Transmission/TQ converter vibration or lugging

[bskouby]

The truck has right around 39,000 miles on it. No cold air intake, just the gotts mod. I do have true duals, magnaflow X pipe, no mufflers. Stock tire size, no other modifications.

No customizations at all when running the 93 canned performance tune. And yes, I *am* running 93 octane (dang stuff was almost impossible to find around here) with the 93 performance tune. I ran the 87 canned tow tune for a couple of months without any issues at all.

I am into my third day with Bills 87 performance tune, and am happy so far. I think it has more power than the 93 performance canned tune, and best of all no other vibration/bucking issues.

What concerned me was how violent the vibration/bucking was when this happened. It almost felt like the U joints had frozen up on the drive shaft...but they are fine as well. At first I could only get it to do this on hills when running in 4th/TQ lock and easing into the gas. Then it started showing up on flat highway runs. After the highway nonsense started, I switch back to stock and I could not get the issue to reappear. I then switched to 87 tow canned a few days later and still couldn't get the issue to repeat. By then my tunes showed up from Bill and I loaded them up.

I guess I will chalk this up to something strange with the canned tunes. I thought I would throw this out there and see if anyone else had ever had these particular symptoms.

This truck does shudder from time to time, but every Ford truck I ever owned did stuff like that. I do think I need to get the tires balanced as I do have some minor vibrations at highway speeds, but this was a much more than minor shudders and tire vibration. Heck...I thought all four wheels had fallen off of it the first time it happened!

[Longshot270]

That is strange. I dont think anyone else's truck has reacted the same to the canned 93 performance tune.

[Jackpine]

It IS strange. I've never even tried the 93 octane tune though. Since the engine is really a low-compression engine, it seemed to me like I'd just be wasting money putting the anti-knock juice in it.

About the tire balance though, I think that is a "real" issue. (And I know it's not YOUR issue because tire imbalance is very predictable and ALWAYS happens at certain speeds). I've had the tires on my truck balanced four times already in about 20,000 miles. The last time they were unbalanced it was right after they had been rotated, nothing else, no thrown weights or anything like that.

Somewhere, back when I got this truck in 2007, I read quite a number of reports of it being very hard to keep an imbalance vibration out of these trucks. I think there's something a bit flaky in the suspension.

Bill may have some thoughts about the 93 octane tune and your symptoms though if you really wanted to use it. Glad you like your custom 87 octane tunes though. I really don't see the need for more than two tunes actually, one for towing and one when I'm not. AND, if I'm off on a trip with the trailer, I just leave the tow tune on all the time. The last thing I want to have is a programming failure in the middle of nowhere.

- Jack

[Longshot270]

Originally Posted by JackandJanet

It IS strange. I've never even tried the 93 octane tune though. Since the engine is really a low-compression engine, it seemed to me like I'd just be wasting money putting the anti-knock juice in it.

Somewhere, back when I got this truck in 2007, I read quite a number of reports of it being very hard to keep an imbalance vibration out of these trucks. I think there's something a bit flaky in the suspension.

Bill may have some thoughts about the 93 octane tune and your symptoms though if you really wanted to use it. Glad you like your custom 87 octane tunes though. I really don't see the need for more than two tunes actually, one for towing and one when I'm not. AND, if I'm off on a trip with the trailer, I just leave the tow tune on all the time. The last thing I want to have is a programming failure in the middle of nowhere.

- Jack

Jack, your right about the high octane not being the greatest. My 87 performance with 87 in the tank beats the 93 canned perf. with 93 in the tank every time. I'm sure Bill could make a custom 93 work even better but I dont need another tune, especially one that will probably cost more for me in the long run. Almost wish I had put my custom in the level 3 position instead of the level 1.

My suspension also gets shaky when I get on a road that is not perfectly smooth. Some are worse than others.

[bskouby]

Originally Posted by Longshot270

Jack, your right about the high octane not being the greatest. My 87 performance with 87 in the tank beats the 93 canned perf. with 93 in the tank every time. I'm sure Bill could make a custom 93 work even better but I dont need another tune, especially one that will probably cost more for me in the long run. Almost wish I had put my custom in the level 3 position instead of the level 1.

My suspension also gets shaky when I get on a road that is not perfectly smooth. Some are worse than others.

Well, the 93 performance canned tune is long gone. I have a custom 87 performance and a custom 87 tow from Bill. If this is truly a canned tune issue, then the issue is solved. This 87 performance tune is really nice. I never much cared for the canned 93 tune, I actually preferred the canned tow tune. This performance tune from Bill seems to be a blend of both worlds...plenty of guts off the line and will run strong into the upper RPM bands.

I did happen to notice the sticky in the forum about transmission issues, and one guy did have the same basic symptoms and I did. There was mention of a TSB that called for replacing a check ball in the transmission valve body that did the trick, but there wasn't a mention of a TSB number. I do have an extended warranty on the transmission, so if this issues pops up again I might head over to the dealer. It would be helpful to have the actual TSB if possible. I like to be informed *before* I go to the stealership.