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Post by jimstc on Dec 17, 2018 12:21:52 GMT -5
A couple of weeks ago I put my truck in 4wd because the back roads were snow covered and slick. Once I got out to the main highway I turned off the 4wd. The truck almost wouldn't steer it was pulling so hard to the right. I thought I had a flat tire. Nope.
Eventually it steered as normal. Now this happens randomly.
On the way to work this morning it happened again but not as severely. After 15 or so miles it stopped.
Any thoughts? Thanks in advance. And no I am not buying a Chevy or Dodge, yet. LOL!
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Post by 36fan on Dec 17, 2018 12:42:38 GMT -5
A quick Google search says it's most likely a bad u joint.
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Post by jimstc on Dec 17, 2018 13:06:06 GMT -5
A quick Google search says it's most likely a bad u joint. Thanks. I wish it were that simple. I spent an hour on Google. There is quite a list of potential issues. Lock out hubs, caliper hanging up, other brake issues including brake fluid (not sure I am buying that), alignment and so on. The random nature of it is what is confusing me but then again I am no mechanic. Easy to confuse..... Taking it to the Ford dealer tomorrow. Edit to add. Researched the symptoms of a bad U joint. I don't have any of them |
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Post by 36fan on Dec 18, 2018 17:05:00 GMT -5
Interesting. What I read about bad u joints in the front of super duties was exactly what you described. Intermittent, strong pulling to one side or the other.
Let us know what it ends up being.
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Post by featherduster on Dec 18, 2018 18:43:00 GMT -5
Front brake caliper locked up?
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Post by nfalls116 on Dec 18, 2018 19:26:32 GMT -5
When does it present?
after brakes have been applied?
In and out of 4wd?
Or at completely random intervals?
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Post by jimstc on Dec 19, 2018 6:47:19 GMT -5
Interesting. What I read about bad u joints in the front of super duties was exactly what you described. Intermittent, strong pulling to one side or the other. Let us know what it ends up being. I will do some more research. Thanks |
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Post by jimstc on Dec 19, 2018 6:47:59 GMT -5
Front brake caliper locked up? That was one of the issues I found on Google |
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Post by jimstc on Dec 19, 2018 6:51:11 GMT -5
When does it present? after brakes have been applied? In and out of 4wd? Or at completely random intervals? The first time it happened was coming out of 4wd. The next time was completely random. It isn't doing it now so I didn't go the dealer. My thinking is that they won't find anything if it isn't pulling?? |
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Post by bartiks on Dec 19, 2018 11:10:35 GMT -5
Power steering pump going bad? Is there junk floating around in the reservoir that could be impeding fluid?
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Post by jimstc on Dec 19, 2018 13:50:58 GMT -5
Power steering pump going bad? Is there junk floating around in the reservoir that could be impeding fluid? I hadn't thought of that. Thanks |
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Post by nfalls116 on Dec 19, 2018 16:50:32 GMT -5
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Post by deadeer on Dec 19, 2018 18:47:18 GMT -5
Busy tonight. Will get back later.
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Post by nfalls116 on Dec 19, 2018 19:04:07 GMT -5
Busy tonight. Will get back later. Ok thanks! |
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Post by greghopper on Dec 19, 2018 19:25:09 GMT -5
Put it back in 4WD and drive it and see if that changes anything... or if it keep doing what your saying happens
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Post by jimstc on Dec 20, 2018 8:17:18 GMT -5
Put it back in 4WD and drive it and see if that changes anything... or if it keep doing what your saying happens Will do. Thanks |
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Post by deadeer on Dec 21, 2018 8:57:15 GMT -5
The first post said it happened after being in 4wd, so seemed logical something was hanging up or staying engaged. Then sounded like it happened while driving. That could be a brake caliper binding, as well as a few other things.
Trying to diagnose without seeing in person is just guessing. I "guess" its fun to hear what everybody thinks, but we are all just guessing.
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Post by Russ Koon on Dec 21, 2018 13:38:02 GMT -5
I once had a similar experience with an International Scout that had a Detroit Locker in the rear differential as a factory option. One of my back tires went flat on the highway on my first western trip, and I put the spare on. The spare was about an inch less diameter than the tire that had gone flat, and when I got up to speed after changing tires,the steering suddenly felt like it had somehow "locked up" in a hard right direction! Took about all I could do to wrestle it back into my lane and keep it there until I could get of the road. I crawled under and looked over the steering, tie rods, springs, whatever else I could think of that might cause a sudden extreme right pull, and found nothing visible.
When I fired it back up and started forward again, the Scout steered normally on the gravel berm and as it got back up to speed, and just when I thought it was some sort of fluke, it did it again. The second time, just as I got off onto the berm, I could feel it "unlock" and the steering return to normal. That was the clue that told me it wasn't a steering system problem at all, but was the locker in the rear that just couldn't handle the different sized tires. The locker would come around to the next spot where it could engage and lock both sides of the rear axle together, and that old short-wheelbase Scout would almost swap ends and head back home, and since it didn't have power steering, it was a real handful until it got onto a lower traction surface and unlocked itself.
I noticed your year of F350 4X4's has the Electronic Differential Locker. Sounds like that could be doing something similar in locking and releasing randomly, maybe as a result of a faulty control switch or sensor?
I googled "2013 F350 4X4 problems" and found a few other guys had some trouble getting them to unlock with the EDL. Seems like most owners like the system, but it does a slight tendency to have some control quirks.
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Post by jimstc on Dec 21, 2018 17:03:48 GMT -5
I once had a similar experience with an International Scout that had a Detroit Locker in the rear differential as a factory option. One of my back tires went flat on the highway on my first western trip, and I put the spare on. The spare was about an inch less diameter than the tire that had gone flat, and when I got up to speed after changing tires,the steering suddenly felt like it had somehow "locked up" in a hard right direction! Took about all I could do to wrestle it back into my lane and keep it there until I could get of the road. I crawled under and looked over the steering, tie rods, springs, whatever else I could think of that might cause a sudden extreme right pull, and found nothing visible. When I fired it back up and started forward again, the Scout steered normally on the gravel berm and as it got back up to speed, and just when I thought it was some sort of fluke, it did it again. The second time, just as I got off onto the berm, I could feel it "unlock" and the steering return to normal. That was the clue that told me it wasn't a steering system problem at all, but was the locker in the rear that just couldn't handle the different sized tires. The locker would come around to the next spot where it could engage and lock both sides of the rear axle together, and that old short-wheelbase Scout would almost swap ends and head back home, and since it didn't have power steering, it was a real handful until it got onto a lower traction surface and unlocked itself. I noticed your year of F350 4X4's has the Electronic Differential Locker. Sounds like that could be doing something similar in locking and releasing randomly, maybe as a result of a faulty control switch or sensor? I googled "2013 F350 4X4 problems" and found a few other guys had some trouble getting them to unlock with the EDL. Seems like most owners like the system, but it does a slight tendency to have some control quirks. Thanks Russ. Your answer makes sense. That is the solution I will pursue. Again, thank you |
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Post by dusty20 on Dec 24, 2018 10:26:06 GMT -5
I have had a few f250 and 350s over the years although nothing as new as what you have. Some of the things I have encountered:
When changing brakes just assume you will have to buy caliper mounts. I have never had so many caliper mounts go bad on vehicles I have changed brakes on. They constantly sieze up and you will wear one side down bad. While the other pad looks fine. This could be relevant because right after I got my 2005 the outside of the rotor looked good but the inside pad had wore down to the metal backing pad. If I backed up the metal pad would slide out of the caliper mounts and would get lodged locking that wheel up. I have greased these slide pins up more than anything else and it doesn't seem to matter after a few years.
My current 2005 had terrible ball joints on one side but it just pulled one way. It didn't feel locked you just had to counter steer or it would pull to one side.
I had an older f250 and the front u joints went out on it. This was bad because if the ball joint was just right the steering would be fine but if you rotated the ball joint say 90degrees it would lock up the steering. The ujoints had 2 bearings locked and the other 2 had the rollers missing so in one direction everything was freeish and the other you couldnt turn the wheel. Or what was really fun was if the axle started spinning while driving it would violently crank the wheel left and right. I thought something was broke.
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