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I was getting it fairly regularly so I installed the SPE trackbar bushing and 90% of it went away, I need new tires so that will be my next step, but i am buying ball joints and tierod ends et al as well since I am getting close to 100k and have already done or bought the parts/upgrades for all of the other pm work out to 150k.
Had this happen doing 70mph over a bridge with expansion type joint on the end, it went full death mode over that joint. Was able to hold it straight and slow down, it recovered at around 40mph.
I just did tie rods, inner and outter, and arm. Steers very tight. I had a buddy that replaced his ball joint at the track arm, so I did that. I have not had the death wabble since, but I did also take the psi back down to 60 in the front which helped. I am going to get the dual steering damper mod as well. Have heard that helps a lot.
Increase castor 2* after replacing all the worn parts, the track bar is the #1 culprit when it comes to wear as it allows the front axle to move sideways. Increasing caster reduces the tendency of the front wheel to shimmy like a bad shopping cart.
There's an excellent link I've posted before, from an aftermarket suspension company, that someone once posted and that I've reposted before...
Bottom line, it can be almost anything in the front end of the truck that can be worn, or off as in tire balance, that can cause DW. I had tire balance cause it before on my 96 F250 with a SAS 86 KP Dana 60 SFA.
On my phone now but I'll get on my laptop and find it.
Here's one of my older posts with links on death wobble...
So apparently, S&B bought OUO (One Up Offroad) recently... on OUOs website was an excellent article on death wobble but their website is no longer... shame because it was a great wealth of knowledge on the subject.
Last edited by Overkill2; Mar 18, 2025 at 07:41 PM.
Reason: add to post/again
I replaced the steering dampener, also had a front-end alinement done, they said everything looked tight
I was reading something online about increasing the caster they where saying 3% but all i can find is 2.5 , as money permits i will replace all the other components!
I replaced the steering dampener, also had a front-end alinement done, they said everything looked tight
I was reading something online about increasing the caster they where saying 3% but all i can find is 2.5 , as money permits i will replace all the other components!
Thanks for the responses
Good luck with the problem Don. Those links I provided that no longer exist did talk about alignment specs as well.
There has been discussion here on death wobble before, so use the forum search feature which would bring up threads where it was discussed, or posts, depending on how you search.
The 99 to 16 Super Duty is another option as well like stated.
I replaced the steering dampener, also had a front-end alinement done, they said everything looked tight
I was reading something online about increasing the caster they where saying 3% but all i can find is 2.5 , as money permits i will replace all the other components!
Thanks for the responses
Factory caster shim is Zero, which places the caster at or around 3*, a 2.5* puts it closer to 5*. Thats why you are finding 2.5* shims. All the dampener does is mask the symptoms, eventually it will soften up and DW can return. The trackbar bushing is the #1 reason DW starts, not what CAUSES DW, mind you, but creates the motion to start. Ball joints are the second most reason followed by tie rods. A bad U-joint has also been to blame. When Caster is greater than 3*, DW is far less likely to occur and quickly dissipates if it does. By moving the pad of tire in contact with the road further behind the axle center line, it forces the tire to stay in a straight ahead manner.
My 2012 F350 had the death wobble around 79,000 miles in 2021. It was under warranty and Ford replaced the track bar ball joint and haven't had it since. Was surprised how soon it happened.
My 2012 F350 had the death wobble around 79,000 miles in 2021. It was under warranty and Ford replaced the track bar ball joint and haven't had it since. Was surprised how soon it happened.
Mine started At about 85k, for anyone keeping track.
There's an excellent link I've posted before, from an aftermarket suspension company, that someone once posted and that I've reposted before...
Bottom line, it can be almost anything in the front end of the truck that can be worn, or off as in tire balance, that can cause DW. I had tire balance cause it before on my 96 F250 with a SAS 86 KP Dana 60 SFA.
On my phone now but I'll get on my laptop and find it.
Here's one of my older posts with links on death wobble...
So apparently, S&B bought OUO (One Up Offroad) recently... on OUOs website was an excellent article on death wobble but their website is no longer... shame because it was a great wealth of knowledge on the subject.
o to archive.org and enter the URL you used and you can pull down static content to preserve.
My 2012 F350 had the death wobble around 79,000 miles in 2021. It was under warranty and Ford replaced the track bar ball joint and haven't had it since. Was surprised how soon it happened.
I'd have to double check but something under my truck is starting to make a popping noise when turning, just once then done. 136k miles... My guess is the track bar joint because everything else in front is relatively new and was replaced under the now expired warranty. Going to have my buddy check it out in the shop. Also will be buying the SPE track bar bushing upgrade kit/install tool, if that's the case, as that's been on my radar for a while now.
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