I've had my old Dolphin in storage for the last 3-months. I took it for a short drive today and when I hit a pothole the front end began shimming so bad I had to pull over to a full stop to make it quit shaking. It was so violent I expected to see something hanging or broken underneath the front end. However, I saw nothing and it drove out OK. Ten minutes later I hit another bad spot and them same thing happened a second time. I am thinking all kinds of problems that could be causing it, but does it sound like anything any of you have experienced? Tires? Shocks? Suspension? Wow! I am puzzled. Let me know your thoughts.
Front end shaking
- Thread starter napalm204
- Start date
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House Husband
Well-known member
Three items will cause your issue.
1: Shimmy dampener on tie rod had failed. Looks like a shock laying on its side
2: Front tires not dynamically balanced. Causes tires to whip sideways.
3: Cheap rags for tires. Your coach came with Michelin XPS, all steel cord tires from the factory. The most expensive tire Ford could buy. There must have been a reason.
1: Shimmy dampener on tie rod had failed. Looks like a shock laying on its side
2: Front tires not dynamically balanced. Causes tires to whip sideways.
3: Cheap rags for tires. Your coach came with Michelin XPS, all steel cord tires from the factory. The most expensive tire Ford could buy. There must have been a reason.
LunaticFridge
New member
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2019
- Posts
- 1
If your motorhome has a solid front axle under it then you have experienced something that Jeepers and Pickup owners with solid front axles call Death Wobble.
Usually caused by worn suspension parts. Tierod ends, Bushings, Ball Joints, Wallowed out bolt holes, etc. Many things could be the issue. If you are a D.I.Y. type of guy and want to diagnose it yourself, best way to find it is have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you watch each joint for movement that it shouldnt have. Be sure to do this with weight on the tires as if you suspend the front end and do this check you may not see the full extent of any unwanted movement. With weight on it you should see things move more than they should when trying to turn the tires before the tires actually move.
LunaticFridge
Usually caused by worn suspension parts. Tierod ends, Bushings, Ball Joints, Wallowed out bolt holes, etc. Many things could be the issue. If you are a D.I.Y. type of guy and want to diagnose it yourself, best way to find it is have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you watch each joint for movement that it shouldnt have. Be sure to do this with weight on the tires as if you suspend the front end and do this check you may not see the full extent of any unwanted movement. With weight on it you should see things move more than they should when trying to turn the tires before the tires actually move.
LunaticFridge
A Traveler
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2014
- Posts
- 709
Yessir....that?s the classic Ford F53 chassis front end Death Wobble. This has plagued various Ford products for years. I used to drive a Ford van that did the same thing. We were never able to totally fix it on the van.
