I've got a 2000 2WD supercab F-150 that's got a little shimmy problem that seems to be coming from the front end. I've experienced it for a while, but it's getting annoying. About 6 months ago I took the truck in for it's 100000 mile check-up and had a few things done to it and had it all checked out. When I got it back the mechanic told me that my tie-rod ends and balljoints were in terrible shape, dangerous was the word he used, and told me that I shouldn't travel very far without replacing them. They quoted me about 700 bucks to fix them, which I obviously turned down because I can do it myself for a lot less money, which I did and probably saved around $500. I figured, at the time, that would fix any vibration or loose feelings in the front-end, but it didn't. Here is exactly what I'm experiencing: vibration when accelerating or decelerating to 40 MPH (always becomes noticable at 40 and moreso when hitting the brakes). Above or below 40 and I can't feel anything until slowing to a stop. When coming to a stop the truck seems to lunge, almost like one of the rotors may be warped. I replaced the rotors a couple of years ago because they were rusted and pitted so bad they couldn't be turned and because I feel the shimmy when accelerating it leads me to think that it's not the rotors (although it could be). What I'm thinking is that maybe the wheel bearings in the front could be going, or gone. I didn't changed the bearings when I replaced the rotors or the ball-joints, I just repacked them. Am I hitting it, or is it just the rotors? Or something else all together? Thanks in advance!

I should also add that I checked the rotors when fiddling with the ball-joints and tie-rod ends to see if there was any noticable warp, which I couldn't find.

 

So you've replaced ball joints, tie rods and it still exists huh? Rotors would be fealt through braking only (usually) and if it were a bearing, you'd hear it. Try a tire rebalance or switching them to the rears to see if it changes. Don't rule out a bad u-joint on the drive shaft.

 

Yeah, after I posted I thought it could be something like the drive-shaft. I felt the shimmy before I took the truck to the dealer and that was the last time the tires were balanced, so I don't think its unbalanced tires. After I was thinking about the bearings and also figured that bad bearings would be felt all the time. Also, I'm kind of ruling out the drive-shaft because of the lunge that I feel when coming to a stop. I'm actually starting to think more that I've got a bad rotor. Maybe it could be in the rear and it feels like its in the front. The rear rotors are original and have over 100,000 miles on them. I'll have to get under the truck and look around.

 

I had somebody on another forum talking about adjusting steering box and/or steering arms. I don't think there are any problems with the steering or components as I don't feel the vibration in the wheel. I also don't really feel it in the brake pedal, just in the entire front of the truck. Like I said, it does have a slight lunging feeling when coming to a stop and seems to lunglung lung.. lung... lung.... lung as I get slower... if that makes any sense. Makes me keep the idea of a warped rotor, but it's just weird that its so noticable at 40 MPH only, until stopping. Thanks for the reply!

 

I have exactly the same problem with my 97 F250. I stumbled on your post while in the middle of changing the front rotors.

My truck has just over 100,000. When I accelerate over 40 mph the entire front end has serious vibration. When I come to a stop I need to use D2 to slow the vehicle. I've just had 4 new tires installed. Hopefully they were balanced properly.

Before the new tires were installed I had the same problem. After they were installed the problem disappeared for awhile. Now it's back with a vengeance.

After the rotors are replaced I will post an update.

I believe help is needed by one of the tech pros.

 

Awesome. I'm looking forward to seeing your results. On my way home from work today I noticed that it seems like it's getting worse. It also seems like it's worse at different times. I'm also wondering if it's one of the spindles in the front, but it would seem like that would create a differnt type of vibration that would be felt all the time, if at all. I'm driving the truck from my home in Kentucky to southern North Carolina next week and I can't afford to have anything fixed on it just yet, so we'll see how it does. Probably not the safest thing to do, but I figure if something's going to break, it doesn't really matter where I'm at. I'm trying to go through all the possibilities of things that could be wrong. I will do a little recap: vibration that starts at 40MPH slowing and accelerating and a lunging-type feeling when braking to a stop. Really seems like a rotor, but with the age of my rotors I don't see them warping so quickly. Not only that, but I'm not hard on brakes. And with the relatively high price of rotors, it's not something I want to purchase and find out that it wasn't the problem.

 

Hello,
Sorry for the delayed response. I just got my truck back from the mechanic. We were stumped on the situation so in the shop it went.
The problem is now repaired.
The E-Brake cable was too tight which in turn warped the brand new drums just replaced on the truck. Lucky they simply recut the drums and replaced the brake cable (which needed to be cut off). This began with the old set of drums which the brake cable was too tight on also. I was magnified when the new ones were installed.
The vibration seemed to originate in the front end but was actually in the rear.
The truck is now riding and stopping like a champ again.
Hope this helps your situation.
Let us know.
Stephen

 

Gonna have to see about this.... my 05 is doing the same thing.

 

Wow, I never thought of that. I actually was having some trouble with my e-brakes and replaced the shoes and adjusted the cables a while back (which lead my to find out that one of my axle seals was leaking and I had to replace that as well, which was easy). Come to think of it, I don't remember the shimmy before doing that work, so I may have installed them a little too tight, but I can't be sure. Maybe just loosening the e-brake pads a little will fix the problem. As soon as I get a chance I will check that out. Thanks a million!