Excursion Front end bouncing
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Excursion Front end bouncing
I Have A 2002 Ford Excursion And Recently The Front End Has Started Bouncing Randomly And Sometimes Violently. It Has Only Happened A Couple Of Times And Will Eventually Stop. It Has Only Happened At Speeds Of 45+. Changed The Shocks And Front End Suspension Is Good...any Ideas?
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A couple things might help others figure this out.
Are you 4x4 or 2wd?
Is it speed related? Meaning if you go faster the bounce is quicker?
Ive seen a really bad vibration in a front end caused by a tire failure, the belts had delaminated internally. Also look to see if you have lost any balance weights too.
That would be speed related and would be noticeable through a speed range.
Another thing when alignments are out, especially caster angle, when you hit bump and set the vehicle into a cyclical motion of wobble, sometimes called the death wobble.. Until slowed down on the vehicle it just keeps getting worse, with nothing the driver can do. It's not a bounce but a high speed wobble. Basically think of a shopping cart with facked up front wheel, going nuts side to side as you push the cart.
On the Toyota land cruisers they could have the death wobble set off by a simple bump in the road. Sometimes it gets pretty violent. I'm not sure if Ex's do this too.
This is more prevalent in solid axle vehicles with lifts.
Are you 4x4 or 2wd?
Is it speed related? Meaning if you go faster the bounce is quicker?
Ive seen a really bad vibration in a front end caused by a tire failure, the belts had delaminated internally. Also look to see if you have lost any balance weights too.
That would be speed related and would be noticeable through a speed range.
Another thing when alignments are out, especially caster angle, when you hit bump and set the vehicle into a cyclical motion of wobble, sometimes called the death wobble.. Until slowed down on the vehicle it just keeps getting worse, with nothing the driver can do. It's not a bounce but a high speed wobble. Basically think of a shopping cart with facked up front wheel, going nuts side to side as you push the cart.
On the Toyota land cruisers they could have the death wobble set off by a simple bump in the road. Sometimes it gets pretty violent. I'm not sure if Ex's do this too.
This is more prevalent in solid axle vehicles with lifts.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2011
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From: Owensboro, KY
Sounds like death wobble that some have on jeeps. Do you have to come to a complete stop to make it quit?
It could be one part failing or a combination of many parts (ball joints, unit bearings, tie rods, trac bar....) that are worn. A small vibration starts in one part then sends it thru other worn parts and becomes quite violent
It could be one part failing or a combination of many parts (ball joints, unit bearings, tie rods, trac bar....) that are worn. A small vibration starts in one part then sends it thru other worn parts and becomes quite violent
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Re: front end
It is a 4x4....It is factory, no lift. The speed doesn't really affect the bounce or wobble once it starts the wobble just gets increasingly worse or more violent once it is started. The only times it has occurred has been at speeds of 45+ however the 3 times it has done it I was driving on older roads or ones under construction so bumps and potholes were definitely present. It did it twice then we changed the shocks and checked the front end, took it out for a test run and it did it again. The side to side grocery cart is a very accurate description.
I did just make an appt to have the tires rotated and balanced today and a front end alignment at the end of the week. The tires on it are less than 2 years old and have maybe 15,000 miles on them. It's not my only vehicle but it is my favorite! I will update after the tire store visit today and see if that fixes it, at least I have somewhere else to start. Thanks!
I did just make an appt to have the tires rotated and balanced today and a front end alignment at the end of the week. The tires on it are less than 2 years old and have maybe 15,000 miles on them. It's not my only vehicle but it is my favorite! I will update after the tire store visit today and see if that fixes it, at least I have somewhere else to start. Thanks!
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I do not have to come to a complete stop it just kinda settles down once I decelerate (this has not been at a consistent speed so i'm not sure at what point it stops). The first time it happened it wasn't bad. The second time was very sudden / violent and almost took the wheel out of my hands (scary) so I parked it and started by taking the wheels off and getting a good look under the front. The shocks looked a little worn so I started there. This is the first major issue I've had and this truck was my daily driver for years. If it's not a tire issue/balance/alignment issue then I will have to come up with another plan of attack.
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It's for sure a death wobble.
Like mentioned above after my post it's something worn that transfers and keeps moving in cyclical nature.
Worn king pins or such might be the best, or tie rods.
The only way to really inspect the front end is to lift it off the ground on jack stands and force a wheel around. Takes two people.
It won't be a u-joint, the front axle isn't turning at this time of year…
Tie rods, king pins. here is some talk of it on a 4x4 forum. You don't have to be lifted to get this, but the lifted guys get it all the time. So they know more about it.
Superduty death wobble!! - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum
Like mentioned above after my post it's something worn that transfers and keeps moving in cyclical nature.
Worn king pins or such might be the best, or tie rods.
The only way to really inspect the front end is to lift it off the ground on jack stands and force a wheel around. Takes two people.
It won't be a u-joint, the front axle isn't turning at this time of year…
Tie rods, king pins. here is some talk of it on a 4x4 forum. You don't have to be lifted to get this, but the lifted guys get it all the time. So they know more about it.
Superduty death wobble!! - Pirate4x4.Com : 4x4 and Off-Road Forum
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When a U-joint starts to go, when it is sticky or seizing you get a vibration felt through the back of the truck and no steering jerkiness. Kinda feels like a bad tire. It's for sure speed variable. and usually always there. Sometimes it goes away but comes back. When it gets bad enough you get the loud clunk when you put it in gear. It's going to fail sound.
The wobble comes on with simple bump in the road and you think you're going to crash. You might not have it happen very often.
The wobble comes on with simple bump in the road and you think you're going to crash. You might not have it happen very often.
Post Fiend
Joined: Mar 2009
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From: Mt. Shasta California
When a U-joint starts to go, when it is sticky or seizing you get a vibration felt through the back of the truck and no steering jerkiness. Kinda feels like a bad tire. It's for sure speed variable. and usually always there. Sometimes it goes away but comes back. When it gets bad enough you get the loud clunk when you put it in gear. It's going to fail sound.
The wobble comes on with simple bump in the road and you think you're going to crash. You might not have it happen very often.
The wobble comes on with simple bump in the road and you think you're going to crash. You might not have it happen very often.
and yes it can be the front U-joints.
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