[Solved] Ford F250 - Shakes When Accelerating

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Vibrations and shakes when driving can indicate serious issues and should not be ignored. In this case study, we will answer the question why does my Ford F250 shake when I give it gas?

Why is my Ford truck shaking when I accelerate?

The most common issues with Ford trucks that shake or have a vibration when accelerating are misfires, a bent driveshaft, unbalanced tires, worn or broken u-joints, and a faulty center support bearing.

Misfires

Ford trucks are not immune to misfires. In fact, Fords are known to have issues with their ignition coils. A faulty ignition coil can cause misfires, especially under acceleration, which can vibrate the whole truck. Check out this case study on a Ford F150 that was misfiring but did not have any codes.

Bent Driveshaft

Even though less common, a bent driveshaft can cause a vibration when driving down the road. Usually, a bent driveshaft happens from improper storage while repairs on the truck are being done or incorrect installation after repairs.

Unbalanced Tires

A common complaint of vibrations is unbalanced tires. Over time, tires will wear out and need balancing to compensate. In most cases, an unbalanced tire will vibrate at certain speeds.

Worn or Broken U-Joints

U-joints are components of the driveline. They are what connect the transmission to the driveshaft and the driveshaft to the rear differential. Depending on the driveshaft, there can be multiple u-joints in the driveline. U-joints can become worn out and lose full movement causing vibrations when accelerating. They can also produce a squeaking noise when they are not greased or maintained in proper intervals.

Below is a picture of a broken u-joint on a Ford F250.

Faulty Center Support Bearing

A center support bearing is located on the driveshaft. It is used to support multiple pieces of a split driveshaft. The center support bearing is usually cased in rubber to help with vibrations when accelerating and driving down the road. When the rubber casing of the center support bearing has become deteriorated, it can cause excessive shaking when accelerating.

Below is a picture of a worn-out center support bearing.

As you can see from the pictures above, the Ford F250 that I’m working on has broken u-joints and a worn-out center support bearing.

What can cause the u-joints and center support bearing to go bad?

The best answer to give is “time”. This Ford F250 was built in 2006 and over time the parts become worn out. The only thing you can do at this point is to replace the parts. So that is what I did.

Below is a picture of a new u-joint.

What fixes a shaking on acceleration?

After replacing the u-joints and center support bearing on the Ford F250, the vibration on acceleration was gone! This truck is fixed!

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