I have a 1990 F-150 2wd V8 5.8 Liters with 101,000 miles on it so far...

the problem: I let the truck sit for several months in my backyard... now when I drive it, i think the front driver side tire shakes like theres no tomorrow. It's when I get up to about 35-40 around there.. It is not effected by bumps or applying breaks etc...just driving it.

What it has installed on it... -6 inch procomp lift with extended radius arms. Drop down pitman arm and a dual steering stabalizer. 37 inch baja t/a tires with steel wheels with twin ibeams. I just now replaced both ibeam pivot bushings as well as the wheel bearings. I know the alignment is a little out of wack...and I don't have any casters (slugs) installed for the lift..so the camber is off also. But it JUST started doing it all of the sudden when I started driving it again. It almost feels like my driver side tire has play in it when you try to shake it...but just barely. (when i shake it and look at it, it looks like the whole hub shakes with it (diskbrake) and all but nothing else? The tie rod in the front moves along with it...but i think thats normal? The passenger side has no play..but the inside of the tire is worn. I was just driving it after 7 months of sitting and after about 5 miles...it started. Upper an lower balljoints maybe? Do you think sitting so long might have warped my tires from the 115 degree summer? Tires have never been balanced.. It just seems weird to me that it would start shaking and my whole bed starts shaking in response to the front driver side tire. I have pics on cardomain.com

heres the link: http://www.cardomain.com/ride/2926000

any help would DEFFINETELY be appreciated (POST ANYTHING weither it sounds stupid or not...cause i'm out of ideas.)

-Preston

 

Sharp looking truck brother, and welcome to the forum.

I do suppose it's possible that you could have warped the tires but from what I've heard, that usually happens when you expose real hot tires to a real cold temp (or vice versa). I would bet that this is NOT your problem. Although you did say that you've left this truck sitting without driving for sometime, which cause cause a flat portion to form on the bottom of the tires... If you think this is the case, take them to a tire shop that has the machine which can check for tire ROUNDNESS.

If you want to check your ball joints, jack the front tires a few inches off the ground, slide a metal pipe or wood 2x4 under the tire and pull up (not too hard!!). The wheels and tire should not move at all, tight as rock. If there's any movement, your ball joints are going out.

My first instinct here is that you need to get that alignment taken care. A bad alignment can cause a wicked vibration when at speed. When the last time those huge tires got an balance and rotation? Bigger tires are more prone to falling far out of balance. Let us know how it turns out brother.

 

U-joints or a bad tire in itself...could have busted some belts.......might even wanna check the lugnuts.Luck

JR

 

I'm leaving right now...so i have to keep it short..

but thanks for the quick response!

Tomorrow I will check for play (tryin to shift it up and down) to check the balljoints..but it seems to be more so (side to side)

If I can even get it down to an alignment shop i will. And i'll have them put the casters in while there at it. I'll also see if I have time to get the tires balanced...

after I do that I'll let you know how things go and update you on how it's acting.
I'll get on sometime tomorrow..thanks!

 

I pretty much agree with the above posts. Get that alignment set up and fixed. Check your balljoints/tierods.. go from there. Oh and even though I've let mine sit for quite a while, check up on the tires just to eliminate them from the equation.

 

Either bad flat spot on tires, or loose front end components and could use a shimmy damper. Dealer s have them.

 

Hi, Thanks you guys for all the feedback. It's nice to get info on the problem for free! So far...i just ordered all new tie rod/ends and upper and lower ball joints...so i'm gonna put those in then get it aligned with the casters installed...and get the tires balanced. THEN...i'll let you know how things work out!

thanks again for the help!
-Preston

 

If THAT doesn't fix it, then I don't know WHAT will.

 

Good plan. Looking forward to hearing if the problems cured.

 

I had a similar problem on my 93 F250. I had the shimmy only around 45-50 mph sometimes (not always). It drove me nuts. Found out that belts shifted in the tires. Had new front tires installed and the problem disappeared. That was 7 months ago and still no problem. Just passing on my experience. Good luck.

 

yea...but this isn't just a normal shimmy in the front..

like i said..a shake from hell..= p

it almost feels like my tire is going to fall off...

but now i'm just waiting on the new tierods and all the other parts to get shipped here.. Gotta love EBAY

i have everything dissasembled in my driveway already...just the shipping which is holding me up! i'll let you guys know how things go!

thanks
-Preston