020 F350 (but gas instead of the diesel engine), so we are trying to keep an eye on possible fixes or things you might do proactively to prevent it.  If you go to the 2017+ SuperDuty section of the "Ford Truck Enthusiasts" site and search "Death Wobble" you will find a lot of discussions on this topic.  Lots of speculation about the causes - everything from worn or loose front end components, to tire inflation, alignment, shocks, etc., but unfortunately, it doesn't sound like there is a "magic bullet" to fix or prevent it.  

 

https://www.ford-tru...orums/forum279/

 

I second the suggestion to file a complaiint with the NHTSA.

Edited by heinphoto, 12 November 2022 - 07:06 PM.

[Vic Harder]

Anyway, I was really stoked about the F250, but now I'm thinking that I'd like to with to a get chevy. I'm very happy to be alive and do not want to ever have that happen again.

 

Ideas, thoughts and comments appreciated. 

 

Yup, I avoided Fords for this reason too.  Here are some more thoughts:

What You Should Know About the Ford Super Duty Death Wobble (motorbiscuit.com)

The Ford Super Duty "Death Wobble" - TheLemonFirm.com

Ford now offering repair for the so-called ‘death wobble’ – WSOC TV

 

And possible solutions

How To Stop Ford Super Duty Death Wobble FOREVER - YouTube

 

Has the truck been lifted at all?  I understand that may reduce the caster angle, and that has been discussed as a possible problem, even with stock trucks, and that increasing caster can help.

 

I hope this helps.

[Jon R]

From what I’ve read the root cause is insufficient caster in the basic design and the setup specifications. A properly configured front end doesn’t go unstable just because steering joints develop some play. Some people have chosen to increase the caster outside of the Ford spec range, but the adjustment capability is limited.

Edited by Jon R, 13 November 2022 - 03:49 AM.

[Machinebuilder]

Death wobble is something any solid axle truck can develop.

 

I have read many of the threads on FTE and know of many in the jeep world that have delt with it.

 

On FTE a common theme is owners put a "Leveling kit" on the truck. this leads to the inadequate castor.

 

Castor is the backward lean of the steering pivot, the less castor the quicker the steering more castor the slower the steering and more stable.

 

I found this with Google, it seems better than much of what is on the internet

 

https://oneupoffroad.com/death-wobble/

 

https://oneupoffroad...specifications/

[bajaphile]

Yep, I was going to say you may want to add a few degrees of caster to the front axle. 

 

I would be shocked if the ball joints, tie rod ends or anything else in the steering would be worn out that quickly. 

 

is there any lift on the truck? 

[Mighty Dodge Ram]

I believe Machinebuilder is spot on.  I chased this issue in my ‘96 1/2-ton Dodge…yes, solid axles were found in several generations of this sized vehicle. And yes, it began when I tried to give the truck a minor lift and larger tires and wheels. I tried longer control arms, beefier track bar, rebuilt steering box, etc. It’s the reason I’ve come to the conclusion that the millions of dollars automakers spend on research and engineering shouldn’t be changed, within reason. I do run slightly larger tires on my current Chevy.

 

You don’t mention whether the truck is lifted but I agree that all solid axle front ends have the potential for death wobble, especially at speed. Good luck in your search for a fix. I was equally upset as you when I first experienced the wobble!

[BigRanchInSky]

Thank you, all these are great responses and I'll need to go through them all. Sincerely, Thank you all!

 

edit: No, my F250 is 100% stock, no lifts or other modifications.

edit: reported to NHTSA.

edit: no air bags, no spring lifts

Edited by BigRanchInSky, 16 November 2022 - 10:51 PM.

[pvstoy]

Just throwing out a thought.?.. do you have air bags or spring lift in the rear?

I ask because could this change the weight distribution on the front axle? Front nose up could change angles and at 70 mph hit the right bump to start osalation.