Super Duty Death Wobble and Tuning

[1Kona_Venom]

So still patiently waiting on my vin #, ordered in September. I don't know how much I'm gonna dive right into with lifting the truck and all that. Probably gonna just keep it stock minus a tune for the near term. Thinking if anything I would make the drive to Palm Beach Dyno for the tuning piece. Anyone else have recommendations here on the east coast?

My other question is I've seen several you tube videos 2020+ talk about stock suspension components wearing faster than normal inducing death wobble type behavior. 25k - 35k miles was one posters experience.
Is there much truth to this and what seems to be the culprit?

If this is truth, I guess I would wanna ride that factory warranty as long as possible?

 

[13COBRA]

So still patiently waiting on my vin #, ordered in September. I don't know how much I'm gonna dive right into with lifting the truck and all that. Probably gonna just keep it stock minus a tune for the near term. Thinking if anything I would make the drive to Palm Beach Dyno for the tuning piece. Anyone else have recommendations here on the east coast?

My other question is I've seen several you tube videos 2020+ talk about stock suspension components wearing faster than normal inducing death wobble type behavior. 25k - 35k miles was one posters experience.
Is there much truth to this and what seems to be the culprit?

If this is truth, I guess I would wanna ride that factory warranty as long as possible?

I would just buy a tune from @JJackson515, you wouldn't regret it.

The death wobble is an interesting issue. MOST trucks I've seen experience it, are trucks that pull heavy loads often. I think it leads to premature wear and results in the death wobble.

 

[specracer]

I had a 2017, traded it in with ~50k miles never had it happen. It towed, occationally a 24' and a 44' enclosed car trailers. Now have a 21, with almost 10k miles, has not happened to to this one either.

 

[BlckBox04]

Knock on wood my 19 doesn’t have the wobble and I’m at 38k but I also have a front leveling kit and after market rims. I trailer my cobra every now and again But I don’t do a large amount of hauling.

 

[me32]

I would just buy a tune from @JJackson515, you wouldn't regret it.

The death wobble is an interesting issue. MOST trucks I've seen experience it, are trucks that pull heavy loads often. I think it leads to premature wear and results in the death wobble.

The ones that you have seen come in for the death wobble has there been a pattern of a particular part that has to be replaced on all of them?

 

[SID297]

Never had it in my 09.

 

[JJackson515]

The ones that you have seen come in for the death wobble has there been a pattern of a particular part that has to be replaced on all of them?

we get this all the time. Its basically the ball joint and track bowl loosened up over time due to misalignment and too much stress at certain angles cause it over time. Once it starts, it never gets better. replace all, good alignment. youre good.

 

[me32]

we get this all the time. Its basically the ball joint and track bowl loosened up over time due to misalignment and too much stress at certain angles cause it over time. Once it starts, it never gets better. replace all, good alignment. youre good.

Thanks for the response.

 

[GTSpartan]

I would just buy a tune from @JJackson515, you wouldn't regret it.

The death wobble is an interesting issue. MOST trucks I've seen experience it, are trucks that pull heavy loads often. I think it leads to premature wear and results in the death wobble.

+1

This has been my experience with our fleet trucks as well. Some as quickly as 15K miles. I haven't visually verified, but the service techs always tell us its the ball joints. Appears to be mostly 2017 and newer models.

It's weird, we run a mixed fleet, and Ram's used to be VERY bad while the SD's never had it. Now, it seems to have reversed, and we have Ram's with 300K + with not even a hint of it.

 

[SweetSVT99]

My old 2002 F250 on 37s had the death wobble bad. I completely rebuilt the front end (ball joints, drag link, steering box, pitman arm...everything) and it maybe helped a tiny bit. For me the "fix" was a dual steering stabilizer kit. I know some say that's just covering up the problem, but being that I had already replaced everything else and it never did it again, that's all that mattered to me.

 

[13COBRA]

My old 2002 F250 on 37s had the death wobble bad. I completely rebuilt the front end (ball joints, drag link, steering box, pitman arm...everything) and it maybe helped a tiny bit. For me the "fix" was a dual steering stabilizer kit. I know some say that's just covering up the problem, but being that I had already replaced everything else and it never did it again, that's all that mattered to me.

I suggest a dual stabilizer to everyone.

Sent from my Potato

 

[me32]

I suggest a dual stabilizer to everyone.

Sent from my Potato

Im guessing ford does not do that from the factory to save cost.

 

[1Kona_Venom]

Im guessing ford does not do that from the factory to save cost.

nope
I have a video I will post up later

 

[DoneItDeliberate]

My old roommate had a couple of Super Duty trucks with tire sizes ranging from 37"-40". Regular maintenance and this stabilizer bar eliminated the death wobble:

Super Duty Wobble

superdutywobble.com

 

[1Kona_Venom]

Good video that led me to posting this thread. He does have some entertaining stuff to watch.

Cliff Notes:

Replace drag link and install dual stabilizer

1:30 - good still shot of front components
2:22 - Ford has an extended factory warranty to 100k miles to cover drag link?
7:47 - 10:00 - identify and isolate cause & install of dual steering stabilizer

Also talks about removing some caster to reduce the wobble.
No actual after specs given

 

[365 Saleen]

We replaced a lot of the stabilizers on Super Duty's. There is an updated part and a TSB concerning the "Death Wobble". Almost all of the ones we replaced were because people found out about the TSB and their truck never had an issue, they just claimed it did so they could get the updated stabilizer. That being said, the "updated" stabilizer looked exactly like the original and I could not tell the difference between the two, even with them off the truck and compressing and extending them seemed to take the same effort, but that is pretty unscientific, Lol.
Why Ford did not just make a dual stabilizer kit as a update, I will never know. I have had one on the front of my 2001 SuperDuty for years. But that is a leaf spring front suspension, nothing even close to the current front suspension.

 

[DriftwoodSVT]

31k on my 2020 F250 Tremor, and no 'wobble'. I also have a FOX ATS steering stablizer on it.

 

[1Kona_Venom]

We replaced a lot of the stabilizers on Super Duty's. There is an updated part and a TSB concerning the "Death Wobble". Almost all of the ones we replaced were because people found out about the TSB and their truck never had an issue, they just claimed it did so they could get the updated stabilizer. That being said, the "updated" stabilizer looked exactly like the original and I could not tell the difference between the two, even with them off the truck and compressing and extending them seemed to take the same effort, but that is pretty unscientific, Lol.
Why Ford did not just make a dual stabilizer kit as a update, I will never know. I have had one on the front of my 2001 SuperDuty for years. But that is a leaf spring front suspension, nothing even close to the current front suspension.

thanks for the details. Its not gonna sway me not to buy. Just wanna go in fully informed

 

[Allanon]

Increasing caster via offset bushings is another great way to reduce or eliminate the chance of death wobble. These trucks are really low on caster from the factory.

 

[me32]

Good video that led me to posting this thread. He does have some entertaining stuff to watch.

Cliff Notes:

Replace drag link and install dual stabilizer

1:30 - good still shot of front components
2:22 - Ford has an extended factory warranty to 100k miles to cover drag link?
7:47 - 10:00 - identify and isolate cause & install of dual steering stabilizer

Also talks about removing some caster to reduce the wobble.
No actual after specs given

Ill need to watch this when i get a moment