I have 35 x 12.5 R17 BF goodrich tires on my 2001 F150 4x4.

50% of the time when I get between 35 to 45 mile an hour one or both front tires start wobbling side to side and 90% of the times when I’m coming downward from the mountains at high speeds, slowing way down or speeding up will correct the problem.

Around 6 months ago I replaced one caliper and turned the disk (it was a little warped) it corrected the problem.
Since then I’ve had a front wheels aligned.
Now it’s starting again, this is the second truck I’ve had that this has happen too.
The first time it happened to this truck I had the original size tires on it the “295 R17”.
Has anyone experienced this before or know why this happens & what I could check or replace??
thanks

 

Not sure if by "wobbling" you mean a vibration or the tire/wheel actually has play in it. If you jack up your front end and grab the tire and can actually feel play in it, you have a worn out component in the front end. Probably ball joints or tie rod ends (or both).

 

Wandell is right, check your front end components for worn out parts. I just replaced a bad tie rod end on mine with only 31K on the clock. The bad tire was masking the bad tie rod so I did not find it until I installed the leveling kit.

 

I replaced both ball joints in December, I had taken it to have it aligned but the ball joints had a little ware so I replaced them and then I took it back and they check the front end and aligned it.
What I mean by wobbling, the tire swings back and forth or you can say swings in & out.
When it doesn’t wobble I can let the steering wheel go and the truck drives straight.
This is why it pisses me off, it is not consistent in what it does and I can’t figure it out and it’s the second truck I’ve had that does that. It feels like one of the tires is going to take off in it own direction.

 

Check your tie rod ends.

 

After lifting and getting under the truck, I grab each rod/bar and shook them up & down and sideways, The only one that had movement was the Idler Arm (around 1/4" - 3/8").
I also grab my tires from 12:00 and 6:00 o'clock position and shook them, I had very little movement, just enough to say there was movement.
any thoughs on this??
thank..

 

There shouldn't be any movement. Sounds like you have worn ball joints and an idler arm.

 

Well I changed the idle arm and then I took it for a test drive, it felt good, no steering wheel play alittle in the stiff side but good. When I was returning and coasting on the off ramp the wheels started to wobble / viberate.
I'll relook at the top ball joints.

thanks

 

sounds like ball joints, you said you replaced both but there are four, upper and lower unless you meant both upper and lower on both sides.also it could be worn out bushing's on the lower a arm.

 

Im replaceing all the inner & outer tie rods, when I was replaceing them I grabbed hold of the top control arm and it has around 1/16" of movement. so I guess I'll be installing the top ball joints, I seen that for $7 more I can get the control arm w/bushings.
I think I let this problem go on for too long and it damaged all these componets.
I was told before I take it to an alignment to buy an ajustment adapter that bolts to the back of the control arm for proper alignment because it has larger tires. Does anyone know what the correct name of this part or if this is good information?
thanks

 

Sounds like you are talking about adjustable camber bolts. They are around $40 at most parts stores.

 

Wandell what is the perpose of the camber bolts? it looks like there is still room for adjusting the control arm.

 

Well I'm bummed out,
I changed the inner, outter tie rods, top & bottom control arms with ball joints of both sides, the idler & pitman arm, installed camber bolts and I'm still have the same issue.

The tires still swing back and forth sometimes on uneven roads at around 40 to 50 MPH (its like if you grab the tire from the 3Oclock and 9 Oclock postion and move them in and out).

The wheel bearings have no movements (if you grab the tire from the 6Oclock and the 12Oclock postion) you have no in and out movement (checked by alignment shop also.

The alignment shop said maybe the gear box but thats a $150 maybe.
How much play should my steering have (I think it hardly has any to no play).

 

make sure tires are balanced, if they are make sure that they are not out of round. sometimes you can get a defective tire.

 

I assume it's doing this while coasting and not braking? Having replaced everything common, I'd see about the shaft on the steering box. When the one on my big truck (Freightliner) was loose, people honked at me seeing how badly it was shaking. A new shaft cured that problem. You'd be able to see it too moving.