death wobble visualized.

Crankybait

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Dad's '01 2wd F250 Powerstroke at 139k started the death wobble about 2 yrs ago. I checked it over and could find no loose parts. It still had original shocks so we replaced those and I tried to convince dad that it was ready for a set of tires, the new shocks helped at the time . Then he got sick and very shortly passed away. Mom didn't use the truck too much the next several months and basically forgot about the wobble. The wobble got bad again a couple weeks ago I had her take it to a good front end guy who also found no loose parts and the alignment was not bad but not quite correct. The guys at Firestone years ago supposedly aligned it and gave a copy to Dad. It was not correct then. Any way after a proper alignment and new tires Mom is back business.
 

Agnem

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These go cam's really make it easy to see where the problem is though!
 

rustygold

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Yeah ture but them gear boxes are not made for big tires like the are rigs and up have to handle that. Having no steering stabilizer could of cause the box to go out.

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79jasper

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Oh for sure.
But then you get into steering components taking the beating vs your wrist. Lol which can be bad also. Something has to have some give.

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riotwarrior

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Yeah ture but them gear boxes are not made for big tires like the are rigs and up have to handle that. Having no steering stabilizer could of cause the box to go out.

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I doubt that....

A properly designed suspension with good parts is not likely to need any tupe of stabilzer.

That being said....if all components are in good order and no signs of miss alignment...king pin or bj angle aka caster and camber are good then perhaps the dampner could be the pice of puzzle to solve the issue.

Better to test and do all work first without one....then add to see if cures issue.

The impact of stick ...or pothole could and does i duce a sudden movement and with large flexy tyres that can exagerate and become wobble...a dampner could help reduce the oscillation just as a shock sops ongoing bouncing in springs....

Bottom line do not use a dampner to be a bandaid cure all to mask a pre existing condition....keep those front end components in good order and use the dampner to relieve thr stress of sudden impacts that can induce this type of behaviour.


JM7.3CW Eh!
 

towcat

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Steering stabilizers are great, but can be a bandaid to death wobble.

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if it can help you regain control of the vehicle, I'm all for it.
i have seen too many older F450's go deathwobble and shear off the steering shaft. at that point, your existence is up to the good lord.
I'll deal with the band-aid, thank you.
 

rustygold

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I don't have a steering stabilizer on my f350 rides great but my 93 ranger with 35 I had it needed them. Stock size tire was 26 for that truck it was alot of tire for that gear box.

When your SAI(Steering Axis Inclination) are off that is really give you the wobble. Even when everything is perfect everwhere else. That 93 ranger I could never get the SAI right because the hight of tire and could get the right off set.


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riotwarrior

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I don't have a steering stabilizer on my f350 rides great but my 93 ranger with 35 I had it needed them. Stock size tire was 26 for that truck it was alot of tire for that gear box.

When your SAI(Steering Axis Inclination) are off that is really give you the wobble. Even when everything is perfect everwhere else. That 93 ranger I could never get the SAI right because the hight of tire and could get the right off set.


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93 ranger...and F350...have exactly same steering box fyi
 
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