This is what happens when you remove the front leaf setup that used to be on most heavy duty truck applications and offroad type tires don't help this problem either and with lighter weighted engines now common on most trucks the problem is exacerbated a coil over shocks would definitely help.
I have the same issue with my 2022 f350 20k miles. It was scary, After i run over a pothole it pulled me to the lane next to me. I took to service and funny thing the service rep said it was the first time he heard about it. The following day he called and said there's nothing wrong with the vehicle. I know what happened isn't normal so I took it to another ford service and they knew right away what was the issue. They replaced the stabilizer at no cost and also warned me that the replacement will only last for not very long and it could happen again. True enough it happened again at 30k miles, Now, im thinking of just doing the same as what's done on this video vs asking warranty again just for them to install the same fix that only last for a short amount of time. Thank you for sharing this video!
Thank you for making this video! The undermounted cameras really helped me see what is going on, even an old widow like me. Very well put together info.
1. Slack in steering components ( including ball joints) 2. Not enough positive caster (usually after a lift or poor alignment) 3.Worn out steering stabilizer 4. Bad tire (out of balance or with broken belts inside). If you have an alignment done on an older 4x4 truck always request a little more positive caster than the manufacturer recommends if possible. The most common cause is of course wear on the front steering or suspension parts. Second most common is a lift without proper alignment, and Third most common is bad tires. Steering stabilizers can mask the problem for awhile, but rarely eliminate it forever.
My too! I was on the interstate headed home from St. Louis in my Ford 250 Van and the bearings went out on the front right wheel. Thought the wheel was going to come off! Can be scary! Great Video Tyler! Thank you so much for sharing! Stay safe and Healthy! :-)
Excellent video Tyler! Only thing more frighten than steering death wobble is when some 'ID-10-T forgets 2 secure their load & some of the load departs the vehicle in front of U on the highway,. That will cause U 2 change U R underwear quickly! Keep those videos comin' our way. 👍👏😊
Great preventative measures there, and I'm glad your at least safe now! The death wobble can be hard to recover from in some instances. Bilstein make awesome products. I'd love to do the same upgrade on my F250. Be safe out there and if there's something else wrong, I know you'll take care of it!
good job . lotsa info on u tube about the ford wobble. i had farm trucks do that while working as a mechanic . not a good feeling when it starts the shaking .. love the pup snoozing!!
I had a 96 jeep grand cherokee that did that. I literally almost 💩 myself! Scared me to death! Steering stabilizer, shocks, and a front-end alignment worked great. Sure Wish we could've seen more of Sadie!❤❤
When I owned VW Super Beetles back in the 70s when they started wobbling/shimmying the steering damper always fixed them. Would have been interesting if you'd installed just the damper and did the test.
Wow, way back in the day I had a car that would do that every so often. It wasn't every time, but enough I remember it. That would have been good to know. Now, if I encounter that same problem in the future, mine or anyone else's, I will have a mental reference point to remember. Thanks!!!
You think that's scary wait till you're behind the wheel gping 65-70 and it happens. Cant imagine how bad it is here in Tx with 80 and 85 mph speed limits
I have had the same issue with 07 F250. Only happened after changing to another tire manufacturer after the OE worn down. When the tires were changed to another manufacturer after issue occurred wobble never happened again. Not saying tires are the single issue for the wobble but, tire manufacturers have different processes building and in material of the tire. That is a heavy front end on the 250. It needs the best built ture under it. Don't overlook the tires in diagnosing the issue. Good Luck!
Hi my family had Australian shepherds cattle dogs to help with the cattle. They were the first in our area. I believe that the mother the first one we got came from Australia. This was back in the 70’s. We live near Salem Oregon.
I only have to go twenty feet from my driveway to find many large bumps, actually two miles of bumps. I owned a fleet of fords for twenty years always had front end alignment issues finally switched to over to Dodge 10 years ago and am MUCH happier with everything.
I did exactly the same things you did. The wobble is now more consistent. The tires have been balanced. Steering damper changed and Bilsteins installed. I truly think its the tires. Truck came with Toyo tires. When they wore out I put bf Goodrich tires. Once these wear out I will go back to Toyo. Driving my truck is like sitting on top of a washing machine during the spin cycle. Love my dealership but they have no clue. Supposedly they contacted Ford and Ford doesn't know. It is a machine. Really feel let down. Been a Ford guy my whole life. And I am 59.
Tyler, I figured with replacing the steering dampener an alignment would have almost been mandatory. If the death wobble has been going on a while I would definitely have the bushings checked and I would check the wheel bearings too. Great idea with the Go-Pro under the truck!
Just found this and check for the recall on the dampner you might get some money back also in the slow motion part you can see the axle and frame moving separately check the track bar end for wear. With the truck on the ground have someone move steering wheel and look at both ends of bar for movement
It will start back up, I did the same. Worked for a little while then did the track bar ball joint and bushing. That helped, I’ll be doing caster shims next. From what I’ve read these trucks came from factory with bad caster. I won’t be buying another ford I can tell you that much.
Had this problem whenever I went 65-72mph in my truck, and it turned out to be a loose tire pressure sensor that weighed 4 oz. Removed all of them and that instantly fixed it. Or just tighten the clamp if you have that older style sensor. 👍👍👍
I see your furry little girl! She is so cute!! I’m so glad that you got your truck fixed! That’s so scary!! My husband and I had a very scary instance with our suburban. We were on the turnpike and all at once there was a loud pop and our front passenger tire came flying off and kept going on the turnpike! Thank goodness there were no cars around and he was able to grab the tire before it went to the other side of the road. It was one of the scariest times in a vehicle. Y’all be safe!! 💗💗💗
Wow! I loved watching the Live PD bits as they are relatively short (maybe 20 minutes or so). They are also commonly deputies or State Police I've noticed. Recently there was one accident scene on a highway. It was early dark. There was an overturned car in the left lane and the far right lane a car was off the road with the people standing practically in the median. What had happened is CHILLING as there was three deaths (not the overturned car). The cop went there first and the man had freed himself but was upside down. He used his pocket knife to cut his seat belt off. This left him at least lying on the ground. There were a lot of police but he said that he just HIT SOMETHING in the ROAD that appeared like bad magic. He was so upset and asked if it was a person but it was dark. When EMS got there all he could say was "GET MY TOOLS! I have to work tomorrow". I felt bad for the dude because I *know* how expensive those tools are and he *does* need his tools to work. Construction to auto both. NOW comes as clip of the OTHER car off the road. Same thing about suddenly hitting something but now? Illuminating what it was? *A tire* . And then *large parts* that I don't know what. Couldn't figure out whose car as none were missing. The other car had hit some large part or another. But where the tire and parts were from was chilling. High above on the highway you could see a semi truck lit up and police. The police ran off the road to the left and it was the car who had hit that semi head on but had crashed down all that way. Talk about a tin can. The trooper walked over to the drivers seat and put his flashlight inside. He said, "He's got his eyes open but he's gone" Another cop had to say, "We can't call it." "I know."
Once you've experienced the Death Wobble...well it the last thing you want to do again. Like you I went thru all the component change outs. Each time it seemed to help for a period but it always came back. Years later I came up with a More Likely then not hypothesis....To long for this post. It was a Chevrolet one ton, 4x4 crew cab, straight axle with bud rims....Good luck Tyler. Your tires looked good but maybe rotation may help too if you've not done it recently.
My 2015 F350 is doing the same thing. A shop quoted me over $1000.00 to replace the drag link today. The truck has 140k highway miles on it but it's very clean and I have serviced it to Ford specs. I hit a pothole at 70mph and the death wobble was a eye opener and a pucker upper . I'm going to replace all worn front end parts but first I'm going to replace the shocks and steering stabilizer. Thanks for your help. Good video , looks like your living the good country life young man !
The slow mo was a nice touch. You could see the whole front axle oscillating side to side, that tells me you need a track bar or at least give it a good check by having somebody get in the pickup and turn the wheel back and forth just a little while placing your hand on the ball joint end to feel and or see any movement. Could possibly have a loose ball joint end on the drag Link also. You're spot on about the shocks and stabilizer being a bandaid 👍
Happened to my '19 f250 fx4 6.2 last week. Pretty violent shake when it happens. One of those check your shorts moments. Hit a bump at 65 and it didn't stop until the truck was down to 30. Truck always had considerable bump steer previous. Only 17K on odometer currently and truck is babied. No offroad. Had wife crank wheel back and forth while I was under it and saw a bad ball joint at the pitman arm and a couple of other points. Took it to the dealership and they replaced the dampener under the "customer satasfaction" program (lawyer speak for not an official recall), replaced the entire drag link assembly and joints, alignment, and tire rotation. The truck was one week beyond the 3 year factory warranty and I would have been stuck with the bill but I had bought the Ford extended warranty on the truck so I only had to pay the $100 deductible and $20 for rotating the tires. Truck seems better but only time will tell. I can tell the replacement dampener is stronger with less bump steer. If it happens again I'll try the caster shims that others recommend.
Have a 2016 that started the same thing last month I went through the Damper, Shocks tire rotation and balance. It lasted about 3 days until it reared its ugly head again. Just ordered new Drag Ling and all Ball Joints as well as Tire Rod Ends in hopes this is the game changer.
Have a 2013 F250 Diesel 4x4 with about 84k on it now...have never had this issue. Replaced all stock shocks with Bilstein shocks at about 50k miles. Thinking I should now replace the steering stabilizer, but again have not yet had this issue. Thanks for the video.
I had a 2006 F250 super duty with only 120k miles on it that was a diesel that had the death wobble. Ford's fix for it was to send me a letter saying to slow down and mash on the brakes. I finally sold that POS because it also had major engine problems as well for the entire life of the truck. I bought a 6.2L 2019 F250 new because I wanted a reliable vehicle to travel across states with my family and dog. Just happened to me 3 days ago with everyone in the truck and it was much more violent than what your video was. Luckily I had a place to pull over on a two lane road outside of Williams and was lucky I did not get in a head on. Pretty upset with Ford as they knowingly sell these trucks with existing issues that are dangerous. Called Ford Motor Company and the lady acted as if she did not know anything about the Death Wobble and said to take it to the dealer. I expect nothing to happen. I am in Nevada City and almost neighbors, thanks for the excellent Video and wondering about any updates if you had to replace more on the front end. Thanks again, Subscribed !
Good video. I’ve got 4 newer power strokes (2011 to 2020) that pull goosenecks delivering product under contract. This has been a problem on three, but not the 2020. I’ve also had some delivery trucks (power strokes) that did it that I’ve sold. The number 1 problem I’ve found was front tire wear. Looks like you made it way better but I found new tires really made a difference too. Either way we all agree $50k to $80k trucks should NOT do it period......
I've been wanting to ask if you had the wobble yet. I have a 2015 F250 and I've been chasing front end issues like that. 3 steering dampers, track bar, track bar bushings, 1 tie rod end, shocks, new tires, 2 alignments with 1 set of caster bushings, and it doesn't death wobble, but now the drag link is shot, and I'm planning on installing ("the band aid") dual steering stabilizers because of "bump steering" that makes it feel like it's going to go into orbit! I wish Ford would pull there head outta their a$$ and acknowledge that they have a severe problem. And to add insult to injury, the wiring that controls the alternator is corroded. So there's a pile more unnecessary work to be done. Take care.
I couldn’t help watching the puppy play in the first part of the video!🙂 My car did the death wobble not long ago & I took it straight to the shop where a guy I know was able to fix it. That scared me to death when my car did that.😳🚗💵
After my 2nd year of owning my used F350 I got the DEATH WOBBLE. New tie rods,new drag link bar, new track bar ball joint, new track bra bushing, front end alignment, new shocks, new steering stabilizer shock and still have the DW! Ball joints seem to be good and wheel bearing seems fine the only thing I have left, STEERING BOX! Think I’m gonna yank this sucker out and drop a new redhead in it unless someone stops me with another fix. Oh and my caster are fine, had a shop look at my alignment reading
Check the track bar for play ball joints, tie rod ends and shocks, check wheel to make sure you haven't thrown a weight. I changed the a bunch of parts on my truck and couldn't completely get rid of the lateral shimmy till I replaced the tires.
This problem is now an Official Recal from Ford so you can get this fixed. The recall is for the "steering linkage damper" field service action number 20N04. So you nailed it on the problem! I think your solution is the way to go even though I think Ford should chip in on the cost, but that will never happen!
That`s why there are brake and front end specialists. The key to understanding the problem is in what all the steering linkage connects to. It`s called an integral power steering gear.
My DW story... I have a 93 Grand Cherokee. At around 30,000, it started the death wobble. I have a car lift and have done my own mechanic work all my life. So I figured I have this. Up it went and I did everything I have done to hundreds of vehicles for years to check all suspension and front drivetrain. Everything seemed tight and unworn. My wife's dad bought the Jeep new and passed shortly after. Her mother drove the jeep to the store and back till she passed and we inherited it. I know the thing was not put in four wheel drive very many times in it's life. So basically what I am saying is the Jeep was just like new when we got it with less than 20,000 miles. Back to the story of dw. I couldn't find anything wrong so I took it to an alignment shop that I have used for years and have always had good service from them. They couldn't find anything wrong so we drove it up the road. At 45 mph it went into the dw. The guy said he had never seen anything like this. He checked everything and did an alignment on it and it still, dw... After several attempts, he said he determined the track bar was the problem. $180. later he said it was fixed. I picked it up and on the way home it was still wobbling. Went right back and got my money back and found another shop. Same thing, not a clue what caused it but said I needed to replace all my bushings and tie rods. I asked why and they said they were all worn enough that they were all causing the problem. I didn't buy it. Now if I would go from 40 to 60 under heavy throttle, I could get past the wobble and it would run all day. But between 45 and 60 it would almost always wobble and violently!!! Eventually I replaced every part that can be replaced including tires twice because they would wear out fast. 4 or 5 shops tried to fix it and no one knew what to do. After putting up with the problem for several years and spending probably $2,000, I was thinking about what was going on when it was wobbling. I had even stuck my head out the window to watch the tire. What I decided was the toe in was causing the problem. I know it was aligned to specs at least 5 times but something was still not right! I got my tape measure out and a couple of pieces of angle iron and set the toe in to less than 1/8th of an inch. It was over 3/8ths when I first checked it. It has now been over 100,000 miles later and never once have I experienced the DW! I figured out the geometry of these suspensions cause this problem when they get to a certain harmonics. With the toe in adjusted in too far, the left tire will try to go right at a certain harmonic and when it gives in to traction making it slip, then the right tire will be trying to go left and at just the right harmonics the fight for traction gets to be more than the tires can support and they begin fighting and they start the wobble. Don't know if this is a good explanation, but when I took almost all the toe in out of my alignment, it fixed the problem. Even with 31 inch tires the wobble never came back. I now have over 160,000 and it runs and drives like a new one.... Almost.... lol...
I had this issue. 2012 F-250 which got progressively worse. it was scary when it got bad enough that i took it in. the funny thing is the ford maintenance greeter tried to convince me that it was a bad pothole in the road and there was nothing that could be done for those. silly weasel. this is a serious design flaw and safety concern that should be a ford recall. if this would've happened with my family in the truck towing a fifth wheel, could've been a bad situation. great video. thanks!!
You'd think by now they'd have at least redesigned the suspension when the new 2017 model came out but they didn't. Says alot about how much they care about the consumer, but hey, I guess if the fleet sales are still strong they don't really have much incentive to fix it do they. 2020s still have this problem.
Farmer Tyler Ranch - I have bought several new F-150's FX4 with all having this same issue right from the start. When I go over some Rail Road Tracks or bumps it feels like my truck goes sideways. At times it can be real scary. My wife hates it. I don't know why or where it is coming from on mine. I thought it was the rear end. When I said anything to the Dealer they just said it is a heavy duty suspension...
Mine ended up being the traction bar. That is the bar that is slanted behind the drag link, From Frame to Axle. Went with the Tracanator from Baja Customs. Gets rid of factory ball joint.
The shocks have mask the issue that will recur as parts wear more. There are loose bushings in the front end - most likely will be slop in the lower ball joints but could be other parts also.
Nice fix for the "Death Wobble". If haven't already, check the rod ends on the tie rods & the wheel bearings. Good luck with it. The new pup looks to be doing really good. Stay safe.
I’ve got a 15 super duty. Same problem , I replaced shocks and stabilizer shocks also. You have to replace the light duty stock track bar with a heavy duty adjustable track bar . 100 percent fix .
Yes the steering stabilizer is the issue Dodge had this issue years ago I replaced hundreds of them. Better get your Alignment checked by your local trusted shop.
In North and South Carolina they call it the death wobble in all the new large Ford's and Chevy trucks! There's even class action suits because of it . You fixed yours quickly, I wonder why these others aren't bring fixed so quickly!
I have a superduty with high mileage . I rebuild the front end every 70,000 miles . The ride height is critical and worn or weak springs change the geometry . Lower ball joints are tight when rolling but once weight is off on a bump if the lower socket is loose then it will wobble on bumps . So I change everything fresh each time so I dont have to do it as each parts wears out . New shocks, springs, balljoints, tierods, wheel bearings ect
There is probably more suspension problems. I would check all the bushings, control arm, etc. maybe check front parts with a go pro also. Is that stabalizer like a tie rod end with a shock?
Got a 2019 F250 and at about 9500 miles and about 2 weeks ago I got my introduction to the death wobble. I was in the hammer lane doing about 75mph and went over a overpass and as soon as I started over it there was a bump in transition to roadway to bridge and it started. I thought I might have had a flat at first but everyone I was passing saw it and slowed down and let me over to the emergency lane . Then about 150 miles later it did it again. Almost turned around and went home. On way to funeral for my mom who passed. After calling the dealership they told me about the service bulletin and have me scheduled for November 22 to do fix. I hear its a band aid and may do it again. If it does I have also contacted a 4x4 off road shop to upgrade everything at the tune of 2700.00 which will also include all shocks on the truck to Bilstiens and a new front stearing damper by icon. Told me I was going overboard but I told him if it makes it do it never does it again it's money well spent.
driving a loaded down f250 with toy hauler (5th Wheel) i found it would lighten up the front end causing it to happen. After air bags and leveling it out it stopped. only happened when towing
Glad I found out about this issue. I'm in the market for a 2015 or 2016 superduty. I guess I'll keep my current truck until a permanent solution is found.
we have this issue on all our ford fleet trucks. 2014-2016 250s and 350s short and long beds. replacing both front tires fixes the issue. after about 4-6 months when the tires are worn down to about half it starts happening again more and more frequently. our solution is putting the front tires on the back and putting new tires on the front.
I had the same thing and my dealer continued to work on it until they found that the caster could be set all the way back. That fixed it but later I had the front end aligned and it was back. Took it in again and believe it or not Ford had come out with a part fix. They were being used up so I had to wait several days to get one from out of state. Now the truck feels like a new one. This should have never happen to start with but I guess enough law suites were filed.
Hi Jerry. Did they happen to mark down a kit# or part# on your paperwork of the part they used to ultimately fix it? I'd like to look into that. Thanks!
Mine came from the factory with 0.4 caster brand new Hankook tires not cheap ones 400 00 per tire,put 3.5 positive caster shims in no more wobble,there was no problem with the wooble until manufacturers put in non adjustable caster bushings
Good morning, just found this video as my 2010 started doing this n the last few weeks. Was curious if u had any more info or if shocks and stabilizer fixed it? I'm just north n Wheatland area, thanx 4 ur time.
I've heard about that, does is shake side to side? My Silverado used to bounce up and down like crazy doing above 45 after hitting a bump and wouldn't stop until you got down to around 30-35. I thought the front suspension was just going to break. I put new shocks on and that helped a little but when I replaced the front tires I never had the issue again. Truck wasn't needing an alignment either, just the craziest thing I've ever felt.
I have the same problem with my 2019 King Ranch. 1st time I brought it in the dealer said it is simple my lane indicator. I told them, i know how the lane indicator feels and keeping it in my lane when it wobbles is for from that. I then video the steering wobbling and now they are changing the stabilizer. I hope this works!!!!!
Brother if your problem persists check out the powerstrokehelp channel, the guy shows and talks a lot about correcting the issue and seems pretty knowledgeable about it, also shows videos of driving after the fixes. I hope my 19 never develops it and yours got fixed but it's always good to be informed about likely fixes.
