2011 Super Duty Steering Oscillation

Keith Browning · May 20, 2011

This truck was #3 after the first two that had bad shocks... however, this truck is special. It has a really bad steering wheel oscillation issue, the wheel shakes violently and you can feel the front end hopping as it skates into the next lane. You have to nearly come to a full stop to make it end. It acts like the older trucks with bad track bar bushings.

This truck got new a full inspection, re-torqued suspension fasteners, new front shocks, steering stabilizer and track bar ball joint. The steering alignment has not been checked, and this is the part that pisses me off, because nobody wants to pay for it. Changing caster to the full negative end of specification has helped with other trucks.

Just curious if anyone has come across this. I am wondering if the steering gear can influence this too. It seems like is has no looseness. The oscillation is more likely to happen on a long curving on-ramp. I remember a recall back in the early 1990's for this involving steering gear sector shafts. Am I reaching too far?

Brad Clayton · May 20, 2011

I have had some luck with tightening the gear box just a touch.

Matt Saunoras · May 20, 2011

I've got one coming back on monday 2011 F-250 6.2L. Supposedly shakes out of control when you hit a bump at highway speeds. could not verify but I'm going to have to this time or it's not getting pulled in.

A couple weeks ago I put in a RF tierod end and a track bar balljoint because each had some play. Tire pressure and alignment were okay on this truck. Did not remove the steering damper at the time so I'll be looking at it

I know one thing, the gear box in my truck is about as loose as any I've ever driven and it doesn't do any of this crap on the highway

GregH · May 29, 2011

I had an old body style explorer (97 or so) 2-door with the 255 tires that did the same thing. New tires fixed it..

Jim Warman · May 29, 2011

Position the truck with the wheels straight ahead (the steering wheel spokes even on each side should give you dead centre on the steering gear high point. Gently move the wheel side to side - the torsion bar in the spool valve will give you some "spring" but the idea is to identify any looseness. If the steering wheel returns to the same spot by itself after moving it both to the left and the right (without actually moving the wheels), there is little chance that steering gear adjustment will help.

If you are a little more anal and would like to use a dial reading torque wrenc to actually read the steering gear mesh preload over centre, you can remove the drag link and the drivers airbag module and use the torque wrench to measure first preload over centre and then preload at both full left lock and full right lock (this is to ensure that input shaft preload isn't fucking up your reading).

You don't say if the truck has a lift kit or a levelling kit. Either of these can affect caster and I have seen a few where the installer has used the supplied bushings to really screw things up. I did a front axle drive shaft U-joint on one truck that had such an agressive caster adjustment performed that I had to undo the top ball joint to get the locking hub back in.

Matt Saunoras · May 30, 2011

The truck I mentioned in my first post hasn't returned yet.

Keith Browning · June 2, 2011

There seems to be an issue with shock absorbers on these things. I heard that many of the returned shocks had valve problems. This truck is waiting for a second set. Waiting because there is no stock ANYWHERE except Detroit. That kinda says something eh?

Keith Browning · September 10, 2011

Well since I last posted on this the truck has returned. Customer still complaining about the shaking and the four Continental tires I installed 13,000 miles ago are worn down to 4 32nds in the rear.

Also since then TSB 11-6-14 seems to be Ford's fix for this. A road test over the exact road the customer demonstrated the scary oscillation only exhibited a couple shakes of the front end which then settled down. This is how it was when it last left me. It's better but I personally think this front end is right on the edge of acceptable.

I have been reading other posts about these front ends and I think this is going to remain an issue. I also read that replacing the shocks and the stabilizer with another brand (premium or performance) take your pick seems to correct any indication of shaking.

I also attached the TSB for anyone who hasn't seen it...

Keith Browning · December 23, 2011

I can't take it any more.

Please visit this post http://www.thedieselstop.com/forums/f149/front-end-bounce-high-speeds-274673/index4.html and add to my comments if you have anything to say about this topic. And don't beat Cory up...

Jim Warman · December 23, 2011

OK... I stopped by and passed a comment - I think I showed a remarkable amount of restraint.

The "fie on Ford" part... "death wobble" has been around since the move to coil spring front ends on the 4X4s. They've had us fucking around with bandaids since.... 07-10-10 should be required reading.

I guess nearly 7 years isn't quite enough time to fix this concern on the production line (and I'm not going to mention these new fangled CVH ESOF hubs).

Keith Browning · December 23, 2011

Jim, front axle concerns even go back into the early 1980's and who knows maybe even farther back than that. That is something that you would think engineers would have figured out long ago with solid front axles. As I understand Dodge is also having issues with this. I think it may be a component cost issue. Are the bushings, track-bar ball joints, shocks and dampeners strong enough? Are they durable enough?

I have pulled off dampeners that my daughter could collapse. Shocks that won't rebound and quite a few track-bar joints - all at very low mileage.

Perhaps the parts these trucks are built with are not necessarily Super Duty.

As I pointed out, if a consumer has to buy aftermarket parts to correct a problem with a truck to make it safe there is a problem. It also backs up my opinion that the OEM parts are not quite 100%.

Jim Warman · February 5, 2012

One reader has offered the idea that different rims and tires can exacerbate the condition. While I agree in part with the thought process, I would hope that the factory efforts would have a large "margin of error" built in as a "safety factor".

In the early 80s, Escorts and similar cars had a very real concern with the mufflers freezing off - in the early 2000s, we saw a resurgence with the Focus. Ford had, as a cost cutting measure, reduced engineering staff through attrition and early retirement. The "new" engineers didn't spec a weep hole in the mufflers. I'm told that some Fiestas lack weep holes in the muffler...

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Matt Saunoras · November 3, 2012

I looked at a 2011 F-250 today that's coming back in a few weeks. The customer says this has been an ongoing issue since about 18k miles. The truck now has 56k. It has a closed CUDL from another dealer and the cust states an FSE was involved.

So far this is what I've found.

-Another dealer replaced a RF outer tierod end, track bar balljoint, steering damper, steering box, and installed aftermarket caster shims in the front end. I haven't verified alignment yet but it looks like the knuckle is kicked way negative.

- The tires are BFG all terrain, load range E set at door sticker recommended 65 PSI, same tires as I run on my truck. The shocks are original Rancho FX4 shocks. I am getting a significant amount of movement out of the upper draglink joint and a very slight movement out of the upper track bar bushing. Balljoints do not have any play.

-RF caliper is sticking and I'll address that issue when it returns too.

cbriggs · November 9, 2012

If the bfg's are under 50% tread toss em. Movement in any trac bar component or drag link component is a very likely cause. All of my oscilating wheel concerns have been repaired by replacing loose trac bar components or crap tires. (and the odd pitman arm coming loose, only on lifted trucks though)

Jim Warman · November 10, 2012

If the bfg's are under 50% tread toss em. Movement in any trac bar component or drag link component is a very likely cause. All of my oscilating wheel concerns have been repaired by replacing loose trac bar components or crap tires. (and the odd pitman arm coming loose, only on lifted trucks though)

For dropped pitman arms that are problematic (read that as prone to coming loose), I have a solution that appears to work.

We have an old electric fry pan for heating ZF6 parts for installation. I pour in a suitable amount of straight coolant, turn the pan to full high and immerse the pitman arm into the coolant. Once the arm is up to temp (welding gloves required) I install the arm and torque it to spec quickly.

If there is a lock washer, put it in the scrap steel bin where it belongs. Henry Yunick is quoted as saying "If you need a lock washer - it's too late".