Had new (E rated Michelins) tires put on the truck last night. The ride is quieter but not much if any improvement in handling.
It looks like the truck is slightly lifted in the rear. In looking under the wheel well, there is about a 2-2.5" spacer under the spring. (It may not technically be called the spring. It's the bowed steel that runs parallel to the ground behind the wheel.) Anyway, maybe that is a factor, but I have read that having a slight lift should not affect handling. In any case, we have an appointment this afternoon to have the truck looked over by a place that specializes in this sort of thing. Minimally, we will have that spacer taken out and a steering damper installed. This shop said that early 2000 til around 2006, Ford's were notorious for having loose steering.
My husband also noticed when driving yesterday that when aggressively turning the wheel on the interstate, i.e., high speeds, it seems that the backend is loose, too. Like the suspension isn't holding up the side to side movement...? Shocks? I don't know. That's my laymen's interpretation/description, anyway.
I'll keep you all posted.
