Any of you guys with the factory 20" wheels have problems with the front end bouncing at highway speeds?

I think I've got a bad tire to begin with. 7500 miles, I changed the oil and rotated the tires. It was perfect before, now on the highway if I hit a bump or change lanes, the front end starts bouncing and won't stop until I slow down below 60. Accelerate back up to 70, it's smooth until I hit an expansion joint or a rough patch then the bouncing starts again. Man I hope this isn't the Ford death wobble I've read about.

It goes to the dealer Friday, we'll see what they say.

 

Sounds like a bad tire or a tire out of balance.......

 

What air pressures are you running? First check your door jamb sticker for pressure recommendations then check your tire pressures. Sometimes pressures can be different from side to side causing a wobble. If pressures are good then I would think it is a bad tire.
Also Ford's shocks are crap from the factory.

 

Is this bouncing up and down or a left/right shake (wobble)?

 

It's definitely an up-down bouncing in the front end and you can even hear it in the road noise. Something sets it off and it doesn't stop until I slow down which is what makes me think it's a bad tire.

The steering wheel doesn't shake or wobble.

On an unrelated note, the front tires were cupped before I rotated them... the rears were fine.

 

I wouldn't say it's death wobble then, probably a bad/out of balance tire as mentioned above.

 

Maybe shocks, then?

 

The factory Rancho shocks aren't the best, I'll give you that.

This is definitely a tire. You can hear the LF wop-wop-wop-wop on the highway... I was able to listen with the window down driving next to some barricades tonight on the way home. I'm not too impressed with the Michelins.

 

IIRC, isn't the scalloping that you had on the front tires a sign of a bad shock? You may have one problem causing the other. Just a thought. Hope I am wrong. Two problems are more expensive than one

 

It has a bad tire, took it in this morning and they drove it. Yep, it bounces/oscillates/vibrates so they road force balanced tires. All four tires had "high road force" so they balanced and "indexed" the tires.

I drove away with it tonight and the bouncing stopped but the drifting goes the other direction now because the fronts were swapped L-R. They agreed to replace the front two tires but have to get them from their vendor. Soooo I'll be bringing it back next week.

 

At least they are making it right- good to hear. Thanks for the update.