My F350 4wd diesel has developed a nasty(But intermittent) shimmy, usually when I hit a pothole. I mean it feels like the end of the world, and lasts for as much as 15 seconds. Very uncomfortable ! I cant see any tie-rod or idler arm issue, but I notice that when the steering wheel is moved, the whole chassis moves before the front wheels do. So I'm thinking that maybe the bushings on the end of the leaf-springs are shot ? Anyone have experience of this syndrome ? Thanks for any clues...

 

Its called death wobble and there are alot of threads about it. It can be caused by a lot of things, but first thing to check is the track bar.. the one that goes from the front axle to the frame. Have someone rock the steering wheel back and forth about 1/4 turn or more in each direction while you look at the rod ens of the trrack bar for play. You can check the tie rods and leaf spring bushings the same way.

 

Aha! thanks.