Pretty slim.

 

Oops. Not all my message posted.
There is a laundry list of things much more likely than a tire. Anything with a joint or bushing basically. Track bar, drag link, ball joints, king pin bushing, wheel bearing......
Tires, not so much.

 

Track bar bushing and ball joint is an easy potential fix that many people overlook, or deem acceptable, when in fact, are worn.


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I have a 96 F250 that I have replaced every bushing, ball joint, steering link, bearing, shocks, tires and still have the death wobble. I have had it aligned 3 times by different shops and still just as bad. I have tried and replaced everything I can think of with no help. So I am open to any suggestions too.
Thanks

 

4 wheel alignment or just the front?

 

Front axle u-joints are not in the list the things I have read so far -- the dont cause "death wobble" in the classic sense - but do cause random pulling to one side then the other

 

Worn tires can cause death wobble.

I would have bet a considerable amount of money against it, but old tires contributed significantly to my death wobble issues.

 

Shocks, as listed any bushing, are things torqued correctly, is it speed sensitive or bump sensitive or both? IS IT LIFTED LOWERED AIR BAGGED SUSPENSION MODDED IN ANY WAY....are hubs locked in (if four wheel drive)...

 

Does manually locking the hubs make the wobble go away?

 

I am also in this boat

just did the track bar joint and I still have it. Already replaced all the steering linkage and I had it after that as well. I also need new tires and that will be coming soon so will see how that changes how it feels.

I’ve thought about doing wheel bearings as some preventive maintenance in hopes it might make a change. I don’t hear them being worn though.

I think the next thing I’m thinking about the most is the upper and lower steering knuckle joints. I haven’t done them but they looked pretty new. I can’t tell any excess movement when someone moves the steering wheel for me. I need to just take it all apart see if its bad.

 

Don't overlook the radius arm bushings.

 

Solid axle trucks like ours love positive caster. What are your caster settings

 

4 wheel alignment is available in the form of thrust. Your leaf spring pins would have to be out of the block or damage from accident

 

Need to post alignment specifications. Caster adds to straight line stability. Most coil sprung trucks like 5-6’

 

I would have lost money on the tire debate also,but my neighbor has a story.

He has a 2016 (I think) which has aftermarket wheels and nice tires on it when it was bought. He wanted a set of stock wheels for winter weather. He found a set on CL for a decent price with decent tires (tread). He threw those things on, went down the road, and immediately came right back to remove them. He said he wasn't a mile down the road and it went into a bad death wobble.

Now, he had owned the truck for about a year prior to this and it has bee 2 years since it happened. He still has the truck and never one other time had death wobble.

Just food for thought. I know tires aren't going to be the likely cause to the issue, but they can't be overlooked. We checked those tires pretty thoroughly for a slipped belt or any other issue and couldn't find anything.

 

I would have lost money on the tire debate also,but my neighbor has a story.

He has a 2016 (I think) which has aftermarket wheels and nice tires on it when it was bought. He wanted a set of stock wheels for winter weather. He found a set on CL for a decent price with decent tires (tread). He threw those things on, went down the road, and immediately came right back to remove them. He said he wasn't a mile down the road and it went into a bad death wobble.

Now, he had owned the truck for about a year prior to this and it has bee 2 years since it happened. He still has the truck and never one other time had death wobble.

Just food for thought. I know tires aren't going to be the likely cause to the issue, but they can't be overlooked. We checked those tires pretty thoroughly for a slipped belt or any other issue and couldn't find anything.

Not saying this is it ... however bent wheels can cause death wobble..

 

Thanks for all the help! I will check what they set the caster at and look into a 4 wheel alignment.

 

There's "death wobble" and then there's rotational mass that's out of balance. Buying used tires and wheels without getting them balanced is asking for issues.

True "death wobble" as associated to steering components or other hard parts of the suspension is a multi-headed hydra. It's VERY hard to say....it's this (XXX) part....it doesn't apply to ALL trucks. It could be a combination of 2-4 parts that need replacement/adjustment. When you get into a deep conversation with people WELL versed in these suspensions your mind opens up to the algorithm that makes up the front suspension/steering systems on these Super Duty trucks.

You might think it's the lower trac bar mount but it ends up being the frame mount bracket. You think it's the tie rods and ends up being the pitman arm. Or it ends up being 2-3 other parts you don't think of......yea....it's a complicated troubleshooting tree to follow.

 

Are the majority of trucks that get the death wobble modified or does it happen to stock as well?


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It's been reported on stock and lifted trucks.

 

Ford has had death wobble forever. My 1965 F100 had death wobble

 

I personally have experience death wobble one time and from my finding is even when a shop says your steering parts are all good. I would check it myself. Super easy. Have a person in the truck while its started and park on cement. Have them turn the steering wheel left to right and right to left in a decent speed while you go under the front and look at all your connection point, drag link, tie rod ball joint, ect. Anything that moves and is connected to the steering you should look at. Their shouldn't be any play for movement at the connection. A little play will tell you and its worn out and needs replacing. I know from this because I have personally replace, tie rod, drag link bushing, knuckles joint, bushing, wheel bearing on my 2012 with 6in lift and 37in tires. You can tell when something is starting to go out because if you pay attention to how the truck handle a bump on the road, if it starts to wonder a little on bumps and dips than something is loose and is starting to go out.

 

Maybe this will help the OP

 

I have a 2017 and went through 5 steering dampers under warranty. I finally changed my stock Michelin tires and have not had an issue since. It has been about 8,000 miles I have put them on but it seems to have been the problem.

 

Try after market steering stabilizer. I have a 2017 and had same problem. I put a Pro Comp dual shock stabilizer and problem solved.

 

Tires were the source of the problem the time I had the death wobble on my 6.0. Tire had seperated..