Did they ever quit making the twin I beams? My 2011 f350 at work is a regular cab 2wd dually with the 6.7 and has this suspension. It rides good and is only on its second set of tires in 100k miles.

 

pics please

 

That sounds better than the early models like my 1971. That was half ton which I treated like a 3/4 ton at times. I am sure that had some effect on the front springs but I also feel components on that truck were somewhat undersized compared to the trucks Ford built back in the 60's which were substantially more bulletproof. This truck had rust holes through the door and fenders before I was finished with the 36 month payment book. New family and not much coming in made everything wrong on this vehicle twice as burdensome as it might have been otherwise. But still no excuse for the problems. Next truck was a 1976 Econoline 150 and that truck drove and handled well with the twins but still needed front springs at 75K miles to get the camber correct. A friend at the HD frame and axle shop nearby offered to bend the I beams which they did for customers regularly to solve the inability to adjust camber with mildly worn springs. Moog had an aftermarket spring which featured different spring rates which gave a better ride empty and better supported a full load. They were great.

 

Twin I has been on the 2wd SD trucks continuously. I'm having a customer come back in on his E series because they body company forgot to realign after installing the body. I have it on my '79 F250.

 

Yeah I dont think it ever left. It has been on the 2WD SD trucks since 99 as far as I know.

 

I had it on my '13 F250. I hated it on my first Ford truck in '79 and hated it on the '13. They seem to wander all over the road and the steering feels loose

 

My '71 felt that way too until I found a good frame and alignment shop who tuned the front end the way they thought it should be. It was great for a few years until the springs started to sag, then the wander come back. New springs and it was back good again. I might add the next calamity was the wearing out of the king pin bushings, and difficult repair for a young shade tree mechanic.

 

The last 2 wd truck I drove was a 2006 Silverado 3500 dually. We jumped into an f250 4x4 in 2008 and celebrate our newfound ability to have tires wear evenly and last 50,000 miles every day. That stupid Chevy would eat front suspension parts and tires every 30,000 miles. Buying new steer tires and ball joints twice/year got old real fast.

I don't know much, but I do know first hand that I will never use a truck with independent front suspension again. 2 or 4 wheel drive.

 

I will say again that my friend in the driveline and suspension component business considered GM their bread and butter. People would come looking for relief after 2 or 3 GM warranted repairs and choose to pay for better parts rather than another breakdown or failure.

 

I see a lot more front end trouble in Fords than I do in 2011-up GM HD's. Before 2011, it was the other way around.

Ford needs to ditch those non-greaseable plastic ball joints, your lucky if you get more than 50,000 miles out of them.

 

Where are you from? Around here its still more GM's in the shop for Tie Rods and Pitman arms..

 

These days Los Angeles. Work for a large fleet, replaced loads of tie rods (many bent) on the older GM's. Not seeing any trouble on the newer ones.