Nuts, I'm Confused
Wobbly Solid-Axle Ford
Question: I have a '74 Ford F-100 ranger 4x4 with 33x12.50x15 tires and a small lift. Whenever i hit a bump in the road, especially on the driverside tire, the entire truck bounces violently and will do so till the suspension settles back down. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Jason
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: You might want to check all your suspension and steering joints and bushing. Being 34 years old, there's no telling what type of shape the tie-rod ends, radius-arm bushings, and track-bar mounts are in, much less the tires. i'm older than that myself and i can tell you i've had some track-bar issues some mornings, especially when the weather is cold. To check the steering, have a friend turn the wheel back and forth slowly and make sure everything is moving relative to each other. if something is loose, it will have some slack in the joint and needs to be replaced. Also watch the track-bar mounts and see if they are shifting, such as when the opening is slotted or the bolt is worn out.
Then have your friend slowly drive the truck and hit the brakes while you watch the front suspension links from beside it. Excessive movement in the radius arms should be noted as those bushings could be worn as well. The ball joints on your front axle and even the bearing in your front wheel hubs can cause erratic movement if they are badly worn. Also there is caster and toe in, both of which can lead to this situation, which is commonly known as death wobble. Be sure with the 33s that you have 1/8-1/4 inch of toe in, and from 3 to 5 degrees of positive caster, any less and you can be wobbling down the street like a guy leaving the bar. Finally, it could be the shocks. if you can push up and down on your front bumper and it continues to bounce, your shocks are done and need replacing. if all those items are fixed or OK, then it might be time for some new tires. Be sure they are inflated equally and balanced to start, then try switching them front to rear and see if it helps.
Death wobble is a terrible thing that can affl ict any type of truck, especially those with solid front axles. i'm hoping this answer can help other readers with similar issues, and i'm awarding you the Nuts, i'm Confused letter of the Month this issue. i'm hoping you can use the high-flow 77 Series intake from K&N (800.858.3333, www.knfilters.com) that we will be sending to you. These intakes come with an oversized high-flow conical air filter, and many have a heatshield to protect the incoming air charge from the heat of the engine, resulting in a clean, cool, dense gulp of air. These kits are guaranteed to provide more horsepower and increased acceleration, are easy to install, and can last up to 100,000 miles before they need to be serviced.
Question Confusion
Question: I really want to win the "Nuts, i'm Confused" next month. What question should i ask?
Brian E.
via nuts@4wheeloffroad.com
Answer: First of all, you need to ask a question that applies to the most number of people. i'm always looking for that perfect question that by answering i can help a lot of people, not just one single obscure issue you have with your rare oddball truck that no one has ever heard of. i want your oddball questions, but remember, help your fellow wheelers and i'll reward you with a prize. Second, make it a real question that can be positively answered. i get many questions where someone wants to know the best suspension, best tire, best performance chip, best seat covers, and so on, and truthfully i haven't driven every single lift kit made by every manufacturer for every year truck over every type of terrain. I'm getting close, but i still have about 75 more trucks to get through and until then I'm looking for questions about problems you are stumped on, not just my opinion.
There may be questions where you're trying to decide between one type of product-say a hydraulic window opener versus an electric window opener-and i just might have some insight you hadn't considered, so feel free to ask those types of questions. But if you just need an opinion, then read the rest of the magazine where we test tons of different products and hopefully we will review the parts you are considering, such as when we do the giant suspension shootouts or the 4x4 of the year tests.
If you have a problem with your truck-it doesn't run, needs to fit giant tires, or just smells funny-then this is the place to ask. i'm here day and night trying to find the answers, and for those i don't know i find the guys that do whether he's that weird old truck guy that lives out in the woods or the head engineer at the largest truck manufacturer in the world. So send in any questions you might have. if it's opinions you want, i'll share them with the other guys and we'll determine how best to test the products you can't decide between. if it's a good old "solve my problem" type question, then i'll do all i can to find the answer. The more applicable it is, the more likely you'll go home with the monthly prize. Oh, and by the way, if some of the questions this month seem a little goofy, well it is April and any fool knows you gotta laugh every now and then. See ya next month!