Night before last I was on the feeder road and as I excellerated to about 50 MPH I felt a bad vibration. It felt like all four wheels were going to fly off. Never done that before. So I slowed down until it stopped and limped home at about 45 MPH where it didn't feel too bad. I looked at the tires and wheels and didn't see anything. I checked to see if I lost any weights, or if someone messed with the lug nuts and everything looked normal. So today as I left the light from a dead stop, it seems like the steering wheel twitches a little from center to the left, then stops as I pick up speed, and around 30 I noticed the vibration starts, and it is a subtle up and down motion, almost like a tire is out of round. I sped up to 50 and the vibration starts to come on strong. I am too chicken to see how bad it gets over 50-55, it took me totally by surprise the other day, and I don't know if there is something I can look for on the tires, or I just have to take it to the tire shop. Im just guessing, but I think it might be the right front. I do know its not the rotors, I know what warped rotors feel like, my wife is an expert on tearing them up on every car she had since we met! And no, she has never driven my truck!

All advice is appreciated, thank you in advance


-2011 F150, SCREW, XLT, 5.0

 

Take it to the tire shop.

 

Jack up the wheels and turn them to see if they have a bubble or are out of round. Check the front end for loose stuff, ball joints, tie rod ends, etc. Check the u-joints.

 

***UPDATE***

Ok, yesterday when I left for work the low tire pressure light came on. I stopped by the closest gas station, and the right front was low, about 22 psi. I aired it up, and continued to work but the vibration was much worse. When I got off work, I had a flat tire (all the way down, sitting on the ground). So after I changed it I went to the tire shop and it was out of round big time, I guess the belts were separating in the center. They were four years old, and I noticed while changing the tire the side walls looked a little weather worn (tiny cracks). I had warranties on the tires so they gave me full credit on the bad one, but they did not have two in stock, so I replaced all four. No more vibration, nice smooth ride as you expect with new tires and I took her for an alignment this morning, and the suspension is good shape. So problem was out of round tire, nice that it went flat in the parking lot instead of on the road, no wheel damage or worse stuff that can happen when a tire goes while driving.

Thanks for the advice, and I wanted to close this chapter lol!

Ya'll have a great weekend!

 

Thanks for letting us know!

 

Good think you didn't have a blowout.

Getting a blowout on a steer axle can result in a flip over scenario.

Consider yourself lucky.