My Ford E350 is all over the road over 70mph - sway bars??? - Page 2

shenrie · 06-10-2015, 06:41 AM

my van wanders at high speeds too. i started with replacing all my front balljoints and tierod ends. it definitely helped. ive added a f450 rear swaybar found at a salvage yard. it definitely helped. i then replaced all the bushings in the front swaybar with poly, and spaced down the mounting point for the bar in front 3" so the bar was positioned better for the lift our van has. that also helped. i added airbags in the rear, which also helped. the biggest improvement was the rip kit i got from agile offroad. all those things...and money spent...and i still have a wander problem at 70+. while its improved tenfold, its still there. what i had assumed was the death wobble you see so much about, i was incorrect in assuming that after seeing what the death wobble actually was courtesy of member sidetrak06 with this thread: viewtopic.php?f=24&t=15869

now im not sure what my problem is. my van has a very slow reaction with steering input. ive found that i have to commit to the amount of steering input i want and hold it there till it shows up. which is damn unnerving at times. it doesnt help i have a sportscar background with this beast either. im sure im asking more from all the steering components than i should. ive only driven one other 4wd van and it was a 4" ujoint setup installed by a buddy of mine, but i only drove it around camp, so i really have nothing to compare it to. to me, it seems like all the input im giving my van is getting lost or delayed within all the components upfront, but until i have something better to gauge with, im done throwing money at the issue.

regardless, the van drives much better than when i got it. i dont have to white knuckle it anymore and can actually drive comfortably with one had at 65-75 mph. i just gotta plan ahead when i see something i need to avoid, lol.

BrianW · 06-10-2015, 06:49 AM

We have a 98 E250 EB 2WD SMB. I added an E450 rear swaybar (junkyard, ~$30), new Bilsteins all around, and most importantly a complete front suspension/brake swap upgrade (with new-style front swaybar) from a 2012 E250. I think the van handles great now, even on off-ramps and on the highway at 70mph.

carringb · 06-10-2015, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BrianW

.....and most importantly a complete front suspension/brake swap upgrade (with new-style front swaybar) from a 2012 E250. I think the van handles great now, even on off-ramps and on the highway at 70mph.

His 2009 is already the "new" upgraded front suspension.

haywoodphotomaccom · 06-10-2015, 07:35 AM

Mine wanders when I am fully packed for a trip and the water tank is full which is behind the rear axle.

When I get home and empty the water and extra things from the trip it seems to drive 50% better. Assuming the extra weight behind the rear axle is making the front end light?

Both my front and rear sway bars are disconnected. They don't seem to alter this particular issue either way.

The rear end is low right now too with one leaf removed for suspension testing. This may also be contributing to my issue.

carringb · 06-10-2015, 10:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haywoodphotomaccom

Mine wanders when I am fully packed for a trip and the water tank is full which is behind the rear axle.

When I get home and empty the water and extra things from the trip it seems to drive 50% better. Assuming the extra weight behind the rear axle is making the front end light?

Both my front and rear sway bars are disconnected. They don't seem to alter this particular issue either way.

The rear end is low right now too with one leaf removed for suspension testing. This may also be contributing to my issue.

In your case, I would be suspicious of too little roll stiffness at the rear. Ideally, your roll stiffness bias should be pretty close to your weight bias. Have you ever tried hooking up just the rear, and leaving the front off?

clayton47 · 06-10-2015, 07:40 PM

I wouldn't call my problem the Death Wobble, its just not holding steady around 75 and up. I don't recall getting any wobble either from hitting pot holes either.

E277 · 06-10-2015, 09:07 PM

Check your ball joints. When mine were shot (all 4) the wife couldn't even drive it. She almost cried one day.

Had ball joints replaced and did an alignment and I can drive it fully loaded with my knee.

MadScience · 06-10-2015, 11:55 PM

I think I have the same tires (or at least a close relative). Mine can be a handful if you're driving on a road that has any amount of a rut. On flat roads (or trails) my van tracks fine.

Since usually the ruts (on paved roads) are usually made by heavy trucks, it's not like the van will just sit in both ruts. No, it will ride up and out of one and into the other and back again.

ANZAC · 06-12-2015, 08:47 AM

Steering stabilizer? Maybe need an upgrade (double up)

jage · 06-13-2015, 07:43 AM

I'm going to iterate, find the real problem and fix it rather than covering it up.

My van has big wide tires and is lifted and all that. A few years ago I put on deavers and rancho shocks. I replace the back shocks two years ago but not the front. Fast forward to recently and driving the van again the whole front end feels loose and sloppy. My SMB has always handled like a gigantic sports car (tight, but a pig) no matter what speed. I'm probably alive today because it handles so well. So, while on the one hand it was bothering me but on the other hand I was busy convincing myself I just wasn't used to it- after all there has been a long interlude of tiny newer vehicles, all unmodified with banal traction control and what not.

Then I picked up some fox shocks for the front from scatter because it was a great opportunity to get rid of the Ranchos, not because I thought there was a problem. Well the van is driving like a tight 15,000 lb sports car again and I'm amazed, even in hind sight, that all it was was the stupid shocks.