I purchased a new Ford F 150 xlt about two weeks ago. It drove great on the new highway I test drove it on. However once I began driving around town on uneven roads I noticed it had the worst suspension than any vehicle I have ever owned. Every bump, caused the vehicle to vibrate and bounce. The vehicle continued to bounce twenty to thirty feet from the point I ran over even the smallest bump.

I took it to the Ford service dealer, and had a tech take it for a test drive with me. He notice the bouncing also, and called it a "after bounce". He checked the chasis and found nothing wrong. He then checked with Ford and they had recieved similar complaints. They authorised and "dampening system" to be installed on the suspession that was designed for 4x4's. Just picked it up today and its just as bad.

Is there anyone out there with a similar problem, and maybe a solution?

 

It's talked about here a lot. Some call it a vibration. I call it a shudder. I don't know of any solution yet...except more complaining to Ford.

 

My FX4 Screw has felt that way since day one. The front end feels loose under small bumps at low speeds. Here is the reason I think:

Quote from a review.

"The bushings that attach the front suspension are soft in response to road impacts but stiff in response to cornering loads. Voids in key areas of the bushings let the rubber "give" under pressure and allow the front wheels to momentarily move rearward in response to a sharp jolt, resulting in a plusher ride."

The control arms are moving around(front to back and vice versa) I can see where mine move every time I drive it. You can see where the dirt has been wiped off.

These trucks feel every single thing on the road and can't seem to settle down between every thing it feels. I don't know if the 4x2's are this way or not. But I bet every 4x4 out there has this characteristic.

 

Mine rides great, I think it's the best riding vehicle I've ever been in. No bounce, no vibration.--Jack

 

bigjack

Mine does not have a "vibration", my steering wheel is smooth all the time, its just the way the suspension behaves. I just can't believe some would ride diffenent than others. Now some people are having "vibration issues" at certain speeds. What I am talking about is at speeds from 2 mph to 50 mph. At higher speeds it seems smoother. Only time I notice the loose front end feeling is when I hit a very small hole at low speed, 5mph. I guess I will have to go to the dealer and drive another FX4 on the same road and see how it does. Then I will know if all FX4's drive this way.

 

dgdee
The FX4 does ride a little stiffer than the XLT or Lariat due to the off road shocks but it shouldn't feel loose. It should actually have less "bounce". Personally I prefer the slightly stiffer ride. I don't want my truck to ride like a car. The stiffer ride will cause you to feel the road more. Are the roads in your area bad? When I lived in Upstate NY the roads sucked, potholes everywhere. I've gotten spoiled in Ga. AAA rates Ga as having the best roads in the US.--Jack

 

bigjack

My FX4 does not have any bounce, over a bump it goes down and back up one time, I like that. The only time it feels loose is when I drive thru a 6" wide by 2" deep spot in the grocery store parking lot(thats when I first noticed it) or anything similar to that at very low speed. The roads are fine here. I get different feelings from concrete, black top, gravel. Out where I bow hunt, there is a black top road that has been patched all over the place and its uneven. On that road is where it seems like the suspension never stops that shaky feeling, its like it does'nt recover from one spot to the next. I even drove my company van 97' chevy 3500 237k miles, down the same stretch to see how it would perform. Whats weird is that the truck feels normal on a dirt/gravel road.

 

With the stiff shocks the shocks travel less keeping the wheels on the road giving you greater control, the trade off is that you feel more of a jolt. With the old worn out van the suspension is moving more and transferring less movement to you, however at higher speeds it is easier to lose control because the wheels will "hop" losing contact with the road. As far as the low speed looseness goes I can't say without feeling it myself. I would have my dealer check it out if you haven't yet.--Jack

 

man u gys are scaring me. I have one ordered and I am having 2nd thoughts.

 

If knew then what I know now I would never have bought one. Just looked under the truck and drive shaft and several other components I dont know there name of are completely rusted. THe truck has 200 miles, I looked under other Fords and those parts are not rusted. Get you money back.

 

I picked up my FX4 s/cab yesterday, and had it out all weekend. I, too, was apprehensive from reading all the negative posts in this forum, and really expected a major let down when I actually got it.

Quite the opposite...this truck turned out exactly as I hoped when I ordered it! Everything feels and acts just right, and it looks great, too! Granted, there's not many miles on it yet, but these first impressions are tremendous!

BTW, it was built in KC. Absolutely NO complaints from this buyer! And I'll bet there's a thousand more like me out there.

I truly hope Ford will make things right for those who are experiencing problems, but I can't help but believe that there are many, many good trucks out there. If you're contemplating ordering one, just go for it! -Don

 

my 04 screw 4x4 has 4000 miles on it now no problems as fore drive and ride it rides and drives better than the 03 z 71 chevy that I traded in.

 

Over 4500 miles on my FX4 now. I love the ride. It's smooth and quiet but you still can't compare it to a car - well, at least the ride part you can't compare. The truck is much quieter than my 98 mustang. Granted, shimmies and shakes are another thing.

 

Guys,

I think I may have found the vibration/shuddering problem....
I'm not an expert, but this is my opinion at this point.
It's not the rear end, drive line, or clutch packings (for the higher speed vibrations). This weekend I was loading stuff in the bed and accidently dropped the tailgate very slightly. To my amazement the bed kept vibrating and shuddering for 2-3 seconds. I did it again, and again and it was the same feeling I feel at the higher speeds. If you take your tail gate and drop it only 1 inch inch, you'll see the bed vibrate excessively. In fact if you do it and put your hand on the edge of the bed, you can feel the vibration travel to the front of the truck and then to the rear, back and forth till it goes away. I tried this on the neighbors older truck to see if it was normal...clearly not. I had the girlfriend do this and then sat in the drivers seat...same feeling I feel at higher speeds. It's like a vibration through the frame which causes the box to shake.
I think at the right speed the vibration is accentuated. I've always thought it strange that the truck would rattle and shudder over light bumps, well after the initial bump was felt. I've watched the bed and tailgate while this happens and thought it was something loose or a bad tire...it's not. I've got the dealership looking into this now and will let you know what I find out. They have coined the phrase "tailgate test" on other trucks as well.
Could be a simple fix and I hope so as everything else I love about the truck except this incessent shuddering vibration at higher speeds...and lower for that matter. I've been a Ford fan for years and look forward to helping the rest of you Ford fans to find a solution as well.

 

Maybe it's related to bed size? thenetguy, what size bed do you have?