I have a XLT Screw 5.4 with 3.55 gears no limited slip. I ordered the truck and received it in 10/03 after a 7 week wait. The drivetrain vibration can be felt in the door floor, center console, dash, seat and wheel, just say the entire truck. It is very damp shake or rumble at 45 but becomes greatest at 65 with or without overdrive. I can fell the vibration most on top of the center console or through my heel on the gas pedal. I’ve never ridden in the bed so I don’t know it the vibration is more in the rear or the in cab. After 65 the rumble/vibration tails off. At 70+ the sheering wheel shimmy becomes greater.
Last November my dealer balanced the tires. That made the sheering wheel shake more and the drivetrain vibration continued. Two weeks later he realigned the truck rebalanced; reindex the tires and ‘Road Force Tested’ the truck. The steering wheel continued to shake at higher speeds and no change in the drivetrain vibration. The dealer could feel the drivetrain vibration but did not know what to do next. So he requested that a ‘Ford Service Engineer’ would have to look at the truck before he could do any more work.
The Rep claims the vibration is normal yes normal for a Ford 04 or even an older model, and will not do any more authorized work on to fix my “vibration concerns”.
His only suggestions were live with it; go to the Ford Dispute Settlement Board or my states Limon Law.
I sent my FDSB papers in this week.

I just wonder what this prolonged vibration will do to life of my engine, transmission and drivetrain.

I've read about the same vibration problems on other Ford Truck Forums. Some people have had luck replacing the differential gears in the rear end. Is there anybody with same vibration problem?

 

Labrador, I have a Lariat Scab with 3.55 gear LSD also. You described the exact problem my truck is having. I have the BF Goodrich tires on 18" wheels. The dealer has done the following:

Balanced tires
Rotated, balanced and Road Force Tested
Replaced the steering gear
Replaced the front hubs

The Ford Engineer has done the following:
Added shims to the driveshaft for the vibration problem
Replaced the front tires and wheels for the shimmy problem

I told the service manager on Friday I wanted my truck replaced. He was going to call Ford and let me know. I drove an XLT Scab loaner that did not have the same problems.

 

acarlisletx
I have Michelins 17" 265. Below is a post from another guy who had luck putting new gears in his diff.

"Just want to let you know that my 2004 F-150 also had a vibration at 50-60 mph and it stayed in the shop for 10 days before the dealership found out the problem. They changed the tires, the driveshaft etc.. etc.,. A Ford rep. came to the dealership and installed vibration sensors with test equipment and found the problem to be in the rear diff.. Removed the rear diff cover and checked backlash on every third tooth and found spec to be .009-015. Spec is .004. Pulled center carrier and ring gear and checked carrier runout, found .0019-----spec is .0012. Replaced rear bearings and set to factory spec. and this repaired the vibration problem. Truck at the time of repairs had 2698 miles on it. This truck drives like a dream now. So far now with almost 4000 miles on it, can't report any other problems. Very happy with this new ride."

 

Labrador, thanks for the info on the rear end stuff. I called the service manager at the dealership this morning and told him about it. He said to e-mail it to him and he'd run it by the Ford rep. They were considering ordering a different brand of tires for my truck. I told him I don't think it's the tires because other people are having the same problem with other brands.

I'll post an update when I hear from them. I read several threads at www.ford-trucks.com where people are having the problem. Some have been told it's normal. There are so many reporting no vibration at all that I don't believe it's normal.

 

I think the new extra stiff frame may be a big part of this suspension shudder problem. When Honda came out with aluminum frame motocross bikes in '97 the frames were touted to be much more ridgid(and lighter) enabling them to tune the suspension better, three years later after many complaints of the the frame causing harshness due to the frame transmitting everything back to the rider, Honda redesigned the frame to be less ridgid and allow more flex, which greatly improved the bike.
Maybe Ford went a little overboard in their "9 times stiffer frame" as well??? I sure hope when my truck comes in next month it wont display any of these symptoms. Good luck to everyone getting your "shudders" resolved by Ford.

 

bill maier


Yeah, I think that may be one possibility also. Luckily I don't have any of the vibration issues. If your getting a 4x4 I would almost bet you will have the suspension shake. Find a very, very small pothole and drive your drivers side front tire thru it at, say 5mph, and see want you think. I just had a Service advisor desribe the exact feeling to me about 3 hours ago. Go figure. I think with a very stiff frame you better have your suspension tuned perfectly.
Same thing Bow manufacturer's are trying to do to dampen vibration when you release an arrow. Now don't worry about this Bill, you're going to love this truck, the good definately out weighs the bad, at least with mine.

 

I wonder if this could be why we have the suspension shakes.

"The bushings that attach the front suspension are soft in response to road impacts but stiff in response to cornering loads. Voids in key areas of the bushings let the rubber "give" under pressure and allow the front wheels to momentarily move rearward in response to a sharp jolt, resulting in a plusher ride."

I read this in the article in the following link.




http://www.ford-trucks.com/specs/2004/2004_f150_1.html

 

Nice find Dgee. That is exactly what my truck feels like. It feels to me the weakness in the system is when the road impacts occur as several in succession. This seems to occur when enough compression in the bushing occurs to cause the wheel to JUMP out. It feels like it gives and gives until it really JUMPS out. I have had some very pronounced truck movements over washboard like roads. This is the only time it bothered me, but it bothered me alot at that point as it feels unsafe! It almost jumped me right off the road the first time.