Help! Terrible Chatter Going Over Bump

[RnyMtnDiesel]

Hello~

Just bought a 96 F250 SuperCab 4x4 PSD this past weekend and I finally decided to drive her to work today. Well tonight as I was driving home I hit an awkward bump on the road going @45mph due to construction and my truck suddenly started chattering up and down like a pogo on the front passenger side. The whole cab started shaking and phones and water was flying everywhere. It was a vertical chatter, NOT like a shimmy from left to right. I was forced to pullover as it felt like the tire was literally coming off the truck. I stopped, got out and inspected the truck and nothing seemed noticeably wrong. Got back in, and drove off. Never happened again while driving home.

What bugs me on this is I NEVER noticed this while test-driving the truck nor was it spotted when I took it to a Ford Dealership for a used car inspection. Normally, this is something I would have spotted, but the shocks were painted black either by the previous owner or the dealership so I cant tell if they're leaking...

Is this a toasted shock?!

[ab85435]

Normally on an F350 (solid front axle) it's the traction bar bushings, on the F250 with the twin traction beam maybe it's the axle pivot bushing. You will have to get the front end off the ground and do a shakedown. My best guess is a worn out bushing on the front end somewhere.

[ol_Blue97]

how rusted is the truck..... the front core support come loose. had that happen to an f-150 i knew. the whole front clip was just floating on the frame

[RnyMtnDiesel]

wow...scary to think about floating front end....it has some rust...no more than any other truck of the same age though. Think the best bet will be to get the front end off the ground and just start tearing in to it. Start with bushings and go from there.

[ol_Blue97]

get it up and start prying around with a bar.... look into the front sway bar also... the 99-04 SD are notorous for the sway bar rattle whrn the bushings start to wear out.. maby the OBS ones are too?? IDK

[ol_Blue97]

haha never saw it was a 250..... center pivit bushings are a good canidate. no sway bar on that truck

[RnyMtnDiesel]

haha yeah 250...ok will check that out. Ultimately I really want to do the D60 swap but just trying to get her in to a driveable condition for the time being. Just happy the engine is strong and tranny is healthy...will post pics when I get a chance...looks like grandpa's farm truck with the diamond plate running boards and base model steelies on an XLT, but she's clean

[sgg93]

Mine ended up being a combination of sticking brake calipers, worn tie rod ends, bad ball joints, out of balance tires, and a bad track bar bushing. But that's on a solid axle too. They're all worth checking.