thats not the problem

 

 

I just had this happen to me last week and again this week. I have a 2017 F250 CCSB 6.7L 4x4 Lariat with it just hitting 24k miles this week. The first time it happened, I was traveling down a highway I take everyday back from work. I must have hit a bump and the entire steering wheel and truck started to shake as if I had blown a tire potentially. Pulled over on the side of the highway, get out, and find nothing wrong with the truck. I get back in and it drives smoothly. Today it happened again, as the driver side wheel was hitting a storm grate on the highway, the wobble would occur at varying degrees and only between 65 - 70 mph. I was able to recreate at least a minor wobble everytime the driver side tire would hit the grate on the highway since there were multiple grates spaced apart and one major wobble. It didn't seem to matter that the passenger side was not hitting a bump in the road. Needless to say, I guess i got to take the truck into the dealer and see what they say.

Posted a still from my dashcam to convey the storm grate...

 

To begin, I do not own a Super Duty truck yet. It is to arrive this coming week, mid-December 2019 and is a 2019 F-350 Lariat Ultimate CCLB 4x4 6.7L, the primary model that has exhibited DW/SSWO. From the research that I have done on this problem, you are in the "sweet spot" for Death Wobble (DW) or Sustained Steering Wheel Oscillation (SSWO) to occur - between 15,000 and 25,000 miles. I would recommend that you do your best to play hardball with the service advisor and technicians/mechanics. Most likely the steering stabilizer is worn out on our truck. Unfortunately, I believe, a single occurrence of DW/SSWO causes damage and/or excessive wear to other components in the front suspension. These primarily include the tie-rod ends, track bar bushings and connections, and drag link ends. It is also possible that the ball joints and radius arm bushings have been affected. YUP, most of the wear-susceptible components in the front suspension. I believe that your best approach is to find a service advisor who is knowledgeable about DW/SSWO and willing to address it in an AGGRESSIVE manner. I suspect that this is the most difficult part of correcting DW/SSWO.

I would talk to advisors until I found one that is sympathetic to your problem and expresses a working understanding of the most likely causes and solutions. Your alternative is to simply take your truck to a dealership and accept what they decide to do, or more importantly NOT do. As I said, I don't even own my truck yet. However, I have already been discussing DW/SSWO with a service advisor at the dealership where I ordered and am purchasing my truck in northern Arizona. When I raised the issue with him and my desire to have my truck's alignment checked before I take delivery, he was pleasantly eager to do so. He said that he'd give me a printout of the alignment data as the truck was delivered and a printout of the final data if they had to adjust it. We discussed caster, and he was of the opinion that this was something that should be set correctly, not always having been done so at the factory. He also expressed a knowledge of TSB 18-2268, Ford's current recommendation to attempt repair of a truck that has experienced DW/SSWO. So far, I am encouraged that I am dealing with a service department that appreciates the problem of DW/SSWO and has an interest in doing something (their best?) to ensure that it doesn't happen to my truck. As he said, "It is always better to prevent DW/SSWO from happening than to deal with it after it has happened."

As a means of going farther than Ford will, you might consider installing a better steering stabilizer than the “thing” that Ford installs. Since you are still under warranty, you’ll probably have Ford install a new “thing” which will most likely last for another 10,000 to 20,000 miles. If there are other suspension components that are excessively worn and in need of replacement, simply installing a new stabilizer will only mask your problem instead of solving it, and the stabilizer may wear out much quicker. In any event, I would consider replacing a Ford “thing” at around 15,000, keeping an eye on it for signs of fluid leakage. I would also recommend that you take the truck in just before the standard warranty runs out and tell them to check the entire front suspension. In regards to an aftermarket steering stabilizer, I believe that FOX has created a good product, the ATS 2.0 (Part No. 983-02-143 for a 2019), and I am seriously considering installing one on my new truck. I am also evaluating installing both a combination of this upper stabilizer and a lower dual stabilizer using the Kelterman brackets and FOX 2.0 stabilizers (note: these are not the ATS stabilizer). I intend to leave my truck stock height, and the Kelterman brackets will work without a lift. However, I need to discuss this with several people before deciding. It might be too much “stabilization”, but the front end on a Ford 4x4 Diesel Super Duty is so damn heavy that I suspect it is not.

I wish you success in solving your DW/SSWO problem. I do believe that the problem can be prevented from occurring or re-occurring. Please let us know how things go. We all benefit from interactive discussion and knowledge.

 

the factory cant do anything about the caster because theres no way to adjust it. it is what it is. so getting a alignment right out of the gate seems pointless imo. to make any changes youll have to install the bushings or adj radius arms , which i would do first thing before DW hits and trashes your front end. the factory stabilizer i would replace with a better one or just put it in the trash and leave it off. then use a setup that relocates it to the axle housing