Well, I just bought an 04 close out last week, and on the drive home I mentioned to my husband, “Hmmm.. this thing is vibrating a little bit.” I came home and did a search on google and found all this mess. Guess I get to join the “vibe tribe”.

I took the truck back today explaining to the Service technician that it starts to vibrate around 40 mph and then stops after 70 mph and that I just bought it last week.

He called me back late in the afternoon to state that there was definitely a problem and that they believe it is either the drive shaft or the rear end. After reading all these post and I am pretty please that at least I got this far on day one without having to fight over whether something is wrong or not.

They have put me in a focus(yuck) while they attempt to fix it.

I am going to keep this thread up until the truck is fixed. I have found the other threads useful in knowing what has and has not fixed the vibration. If the driveshaft or rear end does not work, I will mention the transmission to them.

I’ll let ya’ll know what happens. This is my third F-150 truck and I have nothing but good things to say about them. I am going to try and remain optimistic that they will make this right one way or another.

 

Congratulations on the new truck, they’re one sweet ride. The hundreds of posts on this forum about vibration problems are from about 50 or so people. The vast majority of 04 F150 are trouble free so be optimistic, I’m sure things will work out. I’ve had my 04 since 10-24-03 and it’s perfect.

 

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The service tech said the drive shaft is unbalanced. They are supposed to be replacing it this morning with a new one.

I know several people have had this done and it did not fix it. So I am crossing my fingers that I am the exception.

Will let ya'll know.

 

Dana,

I can relate to your situation. I drove my truck home for the first time several months ago and noticed the same thing. After doing some Internet searches I found out that there was an issue with some of the trucks and vibration. Several months later courtesy of the DSB, Ford will replacing my truck with a 2005.

Ron

 

The Service Tech just called and said the drive shaft did not work. He said it was better

He is calling Ford back to find out what to try next. I mentioned the transmission had fixed one persons problem. He said he would keep it in mind.

I am not sure at what point I go back to the Sales Manager and ask for a new truck. A week? Two weeks?


Thoughts?

 

I know this is going to sound like a girl, but I am a girl.

The fact that I waited so long to be in the financial position to actually just go out and buy the Truck I wanted, and now that I have done it, to find it to be a lemon.

I just want to cry.

 

Hi Dana... if you're new to the forum you probably haven't seen the TSB about the vibe.
Here is the link...
https://www.f150online.com/forums/sh...&highlight=tsb

Make sure your dealer knows about it too. Sometimes they pretend it doesn't exist.
My vibe got fixed with a new drive shaft, but it is back now after 6 months.

Good luck.

 

Dana,

I understand how you feel. My truck doesn't have the vibe
but I know it may start at any time. I waited until I could
afford the truck that I wanted, just like you, and now I'm
reading all these vibe problems. Don't let it get you down.
Give the dealer a chance to fix your truck and if they can't
get it fixed or give you another one then proceed with the
dsb. I think the majority of trucks actually do get fixed
if they have the vibe, so there is some optimism.

04 Lariat Screw

 

IMHO I have come to the assumption that the vibe issues are a combination of the very long and very heavy driveshaft, larger tires that are not made to the same tolerances as the old 15" tires and possibly issues in either the rear end or tranny gears. The driveshaft on these trucks (especially the scabs and screws) is incredibly long and the '04 has a steel shaft instead of aluminum. One good ding falling off the ramps of the transport truck and you have a vibrating truck that will be practically undriveable.

These huge 17" and 18" tires are harder to manufacture correctly than the old 15" tires. New manufacturing processes and machines to make bigger and heavier tires instead of the 235/75-15's that have been manufactured for decades for trucks.

Rear axles and trannies geared waaaaaay too tall pulling massively heavy trucks (almost 3 tons now). Years ago you'd get 4.10 gears and a heavy duty tranny for a truck that weighed this much when empty. Now you get 3.08 or 3.30 gears on a 3 ton truck with a wimpy tranny and 9.75 rear.

 

They called this morning and are now replacing the Rear End.
I've heard that this hasn't worked in the past either.

But again, I'll keep my fingers crossed.

The service Tech indicated that they had a Ford Engineer come in today just for my truck. So we will see what he comes up with.

 

Dana,

If I could offer any advice to someone going through this is to document everything. If you have to go through the DSB to get your truck replaced you want to be prepared.

Ron

 

I hope the rear end change fixes your truck. It has fixed some
trucks and some it hasn't. Hopefully it will take care of your
problem.
Good luck.

 

PALongbow,

Q for you. SInce I don't feel these new fixes coming out will do anything, I'm curious on something. 2 dealers have seen this truck twice and they have done nothing but mess with tires. Feel I'm a bit short to do DSB yet. I was thinking, since they keep saying its the road, tires, etc, I would take it to a local place here that has a dyno and hopefully vibration analysis equipment so everything is documented. Assuming the results will be as expected, I'd start the DSB then.

What do you think? Or should I give them 1 or 2 tries with these new TSB's? What would you do?

 

Dana-don't despair.
I, too, had a vibration started at 50ish and thru 70ish and maybe it was there slightly at below 50. I could see my hands vibrate on the steering wheel. They anayzed mine and said it was the steering whatever which was being re-built by Ford and should be ready in Nov. That was in Aug, 04. PS I have the supercab 150. It came with Michelin tires. I know the best! I paid for them.
Well, I read the posts and listened closely to all the people on this and other sites and I took my car to a Discount Tire place near me and asked if I could be a little bit of a pain. He told me they had someone elses truck in their and put 3 sets of tires on and could not stop the vibration.
But I watched-I mean at his side- and had visited the site which sells the Road Force Test machine. 3 of my tires were below 15, the limit the Road Force group puts on the tires as ok. The 4th was 48. We tried something. Put that 48 which they rebalanced down to 24, on the rear of the truck.
I hit the highway.
No more steering wheel shimmy, but surprise, the gas pedal was shimming!!!
I went back and told him and said I would try spend ing the dough for 4 new tires, but I would see them all Road Force Tested.
He obliged. One of the brand new tires was at 34. The others were all below 10. The guy tried to adjust it and got it to 20. The guy thought it was ok, but he clicked on a different screen and the Road Force machine said 'Rejected". I had him hold that screen and got the head honcho who came and said to get another tire. They did. It was an 8.
All new tires on the truck and not the beginning of a shimmy anywhere. I think this is the most sensitive truck ever !!!
It is 8000 miles now and no shimmy had returned front or rear.
I know every truck is different.
Just wanted you to know about a possibility.
The hard part will be to find a tire outfit that lets you watch them.
Because, ps. while they were waiting to do my new tires, I watched them test other peoples' tires and they sent the tested tires of up to 30 right back out the door.
This story seems to fit the previous man who said that our tires are too large for our vehicles and we can't make them round enough!!
I think he is right.
Kathy ps I love my new 150 Ford and I had to save like crazy to get it.