recently I posted about having my E4OD in a 92 F250 w/7.3 tranny hunting in OD with the rpm fluctuating from 1700 rpm to @1900 rpm. I drove the truck like this for maybe 50miles at most as I had to get it home. It was suggested to replace the neutral safety switch. I did, and the problem went away immediately. I then drove it for about 2 weeks without any problems ( @ 300 miles). Recently, it developed a shake that rattles the whole truck. I mean a tremendous front end wobble/shake that makes the truck feel like it will just fall apart. This just happened all of a sudden 1 day as I was driving on the highway. I thought a wheel was about to fall off. As I slowed down to @ 25 mph the shake went away. Now if I drive the truck past 30 mph the shake returns in various stages of severity, but sometimes it feels like the wheels will just come off. I can open the windows and see the front wheel actualy wobbling and shaking all over the place. I heard that bad clutch disks in a torque converter will cause a front end shake, but will this actually cause the front wheels to wobble also? This truck has a strange front end that does not have a stabilizer bar. The tie rods are the only thing that keep the front wheels pointes straight. Actually if I go backwards the wheels will slant at an angle as there is nothing to keep them staight. It looks like the truck has a radical camber adjustment, but only going backwards. I have rebuilt the front end @ 10k miles ego. All new ball joints, tie rods, tie rod ends, etc..

Has anyone experienced this type of condition before? I am trying to determine if I have a front end problem or a torque converter problem. Thanks.

 

Definatley sounds like a front end problem to me. Check all your bushings and tie rod ends and weel bearings. The canber thing when going backwards is normal for twin I beem axles. Also if all that stuff checks out you may have an out of balace or just plain bad tire. Hope this helps.

 

I thought about the tires, so I swapped the two good rears to the front, but the shake is still there. thanks.

 

Death wobble it the name of what you are experiencing.

Very common on 4x4 trucks, not quite as common on two wheel drive trucks.

Usually an alignment problem, worn steering parts or a combination of both is the cause.

Since you have moved tires around, tire and wheel problems can probably be eliminated from the list of causes.

If your tire lean is changing an extreme amount when going in reverse, check the bushings in the axle pivot/mounting points.
Yes you normally see a change in tire lean when backing up, but not an extreme change.
Excessive toe in could be another area to check.

 

Dave,

this is a 4x4 truck. I just have never experienced anything like this shake/wobble before and am surprised that it is a common thing. I will dtart looking at front end items first. Thanks.