21 Black Diamond Sasquatch is hard to control...WHAT'S WRONG?!

BuckinT

Apr 03, 2024

Hey there! 2021 Black Diamond Sasquatch is giving me a real headache lately and it's going to make its 2nd trip to the dealership next week. I'm at 60K miles currently and the following has been happening for approximately the last 5K miles. At around 35-40mph going over a normal road bump you can feel the Bronco hop a little in the rear. Around 50-55mph taking a bump a little bit faster makes it jump a lot! Almost like it's kicking out on a slippery road? Around 60-65mph one bump and you better have both hands on the wheel. I can control it for the most part after one bump but if there is more than one bump and no recovery time in between ... you might need some clean shorts! I've heard of the 'jeep death wobble' and wonder if this is similar to that? It most certainly feels like it would roll over.

I'm the original owner, original tires, and have LOVED every minute of having this Bronco up until this issue started. Now it's a pretty scary ride and far from enjoyable. I took it to a local Ford dealer (not where I purchased it was just closer) and had them give it a once over to check for broken parts (it's never been off-road) and they said everything appeared to be ok. They were unable to start tearing things apart hoping to find something because Ford wouldn't permit that. I tend to agree but I'm also not crazy...I know this vehicle and I know something is very, very wrong!

I have an appointment scheduled next week at the dealership where I purchased and have explained what's happening. Hopefully they either see something wrong or can provide some insight. The service manager asked if I was still riding original tires, yes. Could that be the issue? Sure they have 60K miles on them but there's still quite a lot of tread left. I also don't want to have to replace tires at this point to find out that does not stop what's been going on. I didn't appreciate the first dealership giving me the "well MA'AM it's a rougher vehicle so you can expect a rougher ride" excuse....because SIR I know this vehicle, I drive it every day, I know what to expect, what it can do and what just feels plain wrong. There's no way you can pass off what it's doing by being a "rough ride truck." NOPE!

Has anyone experienced this or can point me to a thread where this issue has been discussed? Other than the normal suspension checks, tires, what else would be causing this? Let's hear those ideas!!!!

I'd love some help if anyone can chime in! Thanks so much.

MWNew, Yolky

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Apr 10, 2024

#20

I appreciate all the input! Things I've learned from reading ... I should have posted photos of my tire tread. 😂 My quite a lot could vary from someone else's quite a lot but as long as it passes inspection without issue, that's where I feel comfortable saying "quite a lot"... I go back and forth a bit with folks thinking it's the tires, it could be I suppose. I'd rather pay for new tires than whatever else could be wrong. BUT I also don't want to be forced into new tires and find that it does not solve the issue. Then I just have new tires on a broken vehicle. Woo. I did question the tire rating of 35 and the door sticker of 39. Have they been overfilled this whole time and could that be the problem? Who knows.

The previous dealership said the shocks looked good...but looking good and testing things are two different things. Can Ford test them? Probably not. There doesn't appear to be a leak. I wish I had a Go Pro just to see for myself, it's really one hell of a ride....and YES I've since learned what the death wobble really looks like and no it's not thee death wobble. BUT my Bronco Wobble feels like the ride of death to me! Once there are too many consecutive bumps the whole car becomes erratic and the only way to solve the situation is to slow down. Pretty hard to do when the majority of my miles are highway. Going from 70 to 50 is not ideal in a high traffic situation.

She goes for her overnight slumber party tonight at the dealership and will hopefully find out something tomorrow!
Whatever it may be, please be covered under warranty or a cheap fix. AMEN!

I haven't quit yet...I did order a custom plate so that means at the very least I fix her up or trade her in for a new one! 😎

MWNew, Deano Bronc

Apr 10, 2024

#21

BuckinT
I appreciate all the input! Things I've learned from reading ... I should have posted photos of my tire tread. 😂 My quite a lot could vary from someone else's quite a lot but as long as it passes inspection without issue, that's where I feel comfortable saying "quite a lot"... I go back and forth a bit with folks thinking it's the tires, it could be I suppose. I'd rather pay for new tires than whatever else could be wrong. BUT I also don't want to be forced into new tires and find that it does not solve the issue. Then I just have new tires on a broken vehicle. Woo. I did question the tire rating of 35 and the door sticker of 39. Have they been overfilled this whole time and could that be the problem? Who knows.

The previous dealership said the shocks looked good...but looking good and testing things are two different things. Can Ford test them? Probably not. There doesn't appear to be a leak. I wish I had a Go Pro just to see for myself, it's really one hell of a ride....and YES I've since learned what the death wobble really looks like and no it's not thee death wobble. BUT my Bronco Wobble feels like the ride of death to me! Once there are too many consecutive bumps the whole car becomes erratic and the only way to solve the situation is to slow down. Pretty hard to do when the majority of my miles are highway. Going from 70 to 50 is not ideal in a high traffic situation.

She goes for her overnight slumber party tonight at the dealership and will hopefully find out something tomorrow!
Whatever it may be, please be covered under warranty or a cheap fix. AMEN!

I haven't quit yet...I did order a custom plate so that means at the very least I fix her up or trade her in for a new one! 😎

The only real way to test the shocks is to test drive it..... My money is still on the shocks. failing shocks will cause more up and down movement in the suspension. with more up and down movement the track arm moves farther along the arc moving the rear axle further left and right which is where you get bump steer. a failing shock also can not dampen the coil spring rebound so you get a secondary and even tertiary bounce hence the "takes time to recover". as the rear axle cycles up and down you will get bump steer to the driver and then passenger and then driver side.

Laura, Deano Bronc

Apr 10, 2024

#22

BuckinT
I appreciate all the input! Things I've learned from reading ... I should have posted photos of my tire tread. 😂 My quite a lot could vary from someone else's quite a lot but as long as it passes inspection without issue, that's where I feel comfortable saying "quite a lot"... I go back and forth a bit with folks thinking it's the tires, it could be I suppose. I'd rather pay for new tires than whatever else could be wrong. BUT I also don't want to be forced into new tires and find that it does not solve the issue. Then I just have new tires on a broken vehicle. Woo. I did question the tire rating of 35 and the door sticker of 39. Have they been overfilled this whole time and could that be the problem? Who knows.

The previous dealership said the shocks looked good...but looking good and testing things are two different things. Can Ford test them? Probably not. There doesn't appear to be a leak. I wish I had a Go Pro just to see for myself, it's really one hell of a ride....and YES I've since learned what the death wobble really looks like and no it's not thee death wobble. BUT my Bronco Wobble feels like the ride of death to me! Once there are too many consecutive bumps the whole car becomes erratic and the only way to solve the situation is to slow down. Pretty hard to do when the majority of my miles are highway. Going from 70 to 50 is not ideal in a high traffic situation.

She goes for her overnight slumber party tonight at the dealership and will hopefully find out something tomorrow!
Whatever it may be, please be covered under warranty or a cheap fix. AMEN!

I haven't quit yet...I did order a custom plate so that means at the very least I fix her up or trade her in for a new one! 😎

I am curious if you have had the tires balanced or if yours has the rear sway bar? I know that the MY 21 w/ Sasquatch originally did not have the sway bar and I don’t remember when it was made standard. I used to know all this stuff but it has been a couple of years now.

Apr 10, 2024

#23

TK1215
I am curious if you have had the tires balanced or if yours has the rear sway bar? I know that the MY 21 w/ Sasquatch originally did not have the sway bar and I don’t remember when it was made standard. I used to know all this stuff but it has been a couple of years now.

There is a list here. https://thebronconation.com/general...ges-and-my-updates-t.19672/page-2#post-294246

Bronco Nation 1100. Everglades, Desert Sand
Res: 7/30/20 ordered 1/22/21 reorder 10/15/21 changed to Everglades 3/9/22 schedule 8/29/22 bumped to 9/5; 9/7/22 blend, 9/9 Mods, 9/26/22 completed, 10/7 shipped, 11/3/22 delivery

Last edited by a moderator: Apr 10, 2024

Apr 11, 2024

#24

The verdict is in, shot shocks.

MWNew, Laura

Apr 11, 2024

#25

Winner winner do I get a chicken dinner? Post number 3....

Sorry, just feels good to still be able to make a correct diagnosis over the internet....
I am glad you found the issue. Now you can fix it and it will ride much like it used to when you first fell in love with it.

Adrenalin, Jakob1972

Apr 12, 2024

#26

MMMM chicken dinner! Yes!! 😁

While I'm not happy to have to spend that kind of money, I don't mind getting it fixed so I can indeed enjoy my ride again. Nicer weather is coming so it will feel good to be able to enjoy her without fearing for my life.

Sven, Unicorn

Apr 12, 2024

#27

BuckinT
MMMM chicken dinner! Yes!! 😁

While I'm not happy to have to spend that kind of money, I don't mind getting it fixed so I can indeed enjoy my ride again. Nicer weather is coming so it will feel good to be able to enjoy her without fearing for my life.

Sorry but 60000 miles is actually a little more life than I would expect from these shocks... Do let us know if this does fix the driving/tracking problem. I think it will.

Sven

Apr 13, 2024

#28

Picked her up today from the dealership and she feels brand new again. ❤

MWNew, Jakob1972

Jul 17, 2024

#29

BuckinT
Hey there! 2021 Black Diamond Sasquatch is giving me a real headache lately and it's going to make its 2nd trip to the dealership next week. I'm at 60K miles currently and the following has been happening for approximately the last 5K miles. At around 35-40mph going over a normal road bump you can feel the Bronco hop a little in the rear. Around 50-55mph taking a bump a little bit faster makes it jump a lot! Almost like it's kicking out on a slippery road? Around 60-65mph one bump and you better have both hands on the wheel. I can control it for the most part after one bump but if there is more than one bump and no recovery time in between ... you might need some clean shorts! I've heard of the 'jeep death wobble' and wonder if this is similar to that? It most certainly feels like it would roll over.

I'm the original owner, original tires, and have LOVED every minute of having this Bronco up until this issue started. Now it's a pretty scary ride and far from enjoyable. I took it to a local Ford dealer (not where I purchased it was just closer) and had them give it a once over to check for broken parts (it's never been off-road) and they said everything appeared to be ok. They were unable to start tearing things apart hoping to find something because Ford wouldn't permit that. I tend to agree but I'm also not crazy...I know this vehicle and I know something is very, very wrong!

I have an appointment scheduled next week at the dealership where I purchased and have explained what's happening. Hopefully they either see something wrong or can provide some insight. The service manager asked if I was still riding original tires, yes. Could that be the issue? Sure they have 60K miles on them but there's still quite a lot of tread left. I also don't want to have to replace tires at this point to find out that does not stop what's been going on. I didn't appreciate the first dealership giving me the "well MA'AM it's a rougher vehicle so you can expect a rougher ride" excuse....because SIR I know this vehicle, I drive it every day, I know what to expect, what it can do and what just feels plain wrong. There's no way you can pass off what it's doing by being a "rough ride truck." NOPE!

Has anyone experienced this or can point me to a thread where this issue has been discussed? Other than the normal suspension checks, tires, what else would be causing this? Let's hear those ideas!!!!

I'd love some help if anyone can chime in! Thanks so much.

Thanks for sharing. I’m having the exact same problem on my 2 door Sasquatch at only 12k miles. It’s always hopped on highway bumps quite a bit, but a few days ago hit the mild bump of an expansion joint on the thruway going 65mph on a fairly gentle turn and felt like I might lose control. Back hopped up then landed with the lateral force of the turn which threw the weight of the car on the opposite side and then back again before it stabilized. Honestly terrifying. I drove a jeep with 33s in the 90s and never experienced anything like this. Will call my dealer and hope they will take care of it

Deano Bronc

Jul 17, 2024

#30

Yolky
Thanks for sharing. I’m having the exact same problem on my 2 door Sasquatch at only 12k miles. It’s always hopped on highway bumps quite a bit, but a few days ago hit the mild bump of an expansion joint on the thruway going 65mph on a fairly gentle turn and felt like I might lose control. Back hopped up then landed with the lateral force of the turn which threw the weight of the car on the opposite side and then back again before it stabilized. Honestly terrifying. I drove a jeep with 33s in the 90s and never experienced anything like this. Will call my dealer and hope they will take care of it

Best mod for a 2dr Sasquatch.

Yolky, Deano Bronc

Jul 17, 2024

#31

Yolky
Thanks for sharing. I’m having the exact same problem on my 2 door Sasquatch at only 12k miles. It’s always hopped on highway bumps quite a bit, but a few days ago hit the mild bump of an expansion joint on the thruway going 65mph on a fairly gentle turn and felt like I might lose control. Back hopped up then landed with the lateral force of the turn which threw the weight of the car on the opposite side and then back again before it stabilized. Honestly terrifying. I drove a jeep with 33s in the 90s and never experienced anything like this. Will call my dealer and hope they will take care of it

"hit the mild bump of an expansion joint on the thruway going 65mph on a fairly gentle turn and felt like I might lose control" ABSOLUTELY and it's shocking when it happens the first time when you're not expecting it and then stress out every time you know it's going to happen again when hitting a bump. I'm so glad mine is fixed!

I drive the thruway regularly from Syracuse to Buffalo and can haul azz pretty well - the last trip before I got the new shocks I was limping down the thruway below the speed limit, which in itself is not safe to do, and took the slow way home from Waterloo to Syracuse! LMAO There was no way I could drive over 55mph. AND I got honked at by a Tesla.

Good luck to you and the sooner you get it fixed the better. I never should have waited as long as I did but I also had an unhelpful dealership too which wasted a lot of time.

UserError, Yolky

Jul 17, 2024

#32

extra toasty
Best mod for a 2dr Sasquatch.

I started another thread on the 6g forum about improving the roll on twisting roads where I think maybe you shared this. Did you install it yourself? Don’t really have any tools or space to work and I’m wondering how much dealer would charge if they can do it. Also did you find this helped any with excessive up down movement? I’m sure it helps a lot with the lateral movements

Jul 17, 2024

#33

Yolky
I started another thread on the 6g forum about improving the roll on twisting roads where I think maybe you shared this. Did you install it yourself? Don’t really have any tools or space to work and I’m wondering how much dealer would charge if they can do it. Also did you find this helped any with excessive up down movement? I’m sure it helps a lot with the lateral movements

Pretty simple install that I did myself. Wouldn't think it would take a dealer more than a hour labor charge but that depends on how much they try to gouge.
The biggest difference results after adding the rear bar was the big reduction in sever brake dive at speed. The first time I had to hit the brakes hard on the highway I thought my Bronco was going to do a somersault. Very uninspiring to say the least. The bar also helps with cornering feel. Something my Sasquatch never felt good doing.
You have to remember that the bar is essentially helping the rear axle and the chassis resist transitional movement away from each other. You would never know it’s there if the road was straight and you never had to stop fast.
I can’t speak highly enough of the positives of this mod. Ford should have included this from the factory as they do with the 4drs.

Deano Bronc, TK1215

Jul 18, 2024

#34

Supreme Leader of the Wandering but NOT Lost
2022 OBX Cyber Orange Metallic with random acutriments.

Unicorn

Sep 11, 2024

#35

BuckinT
The verdict is in, shot shocks.

Glad you were able to find out what the issue was .. Very good news.

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