Shudder in low, first and second! Help
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New User
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 21
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From: Conroe, TX
Shudder in low, first and second! Help
Hello everyone. I have been having this problem for a while when i pull a load. The heavier the load the worse the shudder is getting. So finally yesterday i pulled into the dealer with a loaded trailer.. Maybe 10-12k pounds. The tech came out and drove the truck and then looked at it and under it for a while.. He told me that when the truck is loaded down that it is squatting a little bit and putting the drive shaft at an akward position. Now this is an F-350 so it doesnt really squat that much .... he said that because of the way that ford designed the 2008 that there was no way to fix this ... he said that they could add shims to adjust it if it was the other way .. but that there is no shims to take out to adjust it to the way that i need it and that the only way to fix it is to have a custom part built. Now i bought this truck because i pull heavy loads and for this to happen is really frustrating me.. Has anyone come accross this problem before and if so how did you fix it??
I forgot to mention that it is a 2008 SRW 6-speed Long wheel base
I forgot to mention that it is a 2008 SRW 6-speed Long wheel base
Last edited by TexasSuperDuty; May 19, 2009 at 03:33 PM. Reason: left something out
Laughing Gas
Joined: Aug 2008
Posts: 832
Likes: 110
The shim answer is true to the words I hear on other forums, be it about a 350 or 450, but you are the first to be bottomed out. Problem seems to beblamed on having that smooth ride when empty, so the shutter with that shim fix is usually there when empty if not there when in some state of loaded configuration. Most gave up after such results and added air bags if you can believe it. Can you shift some of the trailer load, say your welder or water tank, from the front to rear of your trailer lightening up on its toungue weight? Is your trailer running level or is it riding on its rear tandum axle?-if so lowering your hitch ball height, but definately not further than level, would equalize the load and take more load off the truck springs. Try a $10 scale at a truck stop (not DOT!) soon and again after your try some of the above - it will tell you how much weight is on each axle of trailer and truck and the effect of any your weight redistribution efforts. Hopefully you can get enough off the truck that you don't need the air bags.
John D
John D
Elder User
Joined: Jul 2006
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Me and several other Nuwa owners with '05 to '08 Fords and Dodges have discovered that air bags are the solution to this problem. Both companies have TSB's to address "Shudder on launch" problems by adding the shims, but the TSB is only applicable if you have the problem with no load. The shims won't help when you put a load on the truck.
Air bags will allow you to lift the back end of the truck back to factory unladen height and correct the drive-shaft angle.
FWIW, I have a 3800 lb pin weight and run about 8000 lbs on the rear axle of my truck when towing. It has a 9000 lb axle capacity.
Air bags will allow you to lift the back end of the truck back to factory unladen height and correct the drive-shaft angle.
FWIW, I have a 3800 lb pin weight and run about 8000 lbs on the rear axle of my truck when towing. It has a 9000 lb axle capacity.
Super Moderator
Joined: Aug 2008
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From: Frederick, MD
As an alternative you could try to shim the carrier bearing, maybe a 1" or so is the most I would recommend, otherwise air bags as suggested are a good option.
Mine will do the same thing pulling heavy under full power from a stop as well, but just choose to live with it as it very brief for me.
Mine will do the same thing pulling heavy under full power from a stop as well, but just choose to live with it as it very brief for me.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Mar 2009
Posts: 843
Likes: 6
From: Jessup, PA
This is interesting. I wasn't aware of this. Is this only on the pickups? I was hauling 3-4 ton loads all day Sunday and two loads on Tuesday and never experienced any shutter. Actually the truck was awesome compared to my '79 1 ton. My truck doesn't have a carrier bearing. It only has the non greasable spline boot. Is this problem only associated with drive shafts with carrier bearings?
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Senior User
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 235
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From: Rochester, IN
Adding shims would not help at all it would make it worse. You add shims when you lift a truck. In this case the original post is having the opposite problem the drive shaft are not in line in the opposite direction. So you would want to take out shims, but there are none to take out. I agree with others that air bags seem to be the fix.
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Joined: Oct 2008
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From: Goose Creek, SC
Umm this might be a completely different issue but my old (95) F150 would shudder in 1st and 2nd also but it turned out to be one of the bolts for the transmission tailhouse was working it's way loose. I was quoted by Aamco $1200 to pull and rebuild the tranny before I decided to crawl under it myself to try to find the problem. I had to tighten the bolt every time I changed the oil (I tried loctite but it wouldn't hold for some reason). It may not be your problem but it couldn't hurt to check. Hope you get it fixed.
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