I have a 2011 F-150 4X4 with about 35,000 miles. I have been a chevy owner for most of my life but wanted to try a new Ford Truck. Initially I fell in love with the truck. It rode and drove great until about 20,000 miles. I was driving down a two lane highway when it started what felt like the back tires were "hopping" down the highway. It got so bad that I pulled over, got out and visually inspected the rear of the truck to see if there was anything obvious. I didn't see anything but since then, the truck has had a vibration when leaving a dead stop and has, on occasion, felt like the transmission had slipped and will then JUMP into gear, like someone hit you from behind. The dealership is having trouble correcting the problem so I thought I might try here and see if anyone has had a similar problem and any thoughts on repair. It just feels like it's "scrubbing" when I leave a dead stop. I really like this truck but this problem has to be fixed period. If anyone has any ideas, please please let me know.

 

One thing that has been discussed here in detail is the slip yoke on the back of the tranny on these trucks some times dries out and needs to be repacked with grease.

Keep after the dealer and extend your warranty coverage beyond 36K by complaining and keeping the work order open.

 

A 2010 model did something similar. It felt like I had been hit in the rear-end when I came to a stop. The dealer installed an update that fixed the problem. Good luck.

 

there have been scattered reports of clutch plate problems in the rear diffs and transmissions, both of which cause similar driveability issues similar to yours

but those were almost all for MY 2010. seemed like they got it all together for MY 2011

you may have one of the higher mileage 2011's on the forum, so others may not of experienced any impending issues that would occur in this mileage range.

like Tim said, take it to the dealer and don't take "NO" for an answer, just keep after them till they get it fixed and fixed right.

keep us posted!

 

Thanks for the replys, makes me feel better that some owners know what I'm talking about. I wanted to add that the truck has been to the dealer serveral times. One Service Advisor(not connected with my truck) told me that there is NO fix for this problem. The first time it went for service they installed a "shim kit" which did nothing. The second time they changed the angle of the shaft to the pinion gear, once again it did nothing. This last time the "tech line" gave them a list of things to check but the actual mechanic working on the truck told me that he had already checked all of those. The FINAL DISPOSITION was that they can't fix it now but I had until 60K miles on warranty and that I will have to wait until something breaks to fix the problem. Ford will not authorize a transmission at this time and that (this really makes me mad) I may just have to drive it this way and that it may just be a characteristic of the truck. OK, I think it's time to get a lawyer involved. Perhaps then they will listen!!!

 

So I read this and now wonder what it is I am feeling in mine... I just changed to winter tires and steel rims and wondered if it was related but really it does seem to feel like it is hopping (very slight but perceptible) as I go along the road between 60 and 80kph??

I will keep an eye on it and on here and post if something significant comes up.

 

I'd watch your tachometer when you feel that shutter.

i wonder if you wont see a slight RPM increase at the same time you feel it shutter.

These trucks tend to go into 5th and 6th around those speeds. the engines make very good torque down to 1000rpm, and i've often wondered if there would be lasting effects from this pi$$-poor shift strategy.

Not sure what year you have, or options, but if you have a 2011 with select shift, try limiting it to 4th gear when you feel it shutter, and see if that makes it go away.

of couse, if you have a 2010 or dont have the tow package for 2011, you will not have the select shift option which will allow you to do this.

 

It is quite odd to hear these problems on a 2011. there were a few 2010's that had these symptoms, but they were fairly scattered from what i remember.

the shim kit was a mixed success. some people were having a driveline vibration while unloaded, but was fine when loaded. the shim kit often times reversed the problem and it would drive fine when unloaded, but would have a vibration when loaded.

regarding the pinion angle, i admit i'm slightly confused. the way i understand it, the shim kit was installed to change the pinion angle. So, i'm not sure what they did to change the pinion angle, except for to install a shim kit.

Just for fun, and because it is a pickup anyway , put about 500 lbs of balast in the bed and go for a drive. see if that changes the driveline vibration.

also, try limiting your top gears as suggested above. maybe you've got some transmission shutter?

If this was an older truck, i'd suspect u-joints.... being new makes that unlikely, but not impossible.

if you do have that mysterious driveline problem others had in 2010 ... well, i don't know if they ever really got that fixed in the trucks that had this problem. maybe other's can speak up, but i dont remember anyone reporting back that it was "finally fixed!"

With regard to your "bump" taking off from a dead stop, some have had the slip-bump Tim mentioned. I drove my 2010 at work today and re-noticed that it tends to float in 2nd gear while stopped, and then when taking off, it quickly downshifts into 1st. It is most noticable when barely crawling foward from a dead stop. Feels similar to a slip-bump, but it is a downshift.

They do this, i think, to help the driver hold the truck back. take a motor that makes monstor torque at idle, 4:1 1st gear, and 3.5:1 rear gear, and holding the truck at idle can become a problem. holding 2nd at idle helps with this.

i would offer it as a possibility that your truck is doing the same, but is a little slow on the 2-1 downshift at idle. when these transmissions get stupid, the get *really* stupid and will shift very harshly.

Bout all you can do is keep leaning on the dealership.

If you suspect it is transmission, take it to a shop and have the fluid sampled and tested for problems .... or at least inquire if they can.

don't know what else to tell ya

 

I tried some different scenarios today and found the engine speed/gear didn't matter to the shudder, 4 wd was not a factor and it only seems really evident at about 65kph.
I tried tow/haul mode and normal in 4wd and not, up-hill, down hill (not extreme of course) and using the manual shift button could hold it at about 65kph and drop down 3 gears in order and could still feel the shuddering.
Just for interest sake I tried to hold a note (my version of singing) and I was warbling like a 90 year old church lady needing her meds.
When I take it in for a look/ "there is nothing wrong here sir" I will demonstrate my new ability to sing like my granny!

More testing to follow, hoping it doesn't get nasty bad and they come up with a solution... at least I have eliminated the engine speed from the equation?

 

based on your testing, it sounds to me like it is likely not transmission shutter. that or it is something internally common to all forward gears. perhaps a tailshaft componet could cause a problem like this.

other possibilites could be a tire out of balance or a broken belt.

give your tires a once over looking for odd wear patterns indicating a tire problem. consider having them rebalanced to eliminate that as a possibility.

not that it is likely, my 2010 at work had a bad rear shock absorber that showed up at 2500 miles. A bad shock can cause a tire to wear poorly and will cause the vibrations you are describing as well.

that is not to say you are not having other, more serious, issues with the truck, but just to throw out all possibilites.

If the techs did not already do so, make sure the drive line is solid and has not been damaged by impact. and out of balance or dented drive shaft will make similar driveline vibrations. also, make sure that the u-joints are not bad. as i said before, it is not likely, but not impossible.

 

Thanks Mike, I will look into this further... it is so new I expect nothing wrong but seems weird.

 

By the way you describe it, i'd say there is something "not right" ...

you should have seen the shades of red i turned when my exploder picked up a 'shimmy' 1/3 that bad. I noticed it the first time i had a plastic grocery sack in the passengers seat. it was shaking and making noise, which made me mad. Other than that it was not preceptable.

in my case, my shocks went bad, and I didn't realize it. The result was 4 tires that are now 'cupped' and that vibration is there until i put new tires on.

the rest of the truck is still 100% solid after 12 years and 150k miles (250km? did i do the math right?)

it did do it one other time, and that was a bad u-joint.

my 2010 at work is probably the smoothest and nicest riding truck i have ever been in. not shakes, squeaks, rattles, shimmy ... just smooth. aside from the 6sp tranny, i wouldn't change a thing!

if you got a shimmy ... there's something going on, in my opinion anyway.

 

I agree with the previous posters... sounds like something between the drive shaft and the wheels. I'd start at the outside and work in - cheaper that way.

Have you had the tires rebalanced? I had some Michelin tires on my 05 F350 that were a pain to balance... took them to a tire shop with a road-force balancer and they were no trouble. This system should also make a tire with a broken belt/bent wheel/etc. much more obvious.

 

I have a 1000 miles on my new truck and when I come to a complete stop and accelerate, I get a vibratrion coming from the rear. Feels like the drive shaft is out of balance (not that because not spinning that fast) or is not being held center. I have yet to crawl underneath to see what the design look likes.

 

This sounds like poorly balanced or out-of-round tires. particularly since you noticed it after putting the rims/tires on. That's the speed range you'd notice that.

I think the OP of the thread has a much more serious issue. I would at least ask if they could take a look at the slip yoke, maybe repack it since it's a known issue. OR...I would find another dealer or an independent mechanic that specializes in trucks for a second opinion. I did this when I had to sue Ford in 1989 after they refused to warranty a transmission repair on my Mustang GT, claiming the clutch locked up and ripped the transmission internals apart. I won.