Hey Folks, I am a new member and am on my 6th F150. Now since December `09 F150 Screw 4X4 Lariat 5.5' Bed with 20" wheels. I have a rear vibration that you can feel in the seat and if looking at the passenger seat, it is shaking. I have had wheels and tires rebalanced many times, dealer swapped out the driveshaft, everything has been checked. I drove a brand new `09 Platinum off the line, and it does the same thing, even worse. The vibration is at speeds between 120KPH to 140 KPH. Around 75MPH is when it's worse. My friend is a Ford dealer and they all seem to do it. Can't figure out what it is. Any ideas?

 

How bad is it? I know the passenger seat in my truck shakes, but no more than any other vehicle I have ever had. Its gotta move a little bit, otherwise it would be like sitting on a steel block.

 

Enough that you can feel it in your gut. It's driving me crazy. The other night went for dinner with my wife and she even asked: what's wrong with your truck?

 

I see. Well mine isn't that bad. Hopefully you get it sorted out. Please post the answer if you do.

 

Roger Wilco.

 

strange, first I've heard anyone complaining about a vibration problem in the new 09.

I don't feel anything in my Platinum.

 

Did you have your tires checked for roundness? If a tire is out of round, it will vibrate the truck even if they are balanced.

Does the vibration increase with speed, or does it occur only at certain speeds?

I have not heard of any drivetrain vibration problems. My 09 XLT 4x4 Scab is smooth as silk and a wonderful cruiser.

 

This is definitely out of the norm. My truck is very smooth at highway speeds. Like some of the others have said...start at the tires..check for balance and roundness and if it's not the problem, then you have to check the driveline. Could be a bad universal joint.

 

I keep this link handy just for threads like this, I hope this helps you, nothing worse than buying a new truck with this issue and it seems f150's are prone to this issue

https://www.f150online.com/forums/wh...amper-kit.html

 

I too have this issue.....I have driven 6 09 F150s and they all had this issue, some worse than others..

The dealer balanced the tires twice with no improvement....I took the truck to a tire dealer and they so called "matched" and load force balanced the tires to the tune of 79 bucks...It made a huge improvement, probably 80 % better....

When you hit small imperfections the road, the bed will jump into an oscillation that has to calm down...I think this is part of it...I was told by my local dealer's service manager that this issue came to life when Ford moved the shocks outside of the frame.... Putting significant weight in the bed also helps to calm the bounce down

I think this is just the way these trucks ride....When ford made them to take the most punishment and carry the most weight, something had to give a little...

 

The service manager is wrong. Putting shocks outside the frame reduces oscillations.

The 09 F150's definately do not ride with vibrations or oscillations. If one does, is a very small isolated problem. Make sure the dealer takes care of the problem.

 

Agreed. When I mentioned that I saw some shaking I was only referring to minor vibrations in the seat when no one is sitting in them. It sounds like there is an issue and your dealer should take care of it.

 

My Platinum rides very nicely...EXCEPT when I'm on some of the worst SoCal "expansion joint" built concrete freeways. The 4x4 truck suspension and low profile tires transmit the bumps into the cabin causing the seats to shake and you will feel it. Now, having said that, all trucks tend to do this on the worst roads (and the way they build the SoCal concrete freeways you will feel it), but no more than in other trucks. I can even feel this same affect in my BMW 535i with Sport supension...not as much but it is still there - same sections of road too. Nothing much you can do about it except reduce your speed in the bad areas...thank goodness that's only about 10% of the freeways around where I live.

Did you check you air pressure in the tires? I ask, because when I first took delivery, mine were at 42lbs each - which definitly made for a rougher ride. I took them down to 34lbs and it smoothed out considerably.

Good luck!

 

Yeah my tires were way to over pressure when i got my truck also. But cant say i have seen this vibrattion issue at all.

 

A friend had a similar problem with his Toyota. Dealer replaced rear end, driveshaft, balanced tires a zillion times.

Some time later, he took it to get new tires, and the tire guy said, "Hey, you know you had about a gallon of water in one tire?

Doh!

Truck rode smooth after new tires. And no water.