Ok guys, I'm a newbie here and I just bought my 08 F350 4X4. I put 500 or so miles on before towing, then hooked up my 32' fiver loaded with atvs...about 14,000 lbs. I noticed when taking off, there was kind of a shudder or vibration-almost like running over the rumble strips on the highway at a slower speed- until getting up to about 25 or 30 mph. It dosen't do it empty...only when towing. Any Ideas?

 

Excessive driveline angle caused by the rear end squatting under load. I cured my '07 by installing Timbrens--airbags will work also. Check with your service manager, Ford has a TSB out about this and how to shim the center driveshaft bearing.

 

Thanks Doc! I appreciate the advice.

 

this has happened to a lot of trucks, I think only on long bed because of the long, 2-piece driveshaft. When the rear squats under a heavy load, and torque is applied in large amounts, the rear squats even more, putting the pinion shaft/driveshaft ujoint at an extreme angle. When at this angle and rotating, it vibrates/grabs/whatever, and the middle bearing mount 'shudders'. Ford will shim the center bearing mount, and it will MAYBE stop it. Big problem, the shudder only occurs when towing heavy load--for Ford to duplicate it, you have to bring the load in with you. Then they drive it--observe for themselves what you have been telling them--they install shims until it quits. If you don't want the hassle of taking your trailer to them and having them drive it around for a couple days, try the Timbrens or the air bags--which will keep the rear from squatting down so much. an extra overload leaf will probably do the same. The springs and Timbrens are maintainance-free--install and forget; the air bags have to have air pressure increased/decreased for each load, and they HAVE to have some air pressure in at all times or they will self-destruct when compressed. AND several people have mentioned that when the truck is on a lift, the bags may be overextended when the axle drops. I had air bags on my last 2 superdutys and they did fine, but developed a leak in one bag after 250+miles of use, so I opted for the Timbrens.

OR, you could try CREEPING away from a stop and see if the shudder disappears, because it usually takes a load + torque to have it happen.

 

Mud Doc, did you add Timbren just to rear or front also. My 350 had a slight shudder as described when towing on last trip. I adjusted the coupler on the trailer upon returning home as it appeared it had slipped resulting in too much weight on the gooseneck hitch. If that doesn't solve the prolbem for next trip, I may try the Timbrens and did not know if you can do just the rear. Thanks.

 

I have not towed a heavy load yet. but mine shutters when I have a load in the bed. I put a pallet of tile ( about 2000 lbs ) and the truck would shutter on takeoff eveytime. So I gues if you wanted to take it to ford to duplicate the problem and you don't want to tow your big trailer, just put a load in the bed. It will shutter on takeoff.

08 F350 DRW with TowBoss 4.30 gears

 

My '06 F350 4x4 Dually would shudder when first taking off with a load (40' fifth wheel, approx 18000 lbs) The other RV'ers I've talked to dismiss this as "launch shudder". I installed air bags becausee of the squat on the rear end after loading. It wasn't that. Wasn't the 5th wheel hitch either. I installed a teflon pad on that. It almost feels like you're tearing up something in the tranny or in the rear end. I was told not to worry about it, by the RV'ers and Ford. I did worry, thinking that maybe I was overloading the truck, so I traded it on my '08 F450 4x4 Dually with 4.88's. By the way guys, it's in the shop again. This time, we'll talk new truck or buy back when they can't fix it. I hope to get one with no problems like so many of you report. I'd go back to the '06 and the 'launch shudder' if I could. I still have the trusty dusty old 7.3 that will haul anything. I just want a new truck that will run and drive correctly.

 

I owned a F-250 06 6.0L PSD I had trouble with shuder of line until i got the hitch receiver step right. So the weight was more evenly spreed out over the truck with weight and sway control receiver. Then it went away. With my F-450 don't have that problem pulling my TT 38ft 10,500lbs.