feels like those rumble strips

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Oct 23, 2007 | 08:19 AM

#16

2002f2507.3LPS

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Joined: Sep 2006

Posts: 484

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From: CT

clean up the hubs, that was my problem anways back when my truck felt like it was on rumble strips all the time. and then a few months later i needed new u joints on the drive shaft, and then a few months later a front wheel bearing, now its smooth down the road at all speeds again..

Oct 23, 2007 | 08:24 AM

#17

Trailblazed

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Joined: Dec 2006

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From: Pittsburgh, PA

My last 99 F250 Superduty V10 did the same thing. It would feel like I was riding on the rumble strips on the road... then go away when I hit a devit or bump in the road. If I would hit another bump in the road, then it would start vibrating/shaking some. It was annoying. It just started out of no where. Never did figure out what caused it except for the fact that my stock front steering damper was blown out.

Oct 23, 2007 | 02:51 PM

#18

Trakk

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Tuned

Joined: Mar 2005

Posts: 262

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From: Nashville, TN

Trailblazed, that's exactly what mine is doing. When you had the steering damper replaced did the problem go away?

Oct 23, 2007 | 03:17 PM

#19

Trailblazed

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Joined: Dec 2006

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From: Pittsburgh, PA

I never got around to replacing the steering damper. I sold the truck as it was letting the buyer know of the potential problem. He seemed to know what it was but he never said one way or the other.. he didn't care.

I honestly was getting very annoyed with the problem. When it would start rumbling again, I'd purposely try to find a bump or anything in the road to hit to make it go away..lol I could only assume it was either the steering damper (needed replaced) or ball joints / tie rod ends.

Oct 23, 2007 | 04:14 PM

#20

Cofooter

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Joined: Oct 2006

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I had the exact same problem you are experiencing but I didn't know how to explain it. You hit the nail on the head with the rumble strip comparison. I found mine went away by either engaging the 4WD on the dash and/or locking the manual hubs. I'd been having intermittent 4WD engagement issues for the last month or so before this happened. IN any case, I'm leaving the hubs engaged for now until I can get around to replacing the hubs with Warn manuals.

Oct 23, 2007 | 04:34 PM

#21

sturzinator

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Joined: Jul 2001

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From: Bridger Mtns, Montana

Replacing just the hubs won't necessarily make the problem go away. The front ends of these trucks have a sealed bearing unit. Replacing the factory ford esof hubs with warn manual types just gets you away from the auto locking hub feature. The real problem lies within the sealed unit itself. The outer needle bearings get dry and that is what causes the rumble strip sound when driving. You can check out how to re-lube these supposedly non-serviceable units on guzzle's site (http://guzzle.rbmicro.com/maint.html) .... or go to Ford and shell out around $400 per side to get new ones.... or just get a whole new Dynatrac front end kit that eliminates the sealed unit altogether for around $1800 (http://www.dynatrac.com/products_freespin_ford.html).

Good luck!

Oct 23, 2007 | 04:46 PM

#22

Cofooter

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Thank you for the info Sturzinator. Why would the problem go away then when I lock the hubs or engage 4WD H??

Oct 24, 2007 | 11:25 AM

#23

Trakk

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Tuned

Joined: Mar 2005

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From: Nashville, TN

Shop says they need to replace my right hub ($550) and drag link ($270). They said those things def need replacing and they're pretty sure that will fix my front end issues, both rumble strip issue and wandering steering. What do y'all think?