Hello, Advice needed. I am in the hunt for a new pickup truck. The idea of the aluminum bodied Ford F250 appeals to me. Test drove one last weekend. I like it. A lot more truck than my ancient GMC Sierra 1500. While sniffing around online I have come across this problem with the front end that results in what is being referred to as a "death wobble" on this model. Class action lawsuits, complaints galore.......Thus far no formal recall or service bulletins having been issued. I wondered if anyone here has had any experience with this issue and/or whether I might be better off looking at another brand. Thank you.
FORD DEATH WOBBLE
- Thread starter JimmyJazz
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I had an older model (2006) for 8 1/2 years and never experienced it. But, if you think you might, add a dual front stabilizer kit for off roading. It will slow down the oscillation and was the fix years ago for other vehicles with straight front axles.
motionclone
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Ive had it on 2 of the 3 superduties ive had. It happened when the front track bar or steering damper was worn which was every couple years due to plowing/working the truck.
The death wobble was activated by a high speed gentle left turn that you hit a bump in. like highway speed going over an overpass expansion joint or pothole.
Can be scary. but you can stop it by braking quickly.
Ford should have fixed the issue long ago. The stealership service manager i bought my last superduty from said they had never heard of the problem before..lol
The death wobble was activated by a high speed gentle left turn that you hit a bump in. like highway speed going over an overpass expansion joint or pothole.
Can be scary. but you can stop it by braking quickly.
Ford should have fixed the issue long ago. The stealership service manager i bought my last superduty from said they had never heard of the problem before..lol
Lil Foot
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Must be something on newer superduties. My 03 F350 has 205K, and I know 7 others who own '03-'09 F250s, and none of us has experienced this.
I have a 2020 F250 and love it. However, I have had the truck lose some steering control if I hit some pot holes or washboard in a turn at speed. It seems to recover pretty quickly, but it certainly gets your attention. I'll probably look at some front end mods after I run out the warranty.
I'm not sure about the newer models, I have fixed the issue on my own super duty, and several friends trucks 15 yrs ago,
You replace the "Track bar bushing" it's a simple job, can be done in under an hour with a hammer and basic tools.
I will say this, when it first happened to me going down the highway, talk about pucker factor.
Bob M
You replace the "Track bar bushing" it's a simple job, can be done in under an hour with a hammer and basic tools.
I will say this, when it first happened to me going down the highway, talk about pucker factor.
Bob M
je1279
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I'm familiar with the death wobble on Jeeps and what's mentioned above are the areas to inspect/replace on those also. Sounds like a similar problematic design on the Super Duties.
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I hear you. I also have an old F450 that's never had a steering problem. Who wants to shell out close to $50,000 for a potential Lemmon ? Cant decide. You might understand if they had just started making trucks. Thanks.
have a '21 F250 Platinum with 6.7, absolutely love this truck, and it makes me smile every time I pull with it.
Ive seen reports of DW pop up on the ford truck forum, they always seem to get resolved.
paging @NHSleddog
Ive seen reports of DW pop up on the ford truck forum, they always seem to get resolved.
paging @NHSleddog
My last two were F350's, before that F250's.
Most miles put on my trucks is towing in NH. I have never experienced this that I know of.
Most miles put on my trucks is towing in NH. I have never experienced this that I know of.
That’s a really sharp truck!have a '21 F250 Platinum with 6.7, absolutely love this truck, and it makes me smile every time I pull with it.
Ive seen reports of DW pop up on the ford truck forum, they always seem to get resolved.
paging @NHSleddog
GreensvilleJay
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don't try to carry your toolbox in the back of a 2 week old F150... Ford will NOT repair the HOLES in the 'aircraft grade ' aluminum box.. and they won't take the truck back either...
Does Ford give any spec's on how boxes should be mounted? Details? Was it a cross box or floor mounted chest? If it was bolted to the bed, was it just bolted through the aluminum or did it have backer bars or load plates?
I certainly would think bolting a box to an aluminum bed floor would require some additional precautions.
On my F250, I was a little leery of the aluminum bed, so I had a good quality spray in liner put in as a precaution.
I live in NH and drive New England roads, so rust is a constant issue with vehicles up here.
My buddy said after picking up the new truck, "If you drop a 100lb toolbox a certain way into your aluminum bed it will dent and cut into it."
To him I replied "yeah, that is true, but in 20 years I still won't have the rust you have on your truck now. Your truck in 20 years will be dissolved into the rusty recycle bin and I will have a dent in the bed of my truck".
Honestly, so far I have been impressed. I have some heavy auger bits that will roll around from time to time and they don't seem to be any harder on this truck than they did the previous 2005 F350 (all metal bed/body)
I had one, shop truck (18 250)
chevy guys will always give you a hard time about aluminum but it's not any different than steel other than it doesn't rust. It's quieter interior too for some reason, perhaps the frequency of vibration is different between the steel body and aluminum? Dunno. GM has said that they're gonna go to aluminum at some point too. Why not, it works.
I like the F250.
Death wobble is a thing of the past. I have a 2003, 230,000 miles and have never ever experienced it. I also have a 95 F250 with over 300K and have never experienced it, but it's 2wd (03 is 4wd)-and the 95 also doesn't have a straight front axle. It is twin i beam. Rides better than the 03 by far but has about half the power (who cares, it's still slow!). Actually I don't know a single person personally that has experienced any death wobble, ever, and I know many who own/drive the same truck as I. My brother is one of them (his is a 2001, same as mine, crew cab 7.3 but his is a 6 speed manual which I wish I had). I think it was an internet thing where a couple people had it happen and of course the internet blew it out of proportion.
There is only one reason I haven't bought a new F250. Price. I refuse to pay more for a pickup than I paid for my house, and lose my butt the day I decide I don't want it anymore. Ain't going to do it. I keep stuff too long and pay it off so that's a very real possibility.
chevy guys will always give you a hard time about aluminum but it's not any different than steel other than it doesn't rust. It's quieter interior too for some reason, perhaps the frequency of vibration is different between the steel body and aluminum? Dunno. GM has said that they're gonna go to aluminum at some point too. Why not, it works.
I like the F250.
Death wobble is a thing of the past. I have a 2003, 230,000 miles and have never ever experienced it. I also have a 95 F250 with over 300K and have never experienced it, but it's 2wd (03 is 4wd)-and the 95 also doesn't have a straight front axle. It is twin i beam. Rides better than the 03 by far but has about half the power (who cares, it's still slow!). Actually I don't know a single person personally that has experienced any death wobble, ever, and I know many who own/drive the same truck as I. My brother is one of them (his is a 2001, same as mine, crew cab 7.3 but his is a 6 speed manual which I wish I had). I think it was an internet thing where a couple people had it happen and of course the internet blew it out of proportion.
There is only one reason I haven't bought a new F250. Price. I refuse to pay more for a pickup than I paid for my house, and lose my butt the day I decide I don't want it anymore. Ain't going to do it. I keep stuff too long and pay it off so that's a very real possibility.
Lugbolt, do like I do and buy an off lease truck with low miles.. let the original lessor take the depreciation hit. Bought the last 3, wife's Burb, my Focus and her brother's Lincoln all off lease with the balance of the factory warranty which I extended on all 3. Her Burb stickered for close to 75 and I got it for 30. My Focus stickered for 20, I got it for 11 and the Lincoln stickered for 45 and I got it for 20.
I have to say, that Focus is really shaping up to be the deal of the day with gas prices going north quickly and it getting 40 mpg. Burb cannot pass a filling station and don't know about the Lincoln, I don't drive it.
Told the wife, you want to drive it, you fill it. Takes close to 70 bucks to fill it now. Hate to think what it will cost in 6 months.
I have to say, that Focus is really shaping up to be the deal of the day with gas prices going north quickly and it getting 40 mpg. Burb cannot pass a filling station and don't know about the Lincoln, I don't drive it.
Told the wife, you want to drive it, you fill it. Takes close to 70 bucks to fill it now. Hate to think what it will cost in 6 months.