2011 f250 steering wobble
#1
2011 f250 steering wobble
UPDATE TO PREVIOUS POST
Death Wobble History:
1st occurrence 6/22 , 2011 , 6.7L Diesel F250, 275,000 miles, 20 Factory rims with OEM Michelin tires @ 75% life remaining, rotated and balanced 1 week prior. Truck is well maintained to OEM specs. (all original, no modifications)
Just prior to 1st occurrence I drove 80 miles on I70 (VERY ROUGH INTERSTATE in serious need of re-pavement so the truck took a beating )
While in 2H: I hit a hard bump while exiting onto a sharp turn off ramp @ 25-30 MPH - the steering wobbled (almost as if in 4x4 and dry pavement turning).
2nd and all remaining occurrences:
Usually happens when making a turn at 25-30 MPH and hitting rough road hazards but sometimes happens on straight rough crossings.
When wobble stops I can continue to drive high speeds 45-80 MPH with a tiny amount of vibration in the steering, it tracks straight.
When wobble stops I can continue to drive at slow speed 20-30 MPH but it pulls to one side then sometimes switches to pull from the other. (Note: If I change to 4H in this mode while driving 20-30 MPH the wobble gets worse).
Also after the wobble has settled down the steering requires slightly more effort to turn the wheel (as if the Hubs are locked in). It stays in this mode until a recovery procedure is done.
Recovery Procedure:
Stop, place in Neutral , change to 4H, then back to 2H. Then Truck Drives normal with smooth easy steering until the next hard bump (hard bump while turning is not always required but seems to be the dominant trigger).
?? Maybe a vacuum issue not disengaging the hubs fully ??
TEST:
1. Hubs manually locked , in 2H running on smooth highway 20 to 60 MPH - NO Problem
a. The steering has a little more resistance than in 2H with hubs UNLOCKED, but it seems normal and smooth.
2. Hubs manually locked and in 4H , seems normal and smooth 20-60 MPH
UPDATE 6/28:
TEST: Lock Hubs manually and drive in 2H for 500 miles, attempting to hit every rough crossing and hard bump in my path.
Result: Drives smooth, straight, with never even a hint of steering wobble or vibration.
Conclusion: Investigate Auto Hub Unlock function for full unlock, vacuum leaks, etc.
UPDATE 7/5:
Observed on 6/22 manual lock hubs frozen in AUTO position. Not able to change into manual lock without exerting extreme force.
Countermeasure: clean and lube selectors until operation is smooth and free with only finger force.
TEST: Change hub selector into AUTO mode, drive 3000 miles in 2H with occasional short duration of 4H as needed when off road.
RESULT: PROBLEM SOLVED. No more issues. Not even a hint of steering wobble
JL
Death Wobble History:
1st occurrence 6/22 , 2011 , 6.7L Diesel F250, 275,000 miles, 20 Factory rims with OEM Michelin tires @ 75% life remaining, rotated and balanced 1 week prior. Truck is well maintained to OEM specs. (all original, no modifications)
Just prior to 1st occurrence I drove 80 miles on I70 (VERY ROUGH INTERSTATE in serious need of re-pavement so the truck took a beating )
While in 2H: I hit a hard bump while exiting onto a sharp turn off ramp @ 25-30 MPH - the steering wobbled (almost as if in 4x4 and dry pavement turning).
2nd and all remaining occurrences:
Usually happens when making a turn at 25-30 MPH and hitting rough road hazards but sometimes happens on straight rough crossings.
When wobble stops I can continue to drive high speeds 45-80 MPH with a tiny amount of vibration in the steering, it tracks straight.
When wobble stops I can continue to drive at slow speed 20-30 MPH but it pulls to one side then sometimes switches to pull from the other. (Note: If I change to 4H in this mode while driving 20-30 MPH the wobble gets worse).
Also after the wobble has settled down the steering requires slightly more effort to turn the wheel (as if the Hubs are locked in). It stays in this mode until a recovery procedure is done.
Recovery Procedure:
Stop, place in Neutral , change to 4H, then back to 2H. Then Truck Drives normal with smooth easy steering until the next hard bump (hard bump while turning is not always required but seems to be the dominant trigger).
?? Maybe a vacuum issue not disengaging the hubs fully ??
TEST:
1. Hubs manually locked , in 2H running on smooth highway 20 to 60 MPH - NO Problem
a. The steering has a little more resistance than in 2H with hubs UNLOCKED, but it seems normal and smooth.
2. Hubs manually locked and in 4H , seems normal and smooth 20-60 MPH
UPDATE 6/28:
TEST: Lock Hubs manually and drive in 2H for 500 miles, attempting to hit every rough crossing and hard bump in my path.
Result: Drives smooth, straight, with never even a hint of steering wobble or vibration.
Conclusion: Investigate Auto Hub Unlock function for full unlock, vacuum leaks, etc.
UPDATE 7/5:
Observed on 6/22 manual lock hubs frozen in AUTO position. Not able to change into manual lock without exerting extreme force.
Countermeasure: clean and lube selectors until operation is smooth and free with only finger force.
TEST: Change hub selector into AUTO mode, drive 3000 miles in 2H with occasional short duration of 4H as needed when off road.
RESULT: PROBLEM SOLVED. No more issues. Not even a hint of steering wobble
JL
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