1997 FORD F-250 Suspensionfront Problems

MY 1997 FORD F250 4WD TRUCK HAS DEVELOPED A POPPING NOISE IN THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL HUB AREA. I FOUND THE DRIVE SHAFT FROM THE FRONT TRANSFER CASE COULD BE MOVED IN AND OUT OF THE WHEEL HUB WITH A POPPING NOISE. I TOOK IT TO BE REPAIRED AND NO ONE CAN FIND PARTS. I HAVE LOOKED ON THE INTERNET AND SEARCHED LOCAL PARTS STORES AND CAN'T FINE THEM EITHER. ALL I FIND IS THAT EVERYONE ELSE HAS HAD SUSPENSION PROBLEMS ON THIS MODEL. HOW DO I GET IT REPAIRED? *TR

NO SUMMARY LISTED FOR ABOVE VEHICLE. *AK

MY TIRES WERE SEVERELY WORN ON THE INSIDE EDGES. I BOUGHT NEW TIRES AND WENT TO HAVE THE TRUCK ALIGNED. VIRGINIA SPRING AND ALIGNMENT, ARLINGTON, VA, 22213, INFORMED ME THAT MY RIGHT FRONT SPRING WAS DANGEROUSLY WEAK AND HAD CAUSED THE UPPER BALL JOINT TO BECOME LOOSE. THEY SAID EVERY FORD 250 DIESEL THEY SEE HAS THIS PROBLEM AND THAT FORD DID NOT PUT STRONG ENOUGH SPRINGS ON THESE TRUCKS. FORD IN FACT HAD ISSUED TSB-96-23-16 WHICH CALLED FOR ADDING A LEAF TO EACH FRONT SPRING AND REALIGNMENT. THEY REFUSE TO FIX THE DEFECT IN MY TRUCK BECAUSE IT HAS OVER 36,000 MILES ON IT. IF THIS SPRING FAILS, A 3/4 TON TRUCK GOES OUT OF CONTROL. *AK

WHEN DRIVING STEERING WAS NOT RESPONSIVE. HAD A LOT OF PLAY IN THE STEERING WHEEL. ALSO, FRONT END FELT LIKE WAS NOT ROLLING FREELY, AND NO ADEQUATE STEERING CONTROL. CONTACTED DEALER AND MANUFACTUR. THEY DIDN'T HAVE THE EQUIPMENT TO ALIGN THE FRONT END. *AK

THE VEHICLE VEERS TOWARDS THE RIGHT WHEN IT'S IN OPERATION. THE MANUFACTURER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. ALSO, REPLACED FRONT LEFT HUB CAP, AND TWIST IN FRAME. *AK

FRONT SUSPENSION IS UNDERDESIGNED. UNABLE TO SUPPORT WEIGHT OF POWERSTROKE ENGINE. CAUSING EXCESSIVE TIRE WEAR AND BALL JOINT WEAR, AND PULLING TO RIGHT

WHEN TURNING OR DRIVING UP A HILL OR UNEVEN GROUND CAN HEAR A POPPING/KNOCKING NOISE COMING FROM THE FRONT OF THE VEHICLE. CONSUMER PUT VEHICLE INTO THE SHOP FOR REPAIR WORK. WHEN THE CONSUMER GOT THE VEHICLE BACK THE PROBLEM WAS NOT FIXED, THE PROBLEM WAS STILL THERE. WHEN CONSUMER DROVE VEHICLE COULD STILL HEAR THE NOISE, AND DEALER CAN'T DETERMINE THE PROBLEM. *AK

IN MAY 1997 I PURCHASHED THIS VEHICHLE NEW. MY PROBLEMS BEGAN WITH A TORN SEAT COVER AND DEFFECTIVE SUN VISORS. THOSE PROBLEMS WERE FIXED. DUE TO THE DISTANCE FROM MY RESIDNCE TO ST. HELENS AUTO CENTER, I BEGAN TAKING MY VEHICHLE TO LAND MARK FORD, LOCATED AT 12000 S.S. 66TH AVE. TIGARD,OR. 97281. ON JULY 27, 1998 I TOOK THE VEHICHLE TO LANDMARK BECAUSE OF A POPING NOISE IN THE FRONT SUSPENSION. THE NOISE WAS VERIFIED. NO REPAIRS DONE AT THAT TIME. ON AUGUST 05, 1998 I TOOK THE VEHICHL TO LANDMARK FOR POPING NOISE, NOISE WAS VERIFIED. LANDMARK FOUND THE CROSSMEMBER LOOSE, TIGHTENED FRONT SUSPENSION BOLT, LEAF SPRING U-BOLT, A-ARM TO FRAME BOLTS, REPLACED #2 HUCK RIVET, LOOSENED AND AJUSTED TRANNY CROSSMEMBER. THIER INVOICE STATES "RETEST OK." ON AUGUST 12, 1998 VEHICHLE WAS TAKEN INTO LANDMARK FOR POPING NOISE IN FRONT END, AND BECAUSE THE VEHICHLE PULLS TO THE...

SINCE APPROXIMATELY 20000 MILES VEHICLE WILL WITHOUT WARNING DEVELOPE AN EXTREME SHAKING IN THE FRONT END. VEHICLE WILL CONTINUE TO VIOLENTLY WOBBLE UNTIL BRAKES ARE APPLIED AND VEHICLE IS SLOWED TO A SPEED OF 20-30 MILES PER HOUR. THIS OCCURS WITHOUT WARNING AT ALL SPEEDS FROM 30 TO 70 MILES PER HOUR. INSPECTIONS AT ALINGMENT SHOPS, FAILED TO REVEAL ANY FAILED COMPONENTS. A RECENT INSPECTION AT A FORD GARAGE ALSO REVEALED NO DAMAGED COMPONENTS BUT I WAS INFORMED THAT A TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN ISSUED ON THE 1-TON 4 WHEEL DRIVE WAS APPLICABLE TO THIS VEHICLE AND THAT PURSUANT TO THIS BULLITIN A FACTORY RECOMMENDED FIX WAS INSTALLED AT MY COST. BE AWARE THAT ON 2 SEPERATE OCCASIONS I ASKED DEALERSHIP SERVICE PERSONNEL IF THERE WAS AN INHERRENT PROBLEM WITH THE SUSPENSION OF THIS VEHICLE, BOTH TIMES I WAS TOLD THEY HAD NO SUCH KNOWLEDGE. THIS RESULTED IN UNNECCESSAY EXPENSES AT...

THESE VEHICLES WITH THE POWER STROKE DIESEL ENGINE HAS AN INDEPENDENT FRONT SUSPENSION THAT WAS UNDERDESIGNED TO HANDLE THE WEIGHT OF THE VEHICLE. THIS DESIGN DOES NOT ALLOW THE VEHICLE'S FRONT END ALIGNMENT TO STAY AND VEHICLE IS ALWAYS PULLING.

FRONT END MISALIGNMENT CAUSING VEHICLE TO VIBRATE AND PREMATURE WEAR OF TIRES. IN ADDITION, BELT TENSIONER ROLLER MAKES NOISE WHEN VEHICLE IS STARTED, AND POPPING NOISE FROM CAB WHEN DRIVING OVER UNEVEN SURFACES DUE TO CAB MOUNTING BOLTS TO FRAME BEING LOOSE. *AK

VEHICLE WANDERS.