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4 Wheel Drive/SUVs/2000 ford f-150 bounce

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Expert: - 8/15/2005


Question
Hello, I have a 2000 Ford F-150. I have a 6" suspention lift and a 3" Body lift. I am currently running 39" Pitbull tires. I lifted the truck about three years ago and the problem started about four months ago. I have a steady on/off bounce between 35 - 45mph. Everyone says that it happens when you lift a truck but I say it did not for the first 2 1/2 years. I have recently replaced the pitman arm, idler arm, inner tie rods, and upper and lower ball joints! The bounce is a little better but is still there! I have even had the tires trued. I have taken it to an alignment shop and they saind the front is perfectly straight and the bearings were still tight. Can you please help me, I'm all out of ideas.

Answer
Adam,

You have found the magic problem with large tires.  Anytime you run 33" or larger tires, they are extremely hard to balance, especially after they get some wear.  It's simply due to the weight, and size of the tire.  You've done all of the right things to correct the problem.

I've heard of people trying a multitude of tricks to try to correct this problem, including putting a half dozen golf balls in the tires.  The idea of this, is that when the tire starts bouncing/shimmying, they go to the side that needs the weight, therefore balancing the tire on the go.  I haven't tried this myself, but some people swear by it.

My suggestion, is to see if you can find a shop that will spin balance your size tire, and have them balanced again.  If this doesn't work, you can put on a double set of heavy duty steering stabilizers, and double shock the Ford.

Carl

4 Wheel Drive/SUVs

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Carl Brandt

Expertise

Will discuss suspensions, lifts, lockers along with tire suggestions. Trail ratings and possible requirements needed for specific type of trails. Safety equipment and what you should carry with you. Certified off-road instructor. I am not a mechanic, and 4-Wheeling is a hobby, so if I can't answer a technical question it is due to my mechanical knowledge being related to vehicles that I have owned, or have worked on. I do not have manuals on all vehicles.

Experience

40 plus years of 4 wheeling in a variety of vehicles. At the present time, my major off-road rig is a 94 Jeep Wrangler with a spring over and a 1 1/2" suspension lift. This gives me a total lift of 7" or so. I have lockers front and rear. I have removed the track bars, and sway bar for maximum articulation. I am running a stock 2.5 ltr 4 cylinder with a Jacobs ignition along with a cold air high flow filter. It has 4.56:1 gears with a Dodge NV4500 transmission along with a 3.8:1 Atlas II transfer case. This gives me a final ratio of 105:1 in low gear/low range. Other vehicles I own, are a 96 Ford F-250 with a 6" lift, posi rear end, 36" Hummer tires, 5 speed with a fuel injected 460 ci engine, an 87 Samurai with an 8" lift, Ford 9" rear end with a spool, Chevy Dana 44 front end with an electric locker, 5.88 gears, 16% reduction in high range and a 6.5:1 low range with 35" Baja Claws, and a stock 2003 Grand Cherokee Overland. Trails I have run are the Rubicon (10 times), Dusey Ershim, Fordyce Creek trail, McGrew trail, several trails in Moab, Utah along with local monthly runs.

Organizations
Lost Coast 4x4's Cal 4-Wheel Corva UFWDA Blue Ribbon Coalition

Education/Credentials
Certified off-road instructor - Certificates in engineering/electronics

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