Death Wobble!!!!

[MarkInMd]

My truck 2017 F-250 is at the dealer right now for the same issue. 11,500 miles on it. I had my wife shoot a video as we approached an expansion joint that had started it in the past. This one was very mild in comparison to some we've had.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7tv7x55c7grs645/VID_20181206_101436.mp4?dl=0

 

[i-Henry]

That's crazy. You'd think they would have figured this out by now. I've usually heard that it was related to after marker or wear, but a number of people have new stock trucks and are experiencing the same thing. :/
I hope you get your truck back quickly.

 

[Max Lambert]

I just purchased a 2014 F250 diesel with 103,000 miles. I love this truck so far. I have not experienced what is being described in this thread but I have noticed, when hitting a bump with the front end, it wobbles just a bit for only for a second or two and it's minor in nature. I noted that the front shocks look new on this vehicle. I had stopped by the Ford dealer with the VIN number checking for recalls and there were none. There were several year models mentioned in this thread so am I right to assume this negative characteristic affects all year models? Please advise and thank you in advance!

 

[01yellerCobra]

I just purchased a 2014 F250 diesel with 103,000 miles. I love this truck so far. I have not experienced what is being described in this thread but I have noticed, when hitting a bump with the front end, it wobbles just a bit for only for a second or two and it's minor in nature. I noted that the front shocks look new on this vehicle. I had stopped by the Ford dealer with the VIN number checking for recalls and there were none. There were several year models mentioned in this thread so am I right to assume this negative characteristic affects all year models? Please advise and thank you in advance!

This is a problem with the 17+. As far as I know the 11-16's don't have the issue. I've never had the issue with my truck. And just because the shocks look new doesn't mean they are. I swapped to Bilsteins around 30k. My originals looked good on the truck, but I found leaks when I took them off.

 

[Stephen Swap]

Reimbursement for my rental car has been approved. I'm now waiting for the check. My selling dealer, Horne in Apache Junction, AZ, was very instrumental in the reimbursement process. Since my truck is not a daily driver it will be May before I start putting the miles on it. I'll report back good or bad on how the repair went.

 

[Stephen Swap]

So here is an update on my 2017 F250 DEATH WOBBLE issue. IT'S FUC*ING BACK. 6000 miles after basically having the whole front end rebuilt and it has come back with a vengeance. Pretty dang scary to have the steering wheel ripped out of your hands at 65mph. Back in the shop for a third time. Another new steering damper, alignment and wheel balance. It's fixed for now but I'm not convinced that it's gone for good. I did file a complaint with the NHTSA. Plenty of other owners have also filed. When I get back home I'm going to pursue the Lemon Law process on this truck. $64,000 for a truck that I'm afraid to drive. 20,500 on a completely stock truck just doesn't make sense.

 

[Shaggy]

So here is an update on my 2017 F250 DEATH WOBBLE issue. IT'S FUC*ING BACK. 6000 miles after basically having the whole front end rebuilt and it has come back with a vengeance. Pretty dang scary to have the steering wheel ripped out of your hands at 65mph. Back in the shop for a third time. Another new steering damper, alignment and wheel balance. It's fixed for now but I'm not convinced that it's gone for good. I did file a complaint with the NHTSA. Plenty of other owners have also filed. When I get back home I'm going to pursue the Lemon Law process on this truck. $64,000 for a truck that I'm afraid to drive. 20,500 on a completely stock truck just doesn't make sense.

That's crazy. How long was the truck in for for all the replacements?

 

[Stephen Swap]

That's crazy. How long was the truck in for for all the replacements?

In the shop for 24 hours. I feel for the Ford service guys that are caught in the middle. It sure as heck isn't their fault.

 

[storage_man]

I just find this unbelievable. All these years and the SD's still have that Death Wobble. The 2006 that I had, got the DW right at 25k. Ford also had a TSB on it back then. They did fix it (It was caused by the dampener). I drove it to 100k and never had the problem again.

And to Stephen Swap, don't know which dealer your using, but my recommendation has always been Sanderson Ford. The best Diesel techs ever.

 

[rlaspinall]

I have a 2011 that has had the same problem. Ford kept trying to repair it but it kept coming back. I took it to a shop that specializes in axles, springs and front ends. They confirmed that my castor was set wrong from the factory once corrected, my problem has virtually gone away. They compared it to a grocery cart with a wobbly wheel. The wheels wobble because they have been bent back lightly. In my case, the right front wheel had been set back slightly from the left front wheel setting. The steering still get slightly loose and I have to do front end work (track bar bushing and ball joint, steering damper) every 100k or so, but they claim that is largely a result of having 20" wheels and the extra wear they put on the front end parts.