SRaschke

Hello everyone, this is my first post, I've been stalking this forum for years for answers to problems and tips. I've had this place bookmarked for forever, but this is the first time I've made an account and asked for help, so.. Howdy!

OK, what follows is a long story summed up as much as I can for the sake of bordem and information.

I own an 2013 F150 Super-crew Eco boost. Within the last several months I've started having a popping/wobbling sound come from my bed when I back into the driveway. I have 40K miles and the original factory tires which were past due to be changed, I switched from my factory 260/65/18 tires to some AT 270/65/18 tires in Nov. The noise persisted, I now have alot of shaking coming from -only- the driver side of the bed, that side seems to bounce all over the place when on anything other than a perfectly smooth road, this issue seems to translate into a vibration in my seats and center, nothing in my steering wheel.

I've been to the dealer 3 times, every time they can't find any issues, everything is working as it should, they admit there is something 'odd' happening, but cannot/will not do anything about it. They blame the tire shop.

Went back to the tire shop, they road force tested the tire to see if it was within round, it passed, they re balanced it and told me to test drive down the highway. Test drove, came back the same day with no change, the guy then replaced both rear tires with new ones and re-balanced those. Tire shop was great and went out of there way to help me out, unfortunately that didn't fix anything.

Today i took it to a third-party mechanic, he says the issue is the tires and that my stock suspension can't handle the weight and force of the new tires, He suggested i 'beef up' my suspension and that would solve my problem.

So far, tires are new and not defective. I've replaced my shock absorbers with better ones in the last 3 weeks. Wheels are not damaged, and I'm being told from 2 dealerships and a mechanic that I have no sign of damage or worn parts in my rear suspension.

So here is where I need help, this is my first truck, I've owned Mustangs my whole life, my knowledge of truck beds and suspension is very limited. My truck is my daily driver and i will haul house hold things in it (mulch, dirt, washer/dryer) and while i DO go fishing on dirty/grass/sand, i don't do any crazy off roading... I don't quite understand why a small tire increase warrants new leaf springs, which he suggested I buy, but should that be the case, He gave me no direction on what to look for or where to go.

My dealer didn't help much either, basically just telling me it would be better to get a smaller tires again, and they don't have any upgraded parts for my truck.

ANY help, suggestion or guidance would be incredibly helpful.

Thanks in advance!

GrasslandHVAC

Is your driveway gravel? Is it covered with snow/slush/ice? Do you have a limited slip rear end?

Crazy question... you say the "bed" is shaking, has anyone checked to see if all the bed mounting bolts are there, tight, and none are cracked?

SRaschke

I live in Texas, I saw snow once... My driveway is concrete, there is no ice, slush or anything else element related.

I have a locking differential **** on my dash, but I would have to find out about the rear end, I really don't know. I've wondered what my gear ratio is too and just never found out.

I have torqued the bed bolts on top down myself, If there is more to making sure the bed is tight than those 4 top bolts, than I still need to try that.

vtoy1

This is probably silly, but did they check to see if the rear brake caliper was working properly? Also, for smiles and giggles, I would check the emergency brake as well. Before I gave up on the brakes I'd have a look at the ABS unit. They can fail, not often but it happens.
Does your truck have traction control? Could be a bad sensor on the rear driver wheel.
I hope you get to the bottom of this so you can get back to enjoying your truck! Good luck!

SRaschke

I've read on here and several other places about the E-Brake sticking, I've inspected it with the wheels on and had my wife pull and release it, it seemed to work fine, but i haven't taken the drum apart to check.

Truck has traction control, I can look into that as well. Maybe tomorrow I'll just pull the back wheels off and write these off the list.

on a side note, I mentioned I drove Mustangs all my life and this is my first truck, I honestly don't know how I lived without one.

Thanks for the suggestions

vtoy1

I may be wrong, but the new tires you put on seem to be not entirely that much bigger and bulkier than the ones you were running prior. Max, to me, it seems they could only be 10 pounds heavier, and I think that's pushing it. This shop that told you your suspension was too weak for these tires....Not so sure I would put much on what they say. Sure seems to me they were more into selling you a suspension than fixing your problem.
I'm not there and I can't see for myself...but I don't think there is anything wrong with your new rubber. I could be wrong but it doesn't sound right to me.
Also, just remembered...when going into reverse on my old '04 I would get a wobble up through the tranny. turned out to be the U joints on the drive shaft where it meets the differential. Changed them out and viola! Real cheap and easy, especially if you have beer and friends to offer it to in exchange for extra hands.