78 f250 front axle

[bigred1951]

1978 ford f250 4x4 drum brake front axle. When getting up to speed bad vibration andbounce in tthe front end. Felt like bad tires. Replaced tires no change. Any ideas what could be the problem. Shocks maybe or ball joints. The truck been pieced together by previous owners. Titled as 78 f250 two wheel drive with a 460. Now is a 4x4 with a 302 and a dually. Divorced transfer case which ford quit putting in in 76-77 and the drum brake front axle which quit using in 75 I think.

[barbender]

Straight axle truck, all play in the components is cumulative. You might have 1 bad component really out of whack, or several slightly worn. I just went through this with my 03 Dodge 3500, I experienced what is known as the "Dodge death wobble", you hit a bump and the front end starts shaking violently, won't quit til you bring the truck to a stop. All mine ended up being was the steering stabilizer shock, a $50 part.

[starmac]

Jack it up and check for play in the king pins, if it is close knuckle it may have ball joints, not sure, but I have heard parts for them are no longer available.

[sandhills]

I'd be checking the knuckles first, can you tell which side it's coming from?

[Kbeitz]

Death wobble is most of the time caused by out of balance
tires but can be controlled with tight components. It could
be anything that moves under the front.

[snowstorm]

you didnt say if this happens with the hubs turned in or out. if in then the front drive shaft and axles are turning. dose it have a double cardian u joint at the transfer case??? its 2 u joints back to back to handle the drive shaft angle. look at all u joints front and rear

[bigred1951]

It feels like it's coming from the driver side. And it's a closed knuckle. I think a Dana60 but not sure. It does it when the hubs are free   

[snowstorm]

can you get some pictures of this thing? dose this have the old power assist steering?? with a hydra cyl?

[bigred1951]

Illtry to get sosome pics this evening. I'm not sure if it has power assist or not.

[bigred1951]

Also it seems to me that it comes and goes. Mostly there but then it'll quit for a second then do it again. But it don't happen at all till you get any speed like around 35-45 mph then it starts

[Ox]

Check for a bent or warped rim/wheel.  I remember having this problem on a truck but didn't find it until I had my buddy stick his head out the window.  I used the rims off a wrecked vehicle and always mounted my own tires so the warped rim didn't show up till I drove it.

[Gearbox]

If it has a trac bar like a Dodge they were the culprit many times . Turn the steering wheel back and forth and see if the body moves with the steering .

[starmac]

It will be rare for it to be a D60, most are D44's even if they have the big lockout hubs.
If this truly is a 2 wheel drive frame, converted to a 4x4, it is sure possible they left the track rod off, I have seen it several times when folks are converting from ttb to a solid axle, and they will act just as you are describing without the track rod.

[bigred1951]

I don't believe it's a two wheel drive frame I think they put the body onto the 4x4 frame. And it could very well be a 44 and not the 60 I can't really tell them apart. But it does have big hubs and if I remember right I seen a 6 stamped somewhere on it once when I looked.

[snowstorm]

It used to be a 250 had the 50 and a 350 had a 60 even the 550up until 05 used a 60. It would be interesting to see what this truck looks like

[bigred1951]

Tried to attach a pic but can't from my phone. But got to looking around and the divorced transfer case seemed a little looseso iI'm gonna try to tighten it down. Then the bar that runs across the front axle that the steering shock is attached to well there is no shock.

[bigred1951]

 

 

[bigred1951]

 

  

  

 

[bigred1951]

that's all I have of it right now the 3 of it sitting in the field where I found and bought it and one now of it sitting in the driveway

[moosehunter]

Loose wheel bearings can cause the shake you feel.

[starmac]

Since there is no factory gas tanks inside the frame, I suspedt it was originally a 4x4 frame with a 2x cab swapped on. To be sure you could measure the width of the frame behind the cab as the 4x4's were narrower until 77.

If that is a dually rear and not using adapters it has to be either a 4x4 frame or an f350 2x frame.

If it has closed knuckles it would only be a D60 if it was some sort of special order, the easiest way to tell is the ring gear cover bolts will have 1/2 in heads for 44 and 9/16 heads for the 60, but I am not even sure the 60 was available ever in a closed knuckle frontend in a ford.

[bigred1951]

I do know there's no adapters on the dually rear. But a cab and chassis dually rear should bolt in place on the narrower highboy frames. I'll have to check the bolts on the front cover. I know on the tcase it says Spicer on the tag but I haven't looked into it really. But it is loose. I'm gonna try to tighten it up so hoping that's causing some of the vibration