Hello all, I have a 2010 f-250 fx4 with about 45,000 miles on it. I decided to replace my steering stabilizer when I stumbled upon a rancho stock replacement. I still need to install new shocks also.

Anyway, I installed it and now I get the death wobble, though I never had it with the old stock unit. I heard about them being useless after the first 10,000 miles so I figured at 40k I should replace it. I wasn't expecting for it to do that. Does anyone know anything about what is happening here?

 

Describe the "death wobble" you are experiencing. When does it happen? What makes it stop? When do you feel it.

Also, what are your running for air pressure in the front tires?

 

Never thought about air pressure.. I would hit a mild bump at 35-45mph that I would normally get bump steer from (with stock one) and instead the steering wheel shakes back and forth for a second (with new one). The stabilizer is working in every other aspect as the ride feels smoother. I've seen the videos of the death wobble and that's as best as I can describe it. Maybe it's amplifying bad shocks? I'll have to check my air pressure, but I usually have it around 65psi.

 

What does your door sticker say about tire pressure?

The steering stabilizer has nothing to do with the ride. It is supposed to dampen death wobble and bump steer, which the new one is not doing.

Aside from the new but weak stabilizer, how is your front suspension?

 

Did you buy it in a kit? Are you sure you got a stabilizer and not a regular shock?

I had a friend replace his stock stabilizer with a shock and he said there was a horrible shake when he hit bumps.

Just thinking outside the box

 

The stabilizer is a rancho rs5000 (rs5415). I'll have to get back to you on tire pressure, I believe it is around 65psi all the way around. When I said it felt smoother, I was referring to not having as much, if at all, bump steer. Never had the death wobble, and now I got it! Just had the truck inspected yesterday, I asked if there was anything to replace, as I do not like to get behind on maintenance, they said nothing up front. I replaced my rear brakes and hardware kit also.

 

For reference, that's not "death wobble" which is why it was asked what you meant specifically. Death wobble is when things are so bad you think you're about to careen off the road and die.

Redford asked a great question. The steering stabilizer helps take some of the force on our solid front axle steering components and help mask them when they've begun to wear out. If components are somewhat worn out, replacing the stabilizer (assuming you've got the right one) will help mask the effects of worn components again, but the stabilizer will often wear out much more quickly because it's being worked a lot harder.

There are usually two causes of bump-induced steering shimmy or even a mild death wobble:

1) Tires. Usually just plain out of balance (even if you don't notice), or sometimes due to mismatched air pressures. This is by far the most common case for live-axle 4x4's. Tire pressure is easy to check. Balance can be more difficult and sometimes requires a proper road-force balance, something most consumer tire shops don't even claim to offer.

2) Worn components, mostly steering but sometimes suspension as well. Bushings, tie rod ends, bolts, ball joints, all kinds of things can contribute to a wobble, especially when they're not worn exactly evenly. Visually check the components under there and see how they're doing. Have someone else sit in the truck while it's running, in Park, on flat level pavement, and you squat in front of the truck while you have have them turn the steering from lock to lock as well as quickly back and forth (like a child pretending to drive), which will help reveal where things aren't rock solid.

Or, hey, maybe it's something as simple as you put a small shock on it instead of a steering stabilizer, as onlystroke suggested might be possible. Crazier mistakes have been made!

 

Thanks for all of the responses. I will check air pressure today and report my findings.

 

Btw, I compressed the stabilizer by hand before I put it on to make sure it was not a shock.

 

How does compressing it by hand mean it isn't a shock? Of course it's a shock absorber, it's just valved to work as a steering stabilizer with the same damping in both directions. A shock absorber for a wheel has different damping in bump and droop. Anyway, usually that wobble is a deteriorating track bar bushing if the ball joints and such check out good and the alignment is correct.

Brian

 

Well a shock would spring back out, the stabilizer is made to dampen both directions so it will more of less stay where I pull or push it. I'll check into the track bar bushing, thanks again for all the help.

 

The Rancho stock replacement steering stabilizers have had a TON of failures, they are poorly made. The stock Motorcraft unit is better and $10 cheaper from Rock Auto. Hth.

 

not all shocks will "spring" back

the valving in a stabilizer is 50/50 meaning it takes equal force to compress and extend.

shock absorbers are normally (using this number as an example) 70/30 for bound and rebound. it will compress fairly quick and slowly extend from the force of the spring to control spring bounce or resonance.

 

I just ordered on on amazon. The website blocked my purchase of a few rancho models and came back with RS98510 being the correct one for my 2005 SD 4X4. I tried to buy RS98511 thinking it was later and greater, but that purchase was blocked as well. Pont of this chatter....are you positive you have the correct model rancho stabilizer? best wishes.