Hi, im from the diesel forum and am having a problem with the front end of my truck. whenever i hit a bump doing about 40 mph. the whole front end of my truck starts shakin so violently that i need to pull over and completly stop for it to go away. now i have replaced my shocks, gear box, tie rods, linkage, tie rod ends, king pins, and tires. i have a '89 F-350 with 3" body lift and had 35", then 36", now a stock balanced set of 235's. i am completely out of options, any help would be great. thanks


-Jacksland

 

Check for a frozen axle joint. I know it sounds strange, but if it doesnt flex, the spindle will "orbit" even with the front unlocked. Let us know what you find.

Nathan

 

HUH....that is weird. Well..what i would do that you didnt mention is check the spindel nut and bearings. If it is loose or if the bearings are worn out i can see the wheel wobbleing happing. My bearings went out and really i didnt hear any noise. Just some weird handling around corners and an occaisnoal click.....other than that...no squeaking or grinding. Give that a check.

Dan "Mudinford" MacDonald

Rather be pushing a Ford than driving a Chevy.

Like A Rock......In Water!

 

Thanks for the ideas. let me check them out tommorow, which would be i believe thrs. yes thrs and i will let you know, thanks for the ideas.

-Jacksland

 

it sounds like a steering stableizer problem. if you already have one, replace it, if not, buy one, and a daul setup is worth the investiment.


nathan, 1st of all, every spindle i've ever seen, is attached to the steering knuckle with 5-6 bolts, depending on vehicle, it is impossible for a spindle to move or as you say orbit, they break before they move.

2nd, the fellow said whenever he hits a bump in the road. and what would a seized up axle joint have to do with that? if everything is right in the front end, the axle does not touch the spindle.

and to you, mud, if the spindle nuts are loose, you would have more than a wable. there would be grinding, clicking, and whenever you apply brakes, it would push the inside brake pad out of the caliper.



if your gonna give advice to people, make sure you know what your talking about, you guys have this poor fellow out tearing his front end apart, again, he said whenever he hits a bump, the suggestions you guys gave him, well if he had those problems, he would never reach 40 mph. i know every one wants to help, but dont cause someone extra work!!!!!!!!

 

Bah, dont get into them too hard, they were just tryin to help, i appreciate it, i knew that it wasnt that but i am still grateful for them taking the time to think about it and write something just as i am grateful for you doing the same, i appreciate everyone helpin, thank you. god i love fords.

-Jacksland

 

84w44s

Think about this a minute, if you were to go out and jack up the front end of your truck, weld the u-joint to the bearing caps while the tires are slightly left or right, then rotate the tire, what would happen? The tire, as it is turned, would cause it to steer back and forth on its way around.

Just to clarify, I had this exact problem before. I searched every part on the front end, finding nothing wrong. Then one day I turned the steering to full lock and couldnt spin the tire (while the truck was on jackstands). It was a locked u-joint. Fixed it, problem solved!

Now, if I give advise on this board, Its either because Ive been there, or know someone who has had the same problem, or there is just no other explaination.

I would thank you, 84w44s, to keep your comments to yourself if you dont know what you are talking about.

Thank you
Nathan

 

One other thing, steering stabilizers are not standard equipment on most trucks, meaning if all is well with the steering and suspension, one is not needed. They just mask other problems.

Nathan

 

Look...im not one to get into a fighting match over advise. But with the descriptions we got we were just throwing out some suggestions to check to see if other parts were in working order. I am not saying that what i told him IS the problem but rather something that needs to be checked. Problem or not,. its good to see what shape its in. I work at a shop, and we take on one thing at a time and eliminate possible causes. That is all we are suggesting...if you know things are working right you can move on to other things and eliminate. AND not to put you down at all...but if you have a bad wobble, that is more than a worn out steering stabilizer. If you get a new one that will/might only cover up the problem.... But you are right; it wouldn’t hurt to check to see the condition of it. But I would figure out your wobble problem first and then get the stabilizer fixed if needed. And my bearing did go out and i never heard a squeal. Not saying that is the norm, but you cant rule it out. My 2 cent.

Dan "Mudinford" MacDonald

Rather be pushing a Ford than driving a Chevy.

Like A Rock......In Water!

 

>84w44s
>
>Think about this a minute, if
>you were to go out
>and jack up the front
>end of your truck, weld
>the u-joint to the bearing
>caps while the tires are
>slightly left or right, then
>rotate the tire, what would
>happen? The tire, as it
>is turned, would cause it
>to steer back and forth
>on its way around.

i don't agree, the axle is not connected to the tire in any way. 1st, it slides into the diff and on the wheel end, theres a snap ring. the snap ring is there to keep the axle end inside the lockout, and to keep the lockout in place. when you put the front end together, and it's right, you can move the axle in or out a good 1/8th to a 1/4 inch. that play is there for when you make hard turns. now having said that, what you described, could certainly happen during hard turns, but remember, the fellow said the problem occurs a 40 mph or more when he hits a bump, and i don't know anyone who corners a truck at 40mph.


>Just to clarify, I had this
>exact problem before. I searched
>every part on the front
>end, finding nothing wrong. Then
>one day I turned the
>steering to full lock and
>couldnt spin the tire (while
>the truck was on jackstands).
>It was a locked u-joint.
>Fixed it, problem solved!

again, 40mph when hitting a bump. a bad u-joint on the rear shaft shimmies the hole vehicle also.

do you have manual or auto hubs?? because on my trucks, with manual hubs, if you spin a lifted front wheel, the axle shaft will not turn with the tire unless the lockout is locked.


>Now, if I give advise on
>this board, Its either because
>Ive been there, or know
>someone who has had the
>same problem, or there is
>just no other explaination.

again, the guy said the problem occured at 40mph and when he hit a bump in the road. the frozen axle joint, like a bad u-joint on the rear shaft, would cause a vibration (not a wabble) as soon as the vehicle started moving, and not only at 40mph.
and just because you don't have any other explaination, doesn't mean somebody else doesn't.


>I would thank you, 84w44s, to
>keep your comments to yourself
>if you dont know what
>you are talking about.
>
>Thank you
>Nathan


with 3 big trucks sitting in my driveway, and one under construction in my garage, all are equipped with 38's or bigger, built from the ground up, so it's pretty safe to say, that i know 4x4's inside and out. i run my trucks in local mud bogs, as well in organized trail rides and week-end expeditions. i'm at and in local mud holes 2-3 times a week, playing in the mud. and trust me when i tell ya, my trucks are built for it. those are my qualifications, what are yours?????

 

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 07-Apr-01 AT 09:31 PM (EST)[/font][p]I do have to agree about the u-joint thing. If the hubs are not locked in, the axle it not moving unless you have it in 4x4. Even then, the locked u-joint would transfer the power to the free axle unless you have a locker. Not saying that is a bad idea and that it didnt happen to you, just i would think something else would cause the problem. Lets just drop the whole thing (every one)_and let the poor guy try to figure out the problem! haha...Aint it great you can get Ford lovers together fight a problem out! God bless America! Ok....Im done!

Dan "Mudinford" MacDonald

Rather be pushing a Ford than driving a Chevy.

Like A Rock......In Water!

 

Not to carry on about this, but a friend came over yesterday with a very similar problem with his F150. Guess what! The axle joint on the drivers side was frozen! With the shaft out, you could hold it out strait and the short shaft would not fall under its own weight. I know this is atough one to visualize if its never happened to you, but it does happen. Its a simple thing to test, so dont rule it out. Even when the hubs are unlocked, the shafts will float (spin) as you are driving. Also, even if the front axle is not engaged, the joint MUST pivot when you turn. As for bumps at 40 mph, that is bump steer. It could force the tire to turn slightly, then it has a hard time coming back to strait because of the joint. It happens, check it out, Ive seen it too many times to be a fluke!

84, I dont doubt your qualifications, but you doubted mine without even knowing me, and pretty much insulted me in your first post. I dont take well to that.

Jacksland, check those joints, you may be supprised at what you find. If not, then you have eliminated another possibility. Let us know what you find.

Nathan

 

I will def. go and check those out and will let ya know what i find, thanks guys and girls if they are out there, just dont want to offend anyone. god i love fords

-Jacksland

 

>84, I dont doubt your qualifications,
>but you doubted mine without
>even knowing me, and pretty
>much insulted me in your
>first post. I dont take
>well to that.


i did not mean it as an insult, and i apologize if you took it that way, and i don't doubt that what your talking about could happen, however, in this instance, with the twin "I" beam front end, and going down the road at 40+mph, i would bet one of my trucks that his problem is stemming from the lack of or a warn out steering stabelizer. and not to insult you again, but those are not the symptoms of bump steer either. bump steer occurs because the tie rods are at a steeper angle than the "I" beams. thus causing the vehicle to act as if it has a mind of its own, and when you hit a bump, there's no wabble, but the "I" beam half goes up and changes angles, but the tie rod end doesn't, thus causing the wheel to turn ever so slightly.

again nathan, don't mean any insults

 

the death wobble thing is common to king pin style d60's. i have watched 90's dodge trucks bone stock do the wobble thing through rough intersections. i gave up on the cure after watching the stock dodge and went dual stabilizers.
for some fuel to the fire, the steering ujoint has to turn, not revolve, to allow the knuckle to travel hubs locked or not.