Wiggles the shop truck.

[Chris142]

Boss bought a new F550 last year. Then had a tool box fitted to it that has a crane and a generator on the back behind the rear axle.

It's a very nice truck but it wiggles so much going down the road that it's just plain miserable to drive it.

I drove it about 150 miles Tuesday and about 60 today. The constant steering correction just wears me out. It saps all my energy.


I have checked tire pressure,moved tools around,removed the tools completely etc. Its just a miserable drive.

I'm thinking that there is too much weight behind the rear axle which we can't do anything about.

After driving the thing I just want to take a nap.

 

[MParr]

Yeah, there’s probably too much weight behind the rear axle. I used to drive a 2003 F-550 4x4. It was a small herbicide spray truck. It was fitted with a 725 gallon water tank, 2 each 30 gallon chemical tanks, a 15hp Lombardini diesel pump motor. It only got squirrelly when the water sloshed. There were baffles in the tank to reduce it. Now, the leaf springs were upgraded to match the weight. Payload upgrade package.

 

[skyactiv]

Sounds like the drivers that pull triple 28' trailers where allowed. Pulling them is nerve-racking I'm told because of constant steering correction.

 

[Chris142]

Sounds like the drivers that pull triple 28' trailers where allowed. Pulling them is nerve-racking I'm told because of constant steering correction.

I hauled doubles 4 years. They didn't wiggle much at all.

 

[PimTac]

Any way to add weight up front to counterbalance?

 

[01rangerxl]

Put one of those Ranch Hand bumpers on it.

 

[c502cid]

Does it sag from the weight? Does it have a rear sway bar?

 

[Chris142]

Does it sag from the weight? Does it have a rear sway bar?

Yes it has a rear sway bar. The rear axle is right at it's rating.

 

[Chris142]

Any way to add weight up front to counterbalance?

Not really

 

[AZjeff]

Yes it has a rear sway bar. The rear axle is right at it's rating.

The problem is where the weight is, the front is light. Get the boss to drive it, that usually gets things fixed. Hopefully something gets done before it wiggles someone into an accident. Maybe weigh it at a CAT scale and see what the real axle weights are.

 

[Jarlaxle]

Bet the rear axle is overweight.

You need to fix that, because if it is and the DOT finds out, you could theoretically get about six tickets.

 

[dnewton3]

Take it to a truck scale and get the axles weighed individually. That will tell you not only about the axle loads, but the weight distribution.
By any chance is this a standard cab? It's hard to imagine a crew-cab F550 being light on the front end.

 

[Chris142]

Take it to a truck scale and get the axles weighed individually. That will tell you not only about the axle loads, but the weight distribution.
By any chance is this a standard cab? It's hard to imagine a crew-cab F550 being light on the front end.

4 door. And we have a scale at my work. I'll weigh it

 

[AZjeff]

It really sounds like a safety issue that needs corrected.

 

[Chris142]

Truck is rated for 19500. Axles weights are as follows. Truck is empty!

 

[Jarlaxle]

Truck is rated for 19500. Axles weights are as follows. Truck is empty!

What's the rear GAWR?

 

[Chris142]

What's the rear GAWR?

14706 lbs

 

[97K15004WD]

Truck is rated for 19500. Axles weights are as follows. Truck is empty!

yeah, I can see that would make the front end skittish

 

[HonorAndHonesty]

Wait until it gets a few years and miles on it and develops the Super Duty "Death Wobble"!

I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a F550 Bucket Truck and it will wear you out on the highway, anything over 60mph feels dangerous.

I have also driven a few F550 Dump trucks, loaded they were squirrely, no Suprise, however don't really have enough wheel time on those to give an opinion on how they drove empty, fastest I've had those was 55mph and that was for a very short trip.

 

[Chris142]

Wait until it gets a few years and miles on it and develops the Super Duty "Death Wobble"!

I have spent a lot of time behind the wheel of a F550 Bucket Truck and it will wear you out on the highway, anything over 60mph feels dangerous.

I have also driven a few F550 Dump trucks, loaded they were squirrely, no Suprise, however don't really have enough wheel time on those to give an opinion on how they drove empty, fastest I've had those was 55mph and that was for a very short trip.

I fixed the death wobble on the older trucks with new track bars.