Ford F250 Front End Shimmy

[svbayless]

I have a 2011 F250 4 X 4. I am have problems with severe front end shimmy at highway speeds. The truck has 35,000 mile on it and this has just started. We changed the steering dampener, steering arm, changed front shocks, and rotated front tires to rear. None have resolved the shimmy issue. Any ideas?

[chiefward]

I had a shimmy in my 2003 F250, Super Duty which turned out to be the front break caliper grabbing and releasing. Charged caliper, shimmy gone.

[Gdetrailer]

brirene wrote:
I received a letter from Ford in December for "Special Field Action 09L02" addressing this issue on my '05 F350 4x4. I don't know if it would apply to yours, but I'll paraphrase:

It has come to our attention that some owners of F-Super Duty 250/350 4x4 vehicles have experienced severe steering wheel and front wheel vibrations and oscillations after treveling over a bump or dip in the road. Ford motor Co and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been studying this condition, sometimes known as shimmy.

What is the issue?
Your vehicle may experience shimmy, a severe vibration and oscillation in the steering wheel that begins after the vehicle travels over a bump or dip in the road and does not dampen out by itself. The condition may cause the cab of the truck to vibrate significantly.

Shimmy differs from the more typical, slight oscillation of the steering wheel that may occur immediately following wheel impacts and disappears on its own This type of steering wheel oscillation is a normal characteristic of most trucks, especially a 4x4 vehicle with a solid front axle.

What should you do?
To prevent shimmy:
Maintain recommended tire inflation pressures
Some SD customers intentionally lower the tire predssures on their truck to change the ride characteristics. If you do not maintain the tire inflation pressures at the levels specified by Ford, your truck may experience shimmy. This condition results from significant tire under-inflation. Please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website (www.safercar.gov) for more information...

Tire pressure should be checked and set with cold tires before the vehicle is driven...

Use only Proper Replacement Tires
Only install LT load range E replacement tires that are the same size, type and speed rating as those originally installed...

Do Not Make Suspension Modifications
Ford does not recommend the installation of after-market lift kits, stabilizer bars, or replacement parts that are not equivalent...

IF YOUR VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHIMMY:
In the event our vehicle experiences shimmy, you should slowly reduce speed by either lifting off the accelerator pedal or lightly applying the brakes. The shimmy will cease as the vehicle speed decreases.

Seems rather simplistic, but IIRC I got the same notice about a year ago as well. Good luck.

Techno BS... Basically nothing more than Ford washing their hands of the problem... Pushing it to the customer to find and fix.

This IS a well known issue, not just with Ford but any 4x4 can exhibit this problem. The folks at Dieselstop seem to have a handle on the problem and the fix is the track bar...

[brirene]

I received a letter from Ford in December for "Special Field Action 09L02" addressing this issue on my '05 F350 4x4. I don't know if it would apply to yours, but I'll paraphrase:

It has come to our attention that some owners of F-Super Duty 250/350 4x4 vehicles have experienced severe steering wheel and front wheel vibrations and oscillations after treveling over a bump or dip in the road. Ford motor Co and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration have been studying this condition, sometimes known as shimmy.

What is the issue?
Your vehicle may experience shimmy, a severe vibration and oscillation in the steering wheel that begins after the vehicle travels over a bump or dip in the road and does not dampen out by itself. The condition may cause the cab of the truck to vibrate significantly.

Shimmy differs from the more typical, slight oscillation of the steering wheel that may occur immediately following wheel impacts and disappears on its own This type of steering wheel oscillation is a normal characteristic of most trucks, especially a 4x4 vehicle with a solid front axle.

What should you do?
To prevent shimmy:
Maintain recommended tire inflation pressures
Some SD customers intentionally lower the tire predssures on their truck to change the ride characteristics. If you do not maintain the tire inflation pressures at the levels specified by Ford, your truck may experience shimmy. This condition results from significant tire under-inflation. Please visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's website (www.safercar.gov) for more information...

Tire pressure should be checked and set with cold tires before the vehicle is driven...

Use only Proper Replacement Tires
Only install LT load range E replacement tires that are the same size, type and speed rating as those originally installed...

Do Not Make Suspension Modifications
Ford does not recommend the installation of after-market lift kits, stabilizer bars, or replacement parts that are not equivalent...

IF YOUR VEHICLE EXPERIENCES SHIMMY:
In the event our vehicle experiences shimmy, you should slowly reduce speed by either lifting off the accelerator pedal or lightly applying the brakes. The shimmy will cease as the vehicle speed decreases.

Seems rather simplistic, but IIRC I got the same notice about a year ago as well. Good luck.

[mena661]

Gdetrailer wrote:


I don't have a 4x4 (it happens on 4x4s not so much with 4x2s since they have different front end) so I have never experienced this problem but MANY folks have..

It is known as "death wobble"...

A bump in the road at the right speed will set up a severe oscillation which once starts doesn't stop until you stop the vehicle.. Sound like the problem you are having?

If so, from what I gather, replacing the TRACK BAR typically fixes the problem...

Good resource for more info about this can be found HERE

For a lot more info, you can check out the following search HERE

This.

[OpenRangePullen]

Ive watched a Youtube vid, that brought up this problem, the guy had to change his front tiers every 40k miles.

[dannydimitt]

svbayless wrote:
I have a 2011 F250 4 X 4. I am have problems with severe front end shimmy at highway speeds. The truck has 35,000 mile on it and this has just started. We changed the steering dampener, steering arm, changed front shocks, and rotated front tires to rear. None have resolved the shimmy issue. Any ideas?

Too great of a caster in the front axle can and will cause shimmy , too little caster will result in wander in the front end.
A wise old man in a front end shop back in the 70s told me to shim the front axle back till it starts to shimmy , then ease off the shims till it stops . This he so wisely suggested is a great way to set your own front end up without having to have a big expensive machine to measure the angles. Having used his advice many times over the years I can honestly say it works. 🙂

[mobilefleet]

check axle nuts on both side for proper torque

[Gdetrailer]

svbayless wrote:
I have a 2011 F250 4 X 4. I am have problems with severe front end shimmy at highway speeds. The truck has 35,000 mile on it and this has just started. We changed the steering dampener, steering arm, changed front shocks, and rotated front tires to rear. None have resolved the shimmy issue. Any ideas?

I don't have a 4x4 (it happens on 4x4s not so much with 4x2s since they have different front end) so I have never experienced this problem but MANY folks have..

It is known as "death wobble"...

A bump in the road at the right speed will set up a severe oscillation which once starts doesn't stop until you stop the vehicle.. Sound like the problem you are having?

If so, from what I gather, replacing the TRACK BAR typically fixes the problem...

Good resource for more info about this can be found HERE

For a lot more info, you can check out the following search HERE