Just wondering if the bed shake dilemma is limited to super crews only? I'm a commuter and definitely notice the shake on almost every 04 crew I see. Every once in awhile I'll see a 04 drive past me with a tight bed that has very little, if any, bed shake. The cab is fine, must be something to do with the suspension, sheet metal properties & gage of the bed , or the bed attachment points & bushings. On the 04, do they use rubber mounting bushings between the bed and frame rail or just simply bolt metal to metal?

I think the brilliance of the red color (often seen on lariats) makes it easier to notice. And I have to be honest, I've never seen truck beds shake as much as the 04 super crew, so something was overlooked during design.

A little while back I do remember seeing a (ford?) fix involving a big hunk of metal and rubber that bolted to the leaf spring rear attachment point. But, I can't imagine this glob of metal, which by the way was a band-aid fix, going into production on the 05's. Does anyone know what Ford is doing about the shake?

 

The 'glob' was a dampener to fix the 'vibe', not bed shake.

How much is your bed shakin'? I mean, ever pickup I've ever owned has shook. With this new '04 and its ultra-stiff chassis, I except a fare amount of shake, rattle & roll out of the bed. I can't hear it in the cab unless my rear slide is open. Even then, its nothing to write home about.

 

I have the Reg cab long box and its has the most bed shake I have had on a pickup. I don't think it is a big deal though, like it was said above the chassis is a lot stiffer on these trucks. I have found when crossing a deep ditch on an angle offroad that the bed and chassis barely 'twist' like trucks usually do (most likely due to the stiffer frame). IMO bed shake=normal

 

I must have one of the trucks that has minimal bed shake, noo difference than my previous 01 Scab. Ive seen alot of 04 F150's on the freeway and really haven't noticed anything out of the ordinary as far as "bed shake" goes.

 

When Chevy re-designed the 99 Silverado and started using a hydro-formed frame with increased rigidity & stiffness, I don't think they encountered any bed shaking issues as a result. Supposedly the frame was 60-70% stiffer.

Just like the (97-01) door crack, the 04 bed shake is a non-safety issue yes, but the fact remains that it still shakes unlike any other truck I've seen. And I still say that some 04's shake more than others. (I drive 100 miles everyday and see alot of different vehicles on the roadway)

I remember when Ford first came out with commercials showing off the 04, at the end as the truck came to a full stop while turning the front wheels to kick the rear-end out you could see the bed shake. But I think they pulled the commercial shortly afterwards because I never saw it again. It was a silver super crew.

I guess the bottom line for me is if the bed still shakes when the 05 models come out, I don't think I'm gonna buy one.

 

So the question remains...why do some shake and some not shake?...........

 

Good decision, why would ya want a F150 that shakes

I personally opted for the ultra rare version of the 2004 F150 that doesn’t have bed shake

 

jp,

When i ordered my truck, I made sure i ordered it with option 508ns, (non-bed shake option), only problem was, by choosing that, i couldn't afford the rear back-up sensors i wanted.

 

Originally posted by jpdadeo :
I personally opted for the ultra rare version of the 2004 F150 that doesn’t have bed shake[/b]
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Originally posted by anaheim :
When i ordered my truck, I made sure i ordered it with option 508ns, (non-bed shake option), only problem was, by choosing that, i couldn't afford the rear back-up sensors i wanted.
--------------------------------------------
exactly the options i got too.

https://www.f150online.com/galleries....cfm?gnum=4362

 

I wanted to order option 508ns, but my sales guy informed me that it was only available on FX4 and Lariat models and you have to order option 30emb, extreme duty off road muffler bearing. But I have an XLT so I too have a bed shake.

 

Amongst those with 'bed shake' (my XLT Screw does it), you'll find five points of agreement:

1) It's a mystery why some do and some don't.
2) It probably has something to do with the combo of stiff frame and rear suspension geometry/dynamics.
3) Changing tires/tire pressures has no effect...changing shocks hasn't been reported.
4) Heavily loading the bed or hitch eliminates the shake.
5) It's a peculiarity, not a defect.

 

I have a '04 FX4 with bed shake.

I don't have a fix, but I have a suggestion.

I put a 50 lb. bag of crused stone on each side of the rear bed. I would say that is reduces the bed shake by about 75%.

These bags are also handy when you don't want things rolling around.

Good luck!

 

75%

 

I have an 04 scab fx4, and the bed does have some movement to it, but nothing crazy. Like others have said, when you load it up, it stops shaking.
Overall it doesn't bother me at all.

 

my 04 supercab xl 4x4 has a very noticable bed shake. i looked and all there is is a pad between the box and frame. my 03 had almost no bed shake. i dont feel it and it didnt get worse when i put my headache rack on it.

one thing i did notice. on the comercial for the new outboard shocks i see the vibration in the frame that matches the box shake. also i noticed better bushings between the cab and frame.
so i figured it was due to the stiffer frame and better bushings on the cab. and i noticed most 2wds and stx have less shake than 4x4s.