i have a 1993 f150 2 wheel drive with a 4.9. i have recently developed a front end shake. my first thoughts was outer tie rod ends. so while i changed the tie rods i also did the upper and lower ball joints. that didnt help it so i got new tires, still no help. i changed the brakes thinking that maybe the rotors were badly warped. i still have this problem, any ideas on what it could be? how do you check to see if the the inner tie rod ends are bad? also how do you know if the pitman arm is worn out? i really want to get the front end of my truck in good shape, it feels like every thing is loose and is about to fall off, definatly not good. any help is greatly appreciated. thank you!

 

Check out the condition of the bushes that are located at the pivot end of each of the front axles they are in a position where power steering fluid, and leaking engine oil can soak and soften, and expand these bushes. If you find them soft and swollen replace the bush with the new Poly vinyl (PV) bushes and replace the pivot bolt at the same time. In fact I would replace all of the hard rubber bushes in the front end with the the PV ones.

 

hmmm... maybe wheels/tires off balance? could be somthin that simple, hopefully it is... good luck!!

 

they ballanced the wheels when i got new tires.

 

Hey this maybe a shot in the dark but a coil could be going My uncle ahd a 2001 f-150 sc with 133,000 in it and 2 coils went on him arleady.

 

This is from Brakes and Frontend Magazine


The twin I beam front end was listed in a article about hard to align frontends.
kdr358 may be on to something as you will read below.


FORD TWIN I-BEAM
One thing to always check on Ford Twin I-Beam suspensions is ride height. If the front tires show camber wear and the ride height is below specs, you can bet the springs are sagging. And since the springs play a critical role in determining ride height (which affects camber), it doesn't make much sense to attempt any camber corrections until the underlying problem is corrected. The trick here is to replace or shim the sagging springs. If that fails to bring camber back within specs, a camber correction is needed.
On Ford Twin I-Beam suspensions, you'll find one of two different types of axles: forged or stamped. The corrective trick that can be used here will depend on which type of axle the vehicle has. The older Twin I-Beam suspensions, which first appeared back in 1965 and continued up through the early 1980s, use the heavy forged axles. In 1982, Ford introduced lighter stamped steel axle Twin I-Beam suspensions on the F100 and F150 pickups.
Camber corrections can be made on Twin I-Beam forged axles by bending the axles with a hydraulic ram. This obviously requires an investment in some special bending equipment, but once made it can pay for itself in a few jobs.
To make a make a positive camber correction, a rigid work beam is slung under the axle from a pair of clevis blocks. A hydraulic ram is then placed under the middle of the axle. When pressure is applied, the ram bends the axle upward and tilts the knuckle down to increase camber. A slight amount of overbending is usually needed to compensate for spring back in the axle.
A negative camber correction is made by removing the outboard clevis block and inserting a spacer between the work beam and axle. The hydraulic ram is then repositioned directly under the inner axle bushing. When pressure is applied, the work beam bends the outer end of the axle up, which tilts the knuckle and decreases camber.
Ford pickups with stamped steel Twin I-Beam axles require a different trick to correct camber misalignment. Because bending could weaken a stamped steel axle, camber corrections must be made by using an offset bushing in the upper ball joint.
Caster corrections on Ford Twin I-Beam suspensions can be accomplished one of two ways: by replacing the radius arm bushing where the radius arm connects to the frame with an offset bushing, or by installing offset cam bushings where the through bolts attach the radius arms to the axles.

 

Wow i was really off, but i never knew how difficult they made there front-ends to align.

 

This is nothing new with Fords, many of their cars are just as tough. Early Ford Falcons, Mustangs and such are nearly as bad, This is why, especially with the Twin I Beam front end, if you are having trouble take it to a proper Frame and Axle shop. they have the equipment, and experience to work on this front end. Dealers, and especially your average tire shop often don't have the equipment either. The thing to do is ask around, a really good place to start is a long established parts store they will know who does a good job. In Cheyenne it is "Cheyenne Frame and Axle". They have been in business since the 1950's and there is nothing they can't do in this area. They are almost magical the way they can get a 4X4 truck which has the directional stability of a staggering boozer to settle down and go in a straight line with your hands off of the wheel. They have worked on my dad's cars, and trucks for over 40 years. One thing to remember you get what you pay for, you do not want some fly by night wazoo machanic work in this area getting bad suspension work can get you and your family killed.

 

Is it the doghouse shaking ?? If so check the dog house, were the Radiator suppor bolts to the frame.. Is it when you are just sitting there or steering ??

 

i have the same exact truck 93 f150 2wd with the 4.9l and i am having the same exact problem...i have a nasty jerk..almost a slapping like if the driver side axle was moving back and forth as i brake....BUT this is not constantly occuring everytime i brake only spontaneously...at high or low speeds....at high speeds the jerking is worse as it moves my whole frame from the stress..at low speeds when i press and release the brakes i heard a movement in the driverside axle again....here what i have replaced.....radius arm bushings(MOOGpolyuthrene), outer tie rods...the ball joint seem fine as the dont have any slack and i dont have any tire wear on the side....i cut and repacked my bearings ...which had slight worpping but still didnt fix anything....the only thing that hasnt been replaced are the pivot bushings, balljoints(which seem sturdy) and inner draglinks.....im aiming at the bushings, or ball joints ?...if any one can help me out to pin point the problem please do cuz this is my daily driver to school and work as i am a college student and really need to get this fixed?..also the jerking occured before i changed the radius arm bushings...telling me it is not related and the truck hold an alignment...tracks perfect on the freeway