I don't believe a steering damper should have any rebound / spring back, only a damping effect in both directions.

 

The Bilstein had a strap on it when I pulled it out of the box and when it fell off before install, it began to push out. The factory dampner was harder to push than the Bilstein, but the truck felt way better once the Bilstein was installed.

 

My rear shocks had a band on them also. Must be natural thing that they push out some when it's taken off.

 

Yes, steering dampers are not supposed to extend when released. If they do, they will always be pushing the steering rather than helping to hold it in place. It doesn’t take much steering effort to overcome the push but it might lead some to think there’s an alignment problem when it doesn’t track straight.

But then again if it’s a slight push it might just help take the slop out of the system. Like the spring on the governor arm of a small engine.

 

It was a slight push... all I know is that the front end feels much better now and I feel I have better control over the steering than with that original 141k mile Motorcraft steering dampner.

 

I still have the Ford original steering dampner on my '21' F350 with 219,000 miles. No leakage or feeling of wander going down the road. When I do the shocks towards the end of the year near 240,000+/- with Monroe shocks the steering dampner will get a Monroe also. Those should get me to 300,000 and might think of 1 last replacement truck before thinking of slowing down some.

 

That's awesome Rat... good for you. I definitely had a wander problem with the old dampner. I was going to get the Monroe dampner but it didn't have a boot for the piston rod. But I guess I could have pulled off one of the Rancho boots, cleaned it up and used it. I'm thinking I'll pull those off and keep them in case I need one.

Now I can see how the Bilstein with it's zinc coating will hold up in winter... might have to cover it in grease...

 

So driving home from work on the expressway I take everyday, going around a curve and 65 mph locked in on cruise, hit a bump or maybe it was a seam in the road, and she went into DW for a split second but the Bilstein must have stopped it...

I'm thinking those Michelin Defenders I have on, pretty low for tread (the better ones are in front) and most likely out of balance, caused that.

My next 2 days off, going to put on those 18 inch factory steel wheels with the Treadwrights with the winter kedge rubber mix for traction (broken walnut shells [IIRC] and broken pieces of glass in the rubber) and take my 20s into my buddy and have those Milestars mounted up and balanced but have to order 4 EZ Open bags of those Innovative Balancing ceramic beads... maybe I will run them this winter...

 

Oh snap! Is that the first time you have had DW with your truck?

 

I believe so... I had it on my 96 F250 with the transplanted 86 KP Dana 60 and it ended up being tire balance, or lack thereof.

It did not last long... the Bilstein stifled it.

 

I had that Happen with my '21' when it was fairly new about a 9 months in or so. Same thing hit a slight pothole and started the death wobble. Slowed down and it went away. I thought great a truck with the DW. Keeping in mind there was probably 40k or so miles on the truck and the tires where start to get worn. Changed the tires to new fresh tires and never experienced it ever again.

We have 9 F350 srw at work 6 2022, 3 2025 all are maxed in daily gvrw of 11k# and so far 5 have had to go in and get the DW fixed. Worn front parts.

I am a Ford man just because they are just heavier duty work truck (F250/ 350) all the way around and haven't been let down yet of 35 years of owning them and having 1.5 million miles in the seats of personal ownership. We'll see if the '21' 7.3 can get 300k miles. Clicked over 219k today. 😉

 

A 9-month-old truck with 40k miles... WOW. And you know Rat, you work your trucks with the amount of mileage on that 21 of yours... sweet meat (deer hunter's phrase)...

I believe tire balance affects the potential for DW, but I do know that any component, after reading on this, up front could potentially cause it.

Yep, I'm with you there on Fords compared to the other brands, but at least the GMs have an SFA. Once worked with a farmer and his son at a state park years ago during my college years for a seasonal job at the maintenance center... anyways, Scotty had two half tons, a Chevy and a Ford. He said the Ford was way better than the Chevy when it came to a work truck. There was an old Ford full size dump truck, gasser, at the center, and hard as hell to shift into gear but it was awesome. That is where I got my then NYS Class 3 driver's license, now Class B, which I still retain to this day just in case.

The two towing agencies in the town where I work had to get Rams, 5500s, when Fords could not be found after Covid. Both always had Fords. Both got rid of the Rams and got Fords once they became available. One is a real good friend of mine and he said the Ram springs would squat way more than the Ford's when a load was put on the flat bed.

 

Truck is just an expensive depreciating tool on wheels.

 

Sure is... but since I just daily drive my truck, she's paid off and new trucks are so effing expensive, I'll just keep mine going and "trucking..."

I bought my 6.7 because I wanted a diesel and not because I needed one. But I am definitely not the typical daily driver truck owner who drives a diesel and doesn't need one.

Much respect to guys like you who work their trucks and use them to work, so I get why you guys trade in/sell the older trucks to buy new.

I realize the price of admission of owning a diesel truck and personally, I'm going to rock my 16 til the wheels fall off. Plus I look at my truck as a hobby. And I've got many more things in mind for it...

 

We use our truck to pull our camper, and it's a small one so the 6.7 definitely wasn't "needed" but I too wanted one... and we did think that we would be pulling our camper all over the mountains more than what we have... although we do pull it around fairly often! And we figure we will end up getting a slightly bigger camper eventually, if not a small 5th wheel. But I plan to drive mine till the wheels fall off as well, and there are lots more that I would like to do to it, but in due time! This stuff wasn't cheap to begin with, and it sure isn't now! lol...