Posted 2005-05-14 9:51 AM (#25104) Subject: F250 "bucking" problems
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I remember reading on this forum about some people's trucks,particularly Ford F250 I believe,going into some horrific bucking and jumping mode when towing a trailer or load and hitting an uneven place in the highway.My friend says her F250 was equipped with leafsprings and airbags,and she was towing a Hart LQ when this happened to her,she immediately had to hit her deflate button on the airbags.Am I right about this,or was it other trucks besides the F250s?
Posted 2005-05-14 10:08 AM (#25106 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Posts: 109
If I remember correctly this was on the new trucks. And it was on a F350, not the F250. You might try for a search for the thread. Mr Truck can correct me if I am wrong but it had to do with the brake controller built in or something that Ford did. Also in that thread there was talk about the trailer brakes and the magnetics being misaligned that caused problems.
Posted 2005-05-14 10:25 AM (#25108 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Posts: 109
No I dont work for a Ford dealer, I managed a horse trailer dealership for the last 3 years so I have seen this problem quite often, especially in 2003. I have worked with several customers that at first their Ford dealerships were trying to say it was the trailer overloading the trucks. But after weighing the trailers for the customers and having proof of the trailers weight they went back to their Ford dealership that contacted Ford. I am not totally sure how this problem was corrected by Ford, but I do know that I had several of my customers that made the dealerships buy back their trucks. I was told that Ford was being sued over this problem. What ever you do I would make sure I started with Ford. Talk to your dealership. Dont settle with this problem until they fix it! I have test ridden with one of my customers and his truck bucked so violantly that he slmost lost control. He left without his trailer scared of wrecking. Ford took his truck back and he ordered a 2004 model. And was told that Ford had fixed the problem in the 04 models. I have not heard from him so he is not having a problem or he decided to get a differant truck. My other customers with this problem sold their trucks. I wish I could tell you what Ford did differantly to fix this but I can't. I do know that the heavier the load the worse it can be. ( flexes th frame more)
Posted 2005-05-14 2:45 PM (#25116 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Posts: 1160 Location: Denver Colorado
As suggested already it would be a good idea to do a search here on the same topic as there was a lot of particapation. There was a problem with wiring in the trailer harness, brakes on the trailer were locking up, on some truicks in cab and chassis, Ford added a rear tracking bar. I recieve a lot of emails from California with bucking problems and most of those are from the expansion joints in the hiway. If you have just the right wheelbase, the axles will hit them close together and start the boat a rocking. With bumper pulls sometimes a wdh will solve the problem. In recent years truck manufactures have left out the rear anti-sway bar which can cause more wheel hop. Adding a rear ant-sway bar from Hell-Wing or SuperSprings can help. But first check to see if the problem isn't the trailer brakes or wiring.
Posted 2005-05-16 12:30 PM (#25173 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Thanks.We haven't had it happen,yet,and we're hoping it doesn't!.My husband's considering putting airbags on his truck,but when she told me about this,I hesitated.Perhaps she had the airbags overinflated,or something.I don't know,I just remembered reading about this same problem occurring with some of the F250's,maybe another year model.She's the first person I've talked to that actually told me what happened to her in relation to this.
Posted 2005-05-16 2:17 PM (#25179 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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I'm wondering if this is connected to the WDH thread about anti lock brakes.
TK said he has a preference for air bags, as well as saying indefinite things about the abs going crazy on panic stops with a WDH hooked up.
I don't think he mentioned an F250 specifically in that thread and I havn't read any of his other posts in that other forum to know what he drives.
Posted 2005-05-17 1:24 AM (#25200 - in reply to #25179) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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I looked on the forum out of curiosity,to read about this to see if there was a connection.That guy was talking about a BP.I found the thread,after looking around,it is currently on P.6,originated by Scotchdun on 4/11.It was about the F350.My friend that was relating her experience with GN "buck" had a 3/4T Ford and big Hart LQ,and she seemed to think her trailer wasn't heavy enough for the airbags.Something like that.Oh,and while on that page,I went ahead and read "To dually or not to dually."Don't want to get a "duel" going over duallys,however.
Posted 2005-05-17 1:30 AM (#25201 - in reply to #25200) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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P.S.Sorry about the F250/350 mixup,couldn't remember,it's a "change of life" thing! Happens a lot.Had to go back and read,and correct myself.What I got from that thread was: they believe it was due to the flex frame of the trucks.
Posted 2005-05-17 3:35 AM (#25202 - in reply to #25104) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Posts: 1160 Location: Denver Colorado
Anything's possible. Ford Super Duty F250/350 does have a one piece C-channel frame as does Peterbilt. The theroy is that it's better to twist then break under load. In 2005 Ford made the frame thicker with more gussets than the 99-2004 frame which is thicker than the Heavy Duty series F250/350 1980-1997.
The lastest trend in pickup trucks is for boxed frame like the Japanese trucks have for decades and Dodge went to in 2002 1500 and 2003 2500/3500 in their four piece frame. GM has a three piece frame with boxed up front, then stamped and finally cold rolled. The idea of a boxed frame is for the suspension to take more of the work and is more easily tuned for the desired ride. Starting in 2004 the Ford F150 went to a totally boxed frame. So it looks like all trucks are heading that way.
I would be surprised if the twisting of a truck frame can cause extreme jerking. In 1999 with the first Ford Super Duty F250/350, they stretched the rear leaf springs 3 inches for a softer ride, which it did but it also gave the trucks more rear wheel travel, which gives you more lean on curves and more wheel hop on washboard and rutted gravel roads. For this kind of jerking, a rear anti-sway bar or certain aftermarket overloads can solve the problem. Dodge stretched their rear leafs in 2003 in the 2500/3500, 3 inches and GM changed mid-year 2001.
Posted 2005-05-17 6:12 AM (#25204 - in reply to #25202) Subject: RE: F250 "bucking" problems
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Originally written by MrTruck on 2005-05-17 3:35 AM
Anything's possible. Ford Super Duty F250/350 does have a one piece C-channel frame as does Peterbilt. The theroy is that it's better to twist then break under load. In 2005 Ford made the frame thicker with more gussets than the 99-2004 frame which is thicker than the Heavy Duty series F250/350 1980-1997.
The lastest trend in pickup trucks is for boxed frame like the Japanese trucks have for decades and Dodge went to in 2002 1500 and 2003 2500/3500 in their four piece frame. GM has a three piece frame with boxed up front, then stamped and finally cold rolled. The idea of a boxed frame is for the suspension to take more of the work and is more easily tuned for the desired ride. Starting in 2004 the Ford F150 went to a totally boxed frame. So it looks like all trucks are heading that way.
I would be surprised if the twisting of a truck frame can cause extreme jerking. In 1999 with the first Ford Super Duty F250/350, they stretched the rear leaf springs 3 inches for a softer ride, which it did but it also gave the trucks more rear wheel travel, which gives you more lean on curves and more wheel hop on washboard and rutted gravel roads. For this kind of jerking, a rear anti-sway bar or certain aftermarket overloads can solve the problem. Dodge stretched their rear leafs in 2003 in the 2500/3500, 3 inches and GM changed mid-year 2001.
IF it is a whip/resonance thing... One could speculate that almost ANY changes to springs or shocks would be likely to change the resonant frequency and in many cases the symptoms would then disappear. Similarly other changes could precipitate a latent problem that has already been "tuned out" with the factory set up. Either way owners face a difficult choice.
In MG Brit speak "dampers" is the descriptive term for what are usually called "shocks" or "shock absorbers" in the US. They do "dampen" rebound.
F250 "bucking" problems
P.S.Sorry about the F250/350 mixup,couldn't remember,it's a "change of life" thing! Happens a lot.Had to go back and read,and correct myself.What I got from that thread was: they believe it was due to the flex frame of the trucks.