66glide Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I'd like opinions on this 2012 F250 SD. It has an intermittent steering "death wobble". It has 90,000 km and only recently started doing it. It is very random and there is no specific circumstance that will start the wobble. The steering stabilizer is good (pulled it off and stroke tested it). The F/E is ok. The customer recently had it at the dealer and they removed any aftermarket "levelling" kits etc. and did an alignment. The concern happened again on the way home. The front axle shaft U-joints are not seized. Tires and wheels were swapped with no cure.This appears to be a common problem without a definite known cause. This is the second one I've seen...any opinions on where to go from here? It is bad scary when it does it...not just a minor "nibble". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RyanG Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 Track bar bushing and ball joint? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybullitt Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 Definitely check track bar joint and bushing. Have some one rock the steering while u watch. Aftermarket rims tires? Tires worn out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 Definitely check track bar joint and bushing. Have some one rock the steering while u watch. Aftermarket rims tires? Tires worn out? Thank you so far, folks. There is SLIGHT movement in the track bar ball joint and bushing when rocking the wheel. Factory spec says .040" up and down...this is about .019". In any event, I replaced both in the last F250 that had far more wear and the concern still existed. I'm trying to cover my ass. Likely I will ask the customer if he is willing to replace ball joint and bushing knowing that I will not guarantee them as a definite cause... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bruce Amacker Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I'd change the steering stabilizer even though it feels good. Is it OE or has it been changed? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 10, 2017 Author Share Posted April 10, 2017 I'd change the steering stabilizer even though it feels good. Is it OE or has it been changed? OE. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KDS Posted April 10, 2017 Share Posted April 10, 2017 I would double check the caster angle. Too much negative can cause this. How does it steer? Does the wheel seem "heavy". Does it return to center after a turn without too much effort? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Saunoras Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 The caster in my 15 F-250 was bare minimum from the factory and with the OEM LT275/70R18 tires my front end felt way more death wobbly than my 06 . I was quite disgusted by this. Then when I added the 1.5" leveling kit my death wobble got really bad. Mind you this is on a basically brand new truck when it was happening. I added a heavier duty (read more expensive) steering stabilizer and that did basically nothing. Then I checked my alignment and was shocked to find my left caster at .7° and right caster at 1.0°. Way under the min 1.5° spec. I wound up rolling the upper balljoints back with adjustable shims to get up to 2.7° This helped a bit but with the OEM Michelins I still have more steering feedback than I'd like. Ultimately the fix was to ditch the Michelins all together. Right now I'm running load E Nitto 35s and I have no wobble whatsoever. I change a lot of trac bar balljoints and bushings, basically any time they have play I recommend them but that isn't the only thing, just one of many that can cause this. I will add one other thing. I have had 3-4 death wobble complaints caused by badly chopped unrotated BFG all terrains in the factory sizes. It's another tire that sticks out in my mind as being highly prone to causing this issue. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Bruene Posted April 11, 2017 Share Posted April 11, 2017 I usually find that it is caused by the tracbar ball joint and/or bushing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff_E Posted April 15, 2017 Share Posted April 15, 2017 I agree with checking both ends of the track bar for any play as a first step. Often times I will get this concern as a comeback after someone has already done the track bar and alignment fix to no avail. When that happens, I will make sure nothing else is loose before prescribing new front shocks and the Rancho dual steering stabilizer kit, which our local Napa keeps in stock. I realize that as a dealer tech, relying on an aftermarket fix doesn't quite feel right, but it has always worked for me. And these truck drive so much nicer after that kit is installed. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddieseldoctor Posted April 16, 2017 Share Posted April 16, 2017 I agree with checking both ends of the track bar for any play as a first step. Often times I will get this concern as a comeback after someone has already done the track bar and alignment fix to no avail. When that happens, I will make sure nothing else is loose before prescribing new front shocks and the Rancho dual steering stabilizer kit, which our local Napa keeps in stock. I realize that as a dealer tech, relying on an aftermarket fix doesn't quite feel right, but it has always worked for me. And these truck drive so much nicer after that kit is installed. I like that term.... prescribing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff_E Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 Me too, that way I can blame the pharmacist (parts guy) if that doesn't solve the problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cbriggs Posted April 17, 2017 Share Posted April 17, 2017 50% of the death wobbles i see on fords are front shock related. 25% are tires and the rest are misc. front end parts or crappy lift kits. Now dodges on the other hand.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 17, 2017 Author Share Posted April 17, 2017 Thanks, guys. I'm gonna fix the track bar first and take it from there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 20, 2017 Author Share Posted April 20, 2017 Track bar bushing and ball joint were not successful in eliminating the concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Browning Posted April 20, 2017 Share Posted April 20, 2017 Keep at it. Some trucks require multiple repairs. I have had ONE truck that I could not completely cure. Some needed a combination of things from the track bar, shocks, stabilizer and alignment. Some of the older trucks (previous body style) even got new steering wheels as per a TSB which made no sense to me as it was only the one's with the radio controls in the wheel... or was it the one's without? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybullitt Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 (edited) Does this truck have the horrible death wobble that almost breaks your arms and doesn't quit until almost stoped? Or does it have the steering oscillation that starts when going around curve little to fast that quits when wheel is straightened out? Sorry, reread original post and you already stated it. Edited April 21, 2017 by tonybullitt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tonybullitt Posted April 21, 2017 Share Posted April 21, 2017 I have a road near me with a long curve and it needs new tar I can drive any super duty to fast around curve, hit bump start some oscillation that then goes away when steering wheel is straightened out. A truck with bad death wobble u have to slow to crawl to get under control. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 24, 2017 Author Share Posted April 24, 2017 It is a very bad death wobble. I found if I lower the front tire pressures to 40 psi from the spec of 65, the concern is mostly gone. (maybe a bit of a "nibble" at best.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
forddieseldoctor Posted April 25, 2017 Share Posted April 25, 2017 It is a very bad death wobble. I found if I lower the front tire pressures to 40 psi from the spec of 65, the concern is mostly gone. (maybe a bit of a "nibble" at best.) That's cause the low tires are acting as shock asorbers and compensating for the wear. I did have a bad tire (shifted belt) that would cause some pretty severe steering wheel oscillation after certain bumps in the road on my old 97 F350. But it never shook any other time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
66glide Posted April 25, 2017 Author Share Posted April 25, 2017 Yeah. I'm at my wit's end. I pulled the front shocks and steering shock again and stroked them. Neither has any apparent problem. There is no wear anywhere in the front end. I want to know what the alignment specs are. We do not do alignments, and the customer was not provided with a printout when he had it done elsewhere. I'm bailing on this one. He is a decent customer, but is weary of spending money without some idea of a result. I can't say I blame him. $900.00 when the dealer removed his front spring spacers and aligned it, another $250.00 when I did the track bar items. (although I did tell him that I am not guaranteeing that is the fix, just that there is some "in spec" wear.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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