2007 Ford F150
XLT 5.4L Supercab
55,500 miles
Only Owner

I would like to start this thread letting everyone know this is the first one I have submitted and I do not know anything about trucks/vehicles, so I apologize if my communication about the issue is not up to the standards of this site.

I have owned my truck since mile 1 and have not had any issues up to this point. That being said in 2011 there have been 5 occassions where I have been on interstate driving between 55-70 and had to pull over due to my truck shaking. This shaking is very extreme and truly scares me, thus the reason I pull over. I replaced my tires with Michelin 70,000 mile tires and also replace my front brakes just over a year ago.

After not being able to reproduce the shake for my mechanic, they said my upper front ball joint needed replaced and my rear shocks. They hooked the truck up to the computer and did not receive any codes and my check engine light has not come on to this point.

The research I have conducted to this point has pointed to a number of issues and I had my mechanic check all of them and they said nothing was out of the ordinary, these were: e-brake issues, front brakes, calipers, plugs/coils. I might be forgetting some and I apologize.

I guess I was looking for some direction or thoughts before I spend $300 for the ball joint and $200 for the rear shocks. And like I said, the shaking is very violent and does scare me a great deal especially when at the speeds it happens. I was truly looking forward to a vacation later this summer, but it doesn't look like I would do anything without some knowledge of what could be causing this issue.

Thank you for your time!

 

Does it slowly start shaking or does it just go into a shake in an instant?

 

I would say the latter...it starts to shake at the higher speeds almost without warning. It does seem to get worse but I would not say slowly. Sorry I can't be more accurate...I have to admit my nerves take over when it starts and all I can think about is pulling over.

 

ball joints need replaced....make sure they get replaced with greaseable ones

 

thank you hydro_37!!! I certainly hope that is the major reason this is happening!

 

Willing to bet it's your e-brake sticking. This has been a problem with some. I know it seems strange.....there was a fella a few months back had the same problem. He had it checked, turned out to be that.

 

Try this link.....https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...ng-of-car.html

 

Thanks bwep!! I came across those forum posts regarding the e-brake rather frequently and had the place I normally take my truck to check it out, they said it releases fine, but I have a feeling they aren't checking everything related to the e-brake control. One post said you have to remove the two parts and grind them and then when putting back together use graphite in the cables and on the parts. That being said I am getting one of my ball joints and control arms replaced and having another shop check my e-brake.

I really appreciate the responses, it truly does make a difference especially to someone who does not know that much about auto's in general, but wishes he did!

 

My wife had a similar problem with her 2000 Mountaineer. After much troubleshooting and after tires were replaced I replaced the wheel bearing assembly on the two front hubs. After that, no more "Death Wobble". I'm not saying this is your problem but maybe something your mechanic can look at.

 

i had same problem with a 2001 f150 shaking bad turned out it was a bad belt in side the tire it would not do it all the time. i replaced the tire no more shaking.

 

Check the bracket that holds the carrier bearing between the driveshafts. I had one side fractured, and didn't realize it until the other side broke off and the driveshaft dropped. I even had a mechanic check the driveshaft for a vibration and he didn't even catch it.

 

Hello, I'm putting my two cents that you have the death wobble... Here's a youtube link showing it in action.. Hope this helps.
YouTube - ‪Ford F-250 "Death Wobble"‬‏

 

that is rediculous please for your safety and for others, get that fixed

 

If the steering wheel is doing the shaking I would look to the front end parts. If the whole truck is shaking I would suspect a u-joint in the driveshaft. It might slip out at certain times and then go back into place. You have to put it up on a lift and turn and pull on everything with no weight or tension on it.

 

whysobig, What was the cause of that F250 wobble? I had an isue like that once, but it was just a balance problem caused by lots of mud stuck in the wheels from an off road excusion.