Death Wobble Wins!

[CLWilliams]

Well, for any of you guys that have experienced the death wobble with your 3rd generation Rams... ... . good luck! If any of you had read my previous posts about the problem I had with it, here's the END of the story. Repair from dealer lasted about 6k miles and then it slowly started to return. I checked torque on everything, had an alignment, yada yada yada..... same old #%$%$----I spend $$$ trying to fix it to no avail and dealer can't fix it. 3 days ago, I went to a F**D dealer and explained to him my problem. I am in business and can't take the down time with trying to fix this problem... ... I shouldn't have to anyway (29K on the truck). Well, to make this short, I am now a F**D owner and I am happy. NO, the Powerpoke doesn't have the ba**s that the Cummins does and the durability is a???, but it works for me. I still say the Cummins motor is the top dog, but DODGE needs to find a fix for a problem that has plagued this truck for EVER!!! I have lots of RAM stuff listed in the classifieds and I'll miss the TDR!!... ... . Maybe one day when F**D sticks it to me, I'll come back... ... . I'll never wear a "bowtie" though!! rbattelle, thanks for the support! And, thanks to all of the loyal TDR guys who tried to help! I'll still wave on the road... ... even though you might not wave back to the blue oval!!! See ya!!:{

 

[Yo Hoot]

You shoulda bought my used Duramax.



Ford front ends suck. Go every way but straight.



How come we don't see a lot of posting about the wobble?

 

[geusterman]

Too much positive caster creates death wobbles. It is the verticle axis the hub swivels on. On our trucks about 5 degrees positive is right to keep rotating mass true. On motorhomes and certain other styles of front ends a negative caster keeps things going straight down the road. George

 

[DGFoster]

Man sorry to hear this,I haven't seen anything about a death wobble,but I can understand it can be frustrating for sure.

I for one like Ford trucks,I hope you are happy with your new wheels

 

[Matt400]

I haven't seen any postings on a death wobble. Sounds like a caster shimmy. That truck needs a caster check with it loaded the way it is driven.



I can't tell you how many times contractors unload all their gear for the day its in the shop for an alignment only to load er back up and change all the specs.



Good luck with your Ford but hope you will come back

 

[rbattelle]

Originally posted by clwilliams

Well, for any of you guys that have experienced the death wobble with your 3rd generation Rams... ... . good luck! If any of you had read my previous posts about the problem I had with it, here's the END of the story. Repair from dealer lasted about 6k miles and then it slowly started to return. I checked torque on everything, had an alignment, yada yada yada..... same old #%$%$----I spend $$$ trying to fix it to no avail and dealer can't fix it. 3 days ago, I went to a F**D dealer and explained to him my problem. I am in business and can't take the down time with trying to fix this problem... ... I shouldn't have to anyway (29K on the truck). Well, to make this short, I am now a F**D owner and I am happy. NO, the Powerpoke doesn't have the ba**s that the Cummins does and the durability is a???, but it works for me. I still say the Cummins motor is the top dog, but DODGE needs to find a fix for a problem that has plagued this truck for EVER!!! I have lots of RAM stuff listed in the classifieds and I'll miss the TDR!!... ... . Maybe one day when F**D sticks it to me, I'll come back... ... . I'll never wear a "bowtie" though!! rbattelle, thanks for the support! And, thanks to all of the loyal TDR guys who tried to help! I'll still wave on the road... ... even though you might not wave back to the blue oval!!! See ya!!:{

While I'm sorry to see you go, Cl, I'm happy to hear you told Dodge to "shove it". It's complete crapola what you went through, and I fully support the move to another manufacturer. I wish you the absolute best of luck with the new Ford! Hey, use the rest of the time on your membership here to let us know how the new truck works out. Best of luck...



-Ryan

 

[nickleinonen]

Originally posted by geusterman

Too much positive caster creates death wobbles. It is the verticle axis the hub swivels on. On our trucks about 5 degrees positive is right to keep rotating mass true. On motorhomes and certain other styles of front ends a negative caster keeps things going straight down the road. George

isn't negitive caster what causes the shimmy? a shopping cart's front wheels are really castered to the negitive and they bounce around like crazy when you push them fast. if i remember my schooling correctly, positive caster is what keeps the front wheels from shimmying...

 

[JDerbedrossian]

hey clwilliams why didnt they just give you a new truck woudnt that fall under lemon law? but good luck anyway

 

[XcumminsX]

so how much money did you lose on this... Everyone i hear trading these trucks in seem to lose there ***. How did you do?



Nick

 

[Big Wheel]

lf it worn't for the Cummins engine Dodge wouldn't be in the HD. truck business

 

[Badunit]

While the Cummins may be the biggest selling point, I wouldn't call the rest of the truck junk. Personally, in terms of quality of body and interior parts, I was least impressed with Chevy. Light weight, thin metal and cheap plastic is what I saw. Ford may make good trucks (sans the 6. 0 navistar Powerstroke, at least right now), but the way they treat their customers stinks. I'm sticking with Dodge.

 

[Yo Hoot]

I like my Dodge right now better that the Dmax I gave up.

 

[Big Wheel]

If Cummins built a pick up truck I wonder how many of you would still be driving a Dodge with a Dodge engine in it

 

[buddys06]

Originally posted by Big Wheel

If Cummins built a pick up truck I wonder how many of you would still be driving a Dodge with a Dodge engine in it

NOPE!!

 

[GFritsch]

Junk? My 94 with over 200k has never had any problems (except for a starter at over 100k) no rattles, power everything still works. I have a lot of experience with F brand. We use them at work (about 25 trucks). They all have had problems.

I would buy another Dodge even without the Cummins.



Of course if Cummins built a truck that would be a different story. If a Cummins truck was like a Cummins engine they would be in a class of their own. What a great concept!--probably couldn't afford it though.

 

[Matt400]

I wouldn't call it junk either... my 02 QC 1500 4x4 vs the other 2 had:

• Tighter turning radius
  
• Rack & Pinion Steering - Way nice
  
• Bigger Brakes
  
• A refined solid body
  

What it couldn't hack was pulling so I upgraded to the CTD and kept all of the above except for the Rack & Pinion though the 03's steering gear is now quicker than the 02's.



I came real close to getting a 4. 10 geared Hemi- even had it on order but never gave the Ford or GM a thought.

 

[CLWilliams]

Guys..... there are good and bad in all of them. It just so happened I got one of the bad ones. I've never had a positive experience with a dealer until I traded this time. So far anyway. They all make good trucks, but I should have known better than to buy the 1st of a new model. Experience and sense should tell you to buy the last of the old model when they have most of the "bugs" out. My '03 was awesome except for the DW. I had a Ford guy say to me "you finally got you some power!". I told him that my '03 CTD could drag his 02 PS all around the block without a sweat. I'm still a Cummins man but when Dodge wouldn't help, that was it... ..... I'm self-employed and customer service is paramount. People will pay more and will come back for customer service... ... and so I would have also. BTW, my 03 SLT 4DR 4WD Long Bed 2500 had 29k+ miles on it and I traded even for an F350 4DR 4WD LB Powerpoke with 48k+ miles on it and new tires and fresh service (Lariat). 29K even swap. I saw my old truck for sale on the lot for 33, 985!!! Geez! It will make someone a great truck if they keep it under 60 or use it on the farm!

 

[Gary - K7GLD]

TOO bad you missed the thread where one of our guys found what seems to be the problem in one of the front end adjustments that had apparently not been properly secured at the factory, and had shifted well out of spec - he adjusted it, and problem gone!... Prior to that, DC had struck out on locating the problem...



Mighta saved ya lotsa frustration and $$$...

 

[R.M.THOMPSON]

Strickly in an engineering sense,there are only three things that can allow this to happen ! Springs ,shocks , tires & bushings. That being said,other conditions may cause it,steering set-up being the prime focus. $1000 woth of parts could replace all affected components and one would walk away with new tires(315's ) and a levelled stance to boot ! This would be best to have done at a very competant suspension shop in my opinion. What am I missing here ?

 

[mfelix]

75 MPH DEATH WOBBLE

WELL I JUST HAD ONE OF THEM DEATH WOBBLES AND IT WAS NOT NICE. BEEN HAVING A LITTLE WOBBLE FROM TIME TO TIME AFTER HITTING A SMALL BUMP. BUT THIS TIME IT JUST STARTED TO WOBBLE MORE AND MORE . HAD TO PULL OFF THE ROAD TO STOP IT THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO ROLL OVER ON ME. MAN IT WAS EMBARRASSING. AFTER I JUST PASSED A BUNCH OF TRAFFIC took it to the dealer he found that the stabilizer shock bushing was worn out. pitman arm worn bad front end needs lined up. hope this fix's it . my buddy was ridding with me said he would not own something like this. bowtie man . other than that nice truck good fuel mileage . by the way dealer said it was SO insted of a HO. thought that all 6 speeds were HO?