I have an '06 F-250 and it is my second powerstroke that I have owned, my first was an '02 7.3L that I fully loaded out (winch, 4" Rancho lift, 35" Pro-comp mud T/As, power programmer, K&N intake and kickin' sound system). My current truck seems to have an issue, when I'm driving on the highway here in San Diego I get to certain portions of the highway and the truck shakes violently. Not to the point where it just rattles stuff in the truck but rather to the point where it will shake the Mt Dew bottles to the point of pressurizing it. The truck has a bone stock drive train, no lift and factory tires with correct tire pressure as well as having factory Rancho shocks. I only have 21K miles on it and was looking to lift it but now I'm thinking of just not dealing with it for now, have Ford look at it, fix it and look at a newer model. I looked at the 2011 model and it really looks like Ford has really figured it out this time. So now the question, should I wait until next year after initial release for the '11 or does anyone have a viable answer or similar story to my dilemma?

 

This is a known issue with the 05-07 trucks. There have been several threads recently about it, a quick scroll down through the SD forum should find them. It is believed that it's flex in the frame in the area between the cab and the box, and it really only seems to be real pronounced unloaded on highways with alot of expansion joints where they start that oscilation. My 05 does it too, but a few hundred pounds at the back of the box settles it right down. There was a damper that Ford put out a while back for it, but most that have it say it doesn't help at all.

 

Is it shaking or hopping? My 05 "hops" due to the road surface and it's long wheelbase.

 

It is more of a hop and I think it's almost embarrassing. I say that because it seems like all the other cars around me on the highway seem to really distance themselves when it happens. It is a long bed so I understand the whole flexing issue. Thanks Wizardsr, I will definitely add a few hundred pounds of weight to the bed and I'll see how it goes from there.

 

I had an 03 decked out also , then i got the 06 recently and experience the same problem. Learn it has happend to a bunch of people before. search for death wobble.

 

don't think it is the death wobble at all. Having been in San Diego area, they are very fond of concrete freeways and expansion joints. I agree try and add some weight and see if that helps. There was no mention of the steering wheel being jerked out of his hands so death wobble is not it.

 

well my 06 LB hopps and death wobbles haha.

 

Mine was the rear wheel bearings not having the proper preload from the factory. They were loose and putting weight in the bed or towing a trailer would make sense to help. You would be loading the bearing that way. I have read and replied to a post or two about this. I'm not saying this will fix your issue but it did mine. I have the Dana full float rear end in my truck. When it would get shaking my passenger seat would shake like crazy if no one was sitting in it. Things that I tried along the way was to removed the rear drive shaft and drive it in front wheel drive ( shaft is currently still out ) and balance the rear tires, also adjusted the 6-way shocks. After those didn't fix anything I decided to check out the rear bearings. With the wheel off the ground I put the floor jack handle under the tire and tried to lift up on the tire. Right side had a small amount of movement and the left side moved enough to make a clunking sound. Manual calls for no endplay movement at the hub with a dial indicator. The is a procedure to set them. I did it and when I came back from my test drive my wife could tell by the look on my face. She said " you fixed it didn't you? " Well if it's an easy thing to check and if you need to adjust them the special socket is about $18.00 Good luck !!!!

 

So aside from having a super busy weekend of work, getting engaged, waking up to a nasty hangover and playing in a soccer game I did add four hundred pounds of sand from a local hardware store the ride seems to have gotten a lot better. It didn't seem to do it as bad in a couple of the spots where I have had problems before. I did however pick up the new article on the '11 model and man, I must say that thing looks utterly amazing. I want one! Thank you all for your time and input and will take it as sound advice.

 

Congratulations!

 

congrats on the engagement!

 

Did you get engaged before you got drunk or after you got drunk?

 

those factory shocks arent rancho they just paint them to look alike alot of people get a much better ride when they swap em to bilsteins real ranchos also make it better

we have a pair of crew cab long beds that always have a bunch of weight in em they never hop wobble shimmy or shake somethin tells me ford does alot of testing with heavy loads not so much with out

 

We have devloped a fix for the wobble. 4WHEEL&OFFROAD just did an article about the kit here is the link to it.

Ford Super Duty Death Wobble Cure - 4-Wheel & Off-Road Magazine

 

^how much?