Ford truckers help me out! I've got a 2000 F150 supercab flareside that is not performing well when braking. The back end starts jumping up and down when I brake whether going 15 mph or 50mph. The brakes, drums, and seals were replaced but to no avail. The local garage gang gave up so I reluctantly went to the dealer;( what a mistake that was. They took 5 hours to determine that the cause of my problem was that my tires were old and cupped. Needless to say they didn't have a clue either. Regardless I got some new tires since I needed them anyway, and what do u know it still jumps up and down when braking. So my next move is to replace the shocks and the leafs because they are worn from hauling some heavy loads. Sorry about the long shpeel bout now u guys know my dilemma. plz help a fellow ford trucker!

 

I dont think you would have to change the springs, but the shocks would not be a bad idea. To test, jump on the rear bumper. good shocks will let the truck go down, back up, and stop. If your truck bounces up and down excessively, the shocks are bad.

 

Welcome to the forum ford truckin

Did the dealer try turning the drums to see if they are round? Even though they were replaced they may be warped.
If that's not the case I would also check the U-joints in the rear driveshaft. A while back I chased my tail trying to fix a problem like you've got and it ended up being the rear U-joint was seized. When the torque on the driveshaft was powering the rear end the U-joint worked somewhat smoothly. When the rear end was driving the driveshaft it would bind up. It was a strange one.

 

Hey guys thanx for the suggestions. the garage I go to tried turning the drums that were on their in the first place. they said the drums looked a little warped. when that didn't work we replaced the drums with a new set. after that the drums were turned again. the next step was to install a set of heavy duty drums. when that didn't work we changed brakes and the seals. so I tried standing on the truck and the springs seem okay, though I was told its time to change them. I have read about the rear U-joint and talked with a co-worker who also said to check it out. so that's probably my next step. just wish I had time and the tools to do it myself. is it a difficult or time consuming repair? i definitely am not going back to the dealer b/c they'll take an arm and a leg from me. not to mention i'll have to tell them what to do! sorry for the long reply, i appreciate all the responses.

 

did you test the shocks like i mentioned earlier? The shocks are easy to change, just one bolt on the top and bottom of each one, and relatively cheap. Your springs themselves shouldnt need to be replaced for decades.

 

i would check the shocks also, my 00' f150 xcab did that when the rear rotors were warped.

 

-Bob J.
I appreciate the info, i've checked the shocks like you mentioned. They seem fine.

 

If you have over 50 or 60k on the truck I'm pretty you'll notice a big difference if you changed your shocks. Even if they have nothing to do with the bounce issue you're experiencing I would change them out. I put the Monroe Reflex on my '01 and like them alot. However I don't haul a lot of weight so I don't know how they'll hold up over time if you load them up all the time. When I have had weight in the truck they handle very well.

As far as the bounce test the truck performed the same in that test before and after the shocks were replaced but there was a significant ride improvement after replacement. I do have a 4x4 and that may have something to do with the bounce test not being a good indicator. The bounce test has worked for cars and an old two wheel drive Datsun I had but the last two 4x4 never bounced much even when jumping on the bumper(I'm around 185lbs).

Hope you find out what's up soon and post back here.

Tim

 

Would excessive play in the rear cause a bounce when braking?

 

Tim, the bounce test works for me, im 250 lbs The stiffer springs may also make the bounce test useless. Granted its not the best way to test the shocks, but if youve got over 50k miles on it, you will notice an improvement anyway, at least with high quality shocks. I like the Monroe Reflex as well, and use Gabriel shocks all the time. Shouldnt cost you more than $75 for a pair of good rear shocks.

 

If you do change out the shocks I'd do all four.

Of the last six vehicles I've changed shocks out on in the last 3 years, all with less than 90,000 miles, two sets were completely dead!! Push them together and they stayed closed, pull them apart and they stayed extended. On my '01 4x4 with the off road package(read heavy duty shocks) I replaced them at 67,000 miles. I took all 4 old shocks and collasped them at the same time ( a little tricky but the cement wall and a 2x4 helped) and then released them- All expanded at a different rates. I believe this indicated that at least three were worn and most likely all were worn out.

However, having driven a vehicle with completely dead shocks( my toyota RV) and ridden in friend's vehicle w/ dead shocks(Mitsubishi Montero) I don't believe the shocks are causing the bouncing when braking.

Also, I broke a leaf spring on my old Ranger 4x4 driving off a curb with a load of cut wood and while I heard it snap- what the heck was that?? - it was several weeks before the broken leaf slipped out of place so that I actually noticed and it was probably another 3-4 weeks before I replaced it. In that time there was never an issue with bouncing while braking.

I suspect the brake system or perhaps the u-joints as Racerguy suggested.

Question for Ford truckin- Are the rear wheels locking up and skidding when the bouncing is occurring?

As far as inspecting the u-joints, my Haynes manual suggests putting the rear of the vehicle on jack stands and "have an assistant rotate a rear wheel so the drivehsaft rotates. As it does, make sure the u-joints are operating properly without binding, noise or looseness."

Tim

 

Sounds like it could be a bent axle. I had a 98 that bouced like this when I braked hard. Turned out to be a bent axle. If the truck slid into a curb at one point, that could have done it. I also vaguely remember a thread on this as a problem from the factory.
Just my 1.0125 cents. (Gotta cut back with gas prices and all)

 

Is your truck a 4X2? Might be a long shot but Ford had a TSB 02-21-11 for 1997-2002 4X2's. It's for cab/body bounce at highway speeds but you never know. Hope this helps.

https://www.ford-trucks.com/tsb/full...p?tsb=02-21-11

 

My truck hops at 36-40 MPH. IT doesnt matter if im braking or accelerating.

 

pilot 10-the rear wheels are not locking up or skidding when I brake. I am going to check the u-joint and axles today, and possibly switch out the shocks if I have time. I'll let you guys know the outcome. thanx for all the great feedback.

-ford truckin