I have a 2017 F-250 Lariat, extended cab, 8ft bed, 6.2 gas.......can someone please explain the "death Wobble' issue to me? Thanks, Eric.

 

Google "death wobble", that should give you an idea of what it is. If it's not happening on your truck don't worry about it.

 

 

Your truck will shake violently, could take steering wheel way from you. Have had this on going with my '17 SD, last time a week ago I could not control the truck, worst ever.

 

The way that truck sounds,...it is not stock!

 

Sure looks stock to me. We're talking DW, stock suspension and tire size is all that matters. If the truck has a tune or something would have zero to do with DW.

 

Not arguing that, but that engine is not stock.

 

Dam thats bad

 

Someone at the factory put the massage feature in the steering wheel.

I'm thinking that the result in the video is death wobble. But in a lot of cases, death wobble starts from hitting a harsh bump. That's how mine happened. In that video, I don't think he hit a bump. That leads me to believe that he has some components that are worn or loose. Or, the alignment is bad.

 

Seems like it's usually the diesel that gets death wobble. It's this the case or do I just notice the diesel?

 

Might be, but I was thinking that the DW is more prevalent since the 2017 re-design. But that might just be me “thinking”!!! LOL

 

Out of balance tires, hitting a “rough spot” in road starts a small vibe then gets worse turning into DW as everyone refers to it.

IF you’ll watch vid twice : his steering wheel jiggles several times before the DW happens.
Shocks or Steering Dampener / Stabilizer doesn’t help OR cause this.

He’s probably never rotated his tires in 14k miles & you heard him say it’s a Work Truck.

ANY Loosness in the tracking bar or bracket could also cause this.

 

Even if your right the truck only has 15,000 miles.
I bought my 2019 F-250 because of how much I like my 2017 F-450 at work. My 250 now has 6,000 miles. I will say first of all the 450 rides better and handles better. If the 450 handled like my 250 does I would never have paid almost $60,000 for it. I have 20" machined cast and stock Michelins.
Im a truck guy and Im not talking about how a 3/4 ton truck rides compared to a car or some other light weight vehicles. I spent 25 years in the trucking buisness. Most of that in very HD trucks pulling heavy oversized loads.
What Im talking about is bump steer. Right from the beginning I was surprised at how much feed back resulted from barely even visible bumps in the road. Ive been messing with air pressures and eventually I will change out tires/shocks/stabilizer and see how that effects things.
I love the truck. But I know Im going to get the death wobble based on the way small bumps already whack me in the hands at the wheel.
To me bump steer is the result of improper steering geometry. Like as in when someone takes a 55 half ton and drops an independent front end out of a Camaro or something and does not align the steering gear with the axles etc on instillation. Resulting in bumps pulling the steering wheel. Or in a big truck I have felt hard feedback over bumps as a result of worn out king pins in a solid axle truck on leaf springs.
Ill keep running the Michelins until I either hate them in snow or they wear out and Ill go with something a little bigger. 295s to replace the 275s. And Ill change shocks and stabilizer. But as it is right now I have a brand new $57,000 250 Lariat that I dont want my wife to drive because Im afraid its going to do something violent and she might have an issue dealing with it.
I know the front axle in the 450 is the wide track. Not sure what else is different. But when I tell you I feel ZERO input through the whell over bumps... I mean zero. How can this be correct?
How is it that the 1.5 ton truck drives smoother than the 3/4 ton truck?
I have little interest in going to the dealer over this because I have no faith in their ability to do anything about it and I dont want them frigging with my castor or anything really....

 

Ohh and one more thing I forgot. I also have a 2010 F-450. This truck has a couple of loose steering joints which I can feel rattling a bit as I drive it. Yet other than the slight feeling of rattling there is no bump steer... no steering input over anything and definitely no death wobble.

 

When I first read about the bump steer issues, I did a test in my 2017 F450. On the highway with a rough 45* expansion joint, I let go of the wheel to see how much it moved (hands close of course). It barely moves at all and the truck just keeps going straight. On bumps perpendicular to the road, it doesn't move at all.

I'm not sure if it is due to the wide track, bigger track bar, or something else, but the F450 is rock stable on bumps.