The point is, which individual part caused it? If you have a bad injector, replacing the entire engine assembly will fix it. If a bushing is worn, shouldn't you replace that bushing instead of the entire front steering assembly? We've been provided with enough training to adequately diagnose these problems. Death wobble can be caused by numerous things (I've even seen cross member rivets worn allowing frame movement). I know it fixed your problem, but I also understand Ford's point in this.

 

Tires are 99% of the time the instigator for death wobble. What you experience during death wobble is resonant oscillation which is allowed by worn or otherwise sloppy parts, anything with a joint basically. It's fairly common that the track bar and control arms are involved, as someone noted earlier. Tie rod and drag link can be a part of the problem as well. The steering stabilizer helps mask some of this behavior and helps reduce the rate of wear on the components that would otherwise take the entirety of the force. A strong enough stabilizer will actually "cure" death wobble entirely until the stabilizer itself starts to wear out usually much more quickly than normal--if no other worn components were replaced, it's now responsible for all handling all forces. Components don't need to be flopping around in your hand like a dead squirrel when you check them, by the way, to be beyond spec. Your tires put a whole lot more force on them than your hands do, even just pulling into a parking spot.

That said, if you have balance issues or the possible but very rare actual out-of-round tire problems, and replacing the tires or repairing the balance issue seems to have prevented any further occurrence of a death wobble, you're probably fine for a long time. Even new and perfectly in-spec parts can't always rein in a perfect storm of balance problems and road obstacles coming together in the right way at the right time.

 

Well, our 2012 dually crewcab diesel FX4 (about to turn 60k miles) has had this issue coming on slightly on occasion,certain bumps as others described. So before a long annual trip south towing our 38' 5th wheel I changed the steering stabilizer to a Rancho, just to be safe as we were broke down for multiple days on our last trip home w/ the injector clamp issues.

Four hours in on I 287 in NY it hit so bad around 65 mph that you would swear the wheels were falling off. Hard braking and slowing to about 30 mph and it would stop. This persisted. Under 50 mph it wouldn't do it. The shake is violent and unsafe, Ford should be ashamed for always burying their head in the sand.

I'm a fanatic with maintenance so I knew everything was tight as I checked it myself. My tires are worn but not worn out. I checked front tire pressure as that's Fords blame to everything, it had rose from 75 psi (cold) to 80 psi (35* day). I dropped it to 75 psi. I have Airlift air bags and I began to drop those from 75 psi, now @ 40 psi riding partially on the helpers. Rear tires are @ 65 psi. I actually stopped once and removed the new stabilizer to make sure it wasn't defective (when you have a F350 you always carry a complete set of tools), it was fine.

By the end of the day after my adjustments, heading south (I 88 to I 81 Rough as *&%$, as long as I kept it above 70 mph (yeah scary) when i hit a bad crack or bridge seam it would start to shake but come out of it. DAY #2, no violent shakes, running @ 70-80 mph.

It feels to me like it starts with a wheel hop (vertical, shocks), then becomes a shake (worn parts). Terminology may be wrong, feels to that the control rod (one w/ the stabilizer on it) from the pitman arm (steering boxend ) to the steering linkage has very loose joints. I can easily roll it up and down.

I too have the extended warranty (learned from my 6.4!). Thinking my plan of attack will be new shocks, if I don't do them Ford will and charge me double. Then if the problem still exist bring it to a dealer. At least I can do the shocks on the road and not wait for a truck tech @ a dealership.

Starting to think....Dodge (or RAM for that matter) isn't a 4 letter word!

BTW, I've owned a LOT of trucks, My 88 GMC 3500 4x4 dually flatbed and 1983 Jeep j20 both had this issue, both leaf spring solid axle trucks, steering stabilizer was the cure.

 

I have never had a problem up to now (54,727 miles) with a dual steering stabilizer system.

 

The stabilizer is a "dampener" to the problem and is needed for normal road feedback. If you don't have a "severe problem" it will control it and a bad one will cause it. Fact is, if you have a stock single stabilizer for 50k + miles and a problem arises, installing a new one (single) should resolve it if there's no other issues.

 

Do yourself a favor and do a search on any Ram forum for "death wobble" and see if you turn up any results. Also, check out the threads on the latest recall about defective welds on the track bar brackets.

 

As I stated on the other forum you posted this on. Ram/Dodge have this same issue. Anything that has a solid from axle can have the wobble. Only way would be to either go to a 2WD or GM/Chevy which don't have solid front axles.
Need to check for worn parts and get an alignment and set the caster to 3-5* positive. Steering stabilizer will only mask the issue.

 

I believe that even the 2wd Ram has a solid front axle.

 

Yes, they do.

 

My comment in regards to "Ford" is based on horrific experiences over the past 10+ years. My reason for staying with them is their truck IS the best one when it's not broken down or having a problem.

Generally speaking, the service departments are bad to say the least. Most of the actual repairs have been made from researching the forums (usually when broken down in a parking lot, i.e. injector clamp failures 3 times before they replaced all of them) and "telling" them what to look for and where to find it. I think other here will understand the frustration.

 

DW* is NOT an option on front wheeled vehicle, it is original equipment, you just won't find it in the "Options available" from any manuf!

1) The basics: Lateral reciprocal and uncontrolled movement of the front wheels as a result of uneven road input (pothole, railroad tracks, bridge expansion strips etc.

2) Steering stabilizer(s): I run 1 and only 1 because you don't need more than 1. I have seen guys add as many as 4. SS will NOT cure DW, what it does is to absorb the very small lateral movements, the more SS you have the more they absorb, sadly you are only delaying the inevitable sooner or later you steering and axle locating components will wear to the point that even 20 SS will not absorb the lateral movement and DW arrives full force.

3) Cause(s): ANY component(s) singularly or in concert can and will cause DW. Especially the Track bar which locates the axles under the vehicle, so will worn shocks, worn steering components especially those in the steering tie rod, ball joints...if it hangs underneath the front frame then its on the list, simple as that.

4) Fix (s): There is no long term fix due to continued component wear. 1) At the first sign of DW MY first step is to replace the SS and 2) either the axle locating Track bar itself or the bushings if they are the press in and 3) inspect all other bushings. NOTE: Misalignment and or tire pressure can be a cause. As part of your regular inspections you should always insure your vehicle is aligned to specs ( unless you have a modified vehicle such as larger tires etc, then your specs must be adjusted to compensate ) and you run the spec tire pressure and are balanced!!!!!

If after doing that you still have DW then I go straight to the ball joints and inspect for worn front shocks.

When I had my shop DW was a common problem especially on Jeep TJ's (97-'06). I never once failed to fix the problem on a customers vehicle.


* Got front wheels, you too can expect DW sooner or later TO INCLUDE DW on your MOTORCYCLE. Want scary, be on your Harley at about 75 mph and get DW, now THAT is SCARY!!!!!!! It does NOT have to be a solid axle vehicle to get DW! Shopping carts get it, so do Corvettes and just about any car out there. But its the bane of solid axle vehicles.

 

You're 100% correct. I had a 1981 Suzuki GS 550T that experienced DW, not fun. New Metzlers cured it.

I'm thinking I'll change shocks first, road test, than bring to Ford to check for their opinion on worn parts as I have extended coverage (shocks wouldn't be covered so they will blame them first).

It's real interesting, if you dare to keep it above 75mph it won't happen. At 70 mph it tries to. After the first day, 1500 miles and 3 days @ 75-80 mph towing and no issue, , but you can tell it's there as you pass from 60 mph to 70 mph just waiting to show its ugly face .

 

Well said (typed). Sadly DW is poorly understood, but fixable. DW is simply a set of conditions that cause an oscillation. One thing that will reduce the tendency (note this is different than 'dampen' after the fact) of DW is MORE positive caster. I challenge anyone with DW to set caster to at least 5 degrees (with otherwise decent front end components) and I bet if goes away. And yes ford spec goes down to 1.x degrees.


This may be one area were a dealer/warrantee won't help you, but the issue is always solvable. You may have to take it to someplace that is willing to think and analyze, not just say everything is 'ok' (new parts, in spec)


If you don't want to buy aftermarket radius arms with added or adjustable caster, just modify your stocker arms. Not hard to do couple washers and a welder.


Good luck to those who suffer, be safe and enjoy your truck.

 

Couldn't agree more here. Not much has been said about caster besides you and 17 Oaks here. Modifying stock arms, buying new ones, caster bushings/shims, whatever route you take just get the caster above the stock value. I've been told 3-5* is where you want to be, anything below that is gonna be your worst enemy, regardless of worn parts.

Shopping carts are most notorious for this, the reason? Very negative caster, allows for very easy turning, but offers little to no stability. Ever wonder why they call them caster wheels?? This is also why when these trucks are lifted and caster is reduced even more, it likes to wander down the road. I noticed immediately that steering effort had dropped as soon as I put my leveling kit on (2.5" coils), and its even worse on rough roads, bumps, etc.

That is also why bicycles tend to be pretty darn stable, lots of positive caster. It takes more effort to turn but once straightened out will hold that line pretty well.

 

Thank you guys...I found one of the biggest issues was with those who made major mods (lift kits, bigger tires etc) and applied the same SPECS for caster and tire pressure.

You can have success with tire caster and tire pressure using OEM specs at +/- the next size up/down from the OEM tire.

As you go beyond that you get further from OEM specs.

OEM specs for '03 Rubicon TJ = +7 degrees +/- 1 degree

37 in: 5 degrees [I run 37 BFG KM2s, 36.8 in diameter tire, and 18 lbs of pressure]

35 in: 5.5 degrees

33 in: 6 degrees