I have an 05 FX4 with a 6" lift. I have been fighting a slight "wobble" in the front end for a while. I just had a local shop install Bilstein 5100's in the front . When I got the truck back the "wobble" seems worse. After an alignment, balancing the tires, rotating the tires in a couple different configurations, rechecking the alignment , checking all the lift related parts, it still radiates the wobble through the steering wheel. It comes on at about 50mph and gets a little worse up to 70 or so.
My shop talked to the local Ford dealership and they suggested that the rack and pinion being worn could cause such a condition . The truck has just over 60k on it and has been lifted since day one. Never beat on or off roaded.

Does the rack and pinion diagnosis make any sense?

Any thoughts you might have would be greatly appreciated.

 

not sure but i would try a steering stabalizer first. My lifted 02 has a wobble about 45-50 but then quits. i am prityy sure it is due to needing to be aligned. how are you ball joints and tie rod ends? it sounds like the wobble is from one of the front tires trying to go one way and the other tring to go the other way. good luck and let use know what it is what you find out.

 

Alignment,ball joints, tie rod ends etc all check good. I hate to spend the $$$$ on a new rack and that not be it. Drive line drama can cause you to pull out your hair. I appreciate the reply and will update when I get it figured out.

 

Well , I found "a" problem this morning. I don't know if it's "the" problem though.

One of the sway bar links is very sloppy. I tried to tighten it to no avail . Maybe it's broken . Can't tell for sure. I'll replace it tomorrow. Hope it the root of the wobble.

 

Please let us know, because my 2wd 08 has a slight shake and wobble at abot 67 mph. Tires have been rebalanced, but mine has 97k on it.

Had read elsewhere where it was suggested that the R&P was the issue.

Let us know what fixes.

Thanks

 

I will say that some lifts and the accompanying oversized tires and deeper offsets combine to increase wear and tear on steering and suspension and driveline.

With you under front of truck, steering unlocked, motor OFF ( brake set, in park, wheels bloicked, truck chained to post, etc as long as you are safe ) and friend slightly moving steering right to left back and forth, any looseness or knocking in steering rack? Have a stick of wood ( harder wood is better ) to place beside your ear and touch housing with other end.

Is noise from Pinion on Rack or at ends where end links attach?

Boots look OK?

 

Thanks for the tips bear....I'll try to get under there this weekend. The boots look fine.

 

Long overdue update. Put in a new steering rack....same bad wobble. New tie rod ends...same bad wobble. Yet another alignment , tire balancing both on and off the truck...same bad wobble.

Removed the brand new Bilsteins, replaced them with the same oem shocks that were on the truck previously ......smooth as silk.

Jury is still out on the shocks. I know the Bilsteins are widely and very successfully used. I , nor the shop owner can figure out what went wrong. He is talking to a rep now. I'll update when I know more.

 

Thanks, did you just replace the cartridges in the coil over shock? or did you replace everything?

 

Yes....just replaced the cartridges.

 

Interesting because I was ready to conclude this on mine. WHen they rotate my tires and I have 2 that have 2 weights on the outside next to each other, these always shake or wobble more than the tires with a single weight on it.

My truck has 98k on it, so new struts definately wont hurt!

 

I am sorry to hear that you replaced your steering rack and still have have the wobble. The '04-'08 are known to experience a front end shimmy but many of us have fixed it with a front wheel alignment and a road force balance of the front wheels. It was posted that the Hunter GSP700 is the machine of choice.

In my own experience, I had the front end wobble for a good long time and was forcing myself to live with it. I decided to have a front wheel alignment and all four wheels rebalanced by a new shop (no GSP700 in their garage) and lo and behold the wobble is gone! It's been wobble free for three years and I have aftermarket wheels, lift and 35" tires so I know this wobble can be fixed.

Regarding steering stabilizers I would not recommend them on the '04+ trucks. It seems they provide too much side sheer force on the steering components (tbear853's diagnosis which I totally agree with). Not sure how prevalent this is but this is the scariest thing I ever saw:

https://www.f150online.com/forums/su...yone-else.html

Good luck

 

according to the Hunter website, the discount tire I use has the correct machine, but I still have wobble

http://www.gsp9700.com/search/findgsp9700.cfm


UPDATE EDIT

Went back and looked again, appareently you have to use the shop that has the machine icon, Discount does not have.