Just got my '17 F250 CCSB back from the dealership on Friday and promptly drove from Houston to OKC and back. My death wobble is gone! In my case, it was due to a bad track bar joint (TRE) at the axle. They did address the steering stabilizer TSB, and I now have serious steering bias, but that's a minor issue, since the DW is cured. After the new year I'll likely upgrade to a Fox ATS.

 

What Steering Stabilizer did you decide to get from 4 Wheel Parts? I like that Ford agreed to install the after market stabilizer. How many miles are on your '18 truck? Based on the post following yours, I'd ask them to check the track bar connection at the axle.

 

Since a few days after taking delivery of my new '18 KR in July, I could feel this was hiding in my truck. It had JUST happened to me on my 2015 days before I traded it so I knew what it felt like. Sure enough, this past Saturday at 7800 miles it happened. I had already purchased Fox shocks and stabilizer in preparation for changing those but haven't had time to install them. So I thought what the heck, I'd call the local dealer and see about the TSB and get the ball rolling on the alignment portion of the bulletin. The local dealer here in Austin (Maxwell Ford) acted as if I had called seeking the keys to Ft Knox. Very dismissive, said they had never heard of it, wouldn't even look up the TSB to see if they had the parts in stock without setting an appointment and leaving the truck for two days.

For those having this done, can you post what they are doing to the alignment SPECIFICALLY (maybe post a copy of the repair order)? I think I am going to skip the dealer BS, order the alignment pieces and have it aligned myself, then install the Fox stuff and be done.

 

I don't have the specific part number in front of me at the moment - but it's a 2-shock Pro Comp. Truck has 30k miles on it now, and first occurrence was at about 29.5...

 

Just talked to the dealership again. He's telling me they actually received some of the replacement parts from Ford this weekend, which is good news for us folks. Also told me that there was a minor amount of play in the trac bar ball joint so they're replacing that and the bushing. Still installing my after market stabilizer... I decided to just do the upgrade - don't want to be messing with this while pulling the 5er cross country...

 

My service adviser hooked me up with a Diesel tech and we went for a ride - wasn't able to do it on command (never can can you?) and refused to believe me that the TSB also included track ball joint and alignment....this is after he spent quite a bit of time questioning whether I actually needed to drive a 1 ton, and explaining how "They all do that".

The new stabilizer helped, but I wont be back. and of course, it wobbled on me yesterday....I might take it somewhere else...

 

Are there any reports of gassers (6.2L) and/or DRW's having DW?

 

 

Can someone here either post a printout of the alignment used to correct the issue via the TSB or verify how much caster we need to have in the alignment?

Thanks.

 

Based on what I have read here the ROOT CAUSE is not enough caster in the alignment. After talking to two Ford dealers, I am not sure I am going to waste my time for days leaving my truck for them to try and recreate the issue, then having to wait even longer on backordered parts. The ability to increase caster is controlled by two bushings that sit on the top of the front spindles. The bushings are concentric with a numerical value in degrees that set the base caster. Below are pics of both of my bushings (secured by the castle nuts on top of the spindle and ball joint). While the other bushings named in the TSB may be out of stock with the dealers (because this thing that no one at the dealer level admits is happening is somehow depleting all the supplies of the parts), the bushings are available in the aftermarket (and are much cheaper than from Ford at retail). I have managed to get the factory alignment specs (below) for my '18 CC SWB 4WD diesel. I am going on the alignment rack this Thursday to get it measured so I can order the bushings. Can someone post the entire TSB that shows what total caster values Ford is recommending in this TSB repair?

Thanks,

Jim

Driver:




Passenger:

 

Where did you get this page/data from? I have been hoping to see this data. As for caster that was set up under a repair instituting TSB 18-2668, I can offer the following from Aquamancw on this forum: CASTER (L/F +2.8, R/F +2.4) and TOE-IN (L/F +0.4, R/F +0.5). The caster values on his truck fall within the ranges on the document you obtained. However, I have heard more than one person say that caster should be set near the upper limit of the range. That would suggest caster be set at or above +4 degrees. One poster on this forum who has a friend that's a Ford engineer reported that his friend said, "In a perfect world you'd set the caster near 5 degrees, but that is probably unattainable. Realistically you'll get +3 degrees." Now I admit to paraphrasing some of that quote, but the facts are accurate. To be clear, I am still on the steep part of the learning curve with respect to alignment, but I believe that I am getting near a plateau on the curve with respect to Sustained Steering Wheel Oscillation as Ford calls it. Caster is an important element in preventing and/or correcting SSWO/DW; however, I'm not sure that it is the primary element.

This person sounds more like a salesman than a service advisor. Unless you are of the opinion that a service advisor is someone trained to convince you that you don't know what you're talking about. Or worse yet, that you are a LIAR. You definitely need to find another dealership. I am certain that not all of them are this crass.

 

The specs came from a buddy who is a warranty repair adjuster for large truck fleets and are the factory specs BEFORE the TSB was published. Everything I have read is consistent with what you wrote above, more caster is better and something north of 4 is ideal. If my truck is in the range below and we apply the 2.00 degree bushings, that should get it into the 4s. I would like to confirm that is the target value from Ford before I have it aligned, versus aligning based on second-hand here-say from forum posts.

 

Picked it up after work yesterday evening. Definitely improved - steering wheel feels tight again, no wobble in a spot where I think it would have last week. There's a bit of a shudder on occasion - not the same thing, and i don't feel it through the steering wheel - can't decide if it's always there and I'm just paying much closer attention, but I'll keep an eye on that over the next few days. I was hoping the BOM and the alignment report from the warrenty work would have been provided, but failed to specify that I wanted them and had to pick up after the service guys were gone. I'll call this morning and ask for them...

 

my stock, unlifted, unballoon tired, 2011 F350SRW 6.2 had DW.

 

We really need folks posting up their alignment sheets after the TSB is performed so we can develop a pattern as to which specs are showing promise. Below is the actual TSB (thanks to Dave here for providing). Interesting they are calling out a build date for the steering stabilizer, so maybe a batch of those had some issues or were too weak. Nonetheless, even if the stabilizer solves the problem, its not gone for good if in fact its a suspension and steering geometry issue.