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With the engine running, there's more pressure when you turn the wheel and you're more likely to see parts moving that shouldn't. Look for steering box movement relative to the frame. Look for deflection of the steering shaft at the pitman arm. Look for deflection in the joints at the axle end of the drag link and tie rods. Look for the track bar to move relative to the axle and frame. That includes the bolt/tie rod end moving in the bracket. Look for the track bar brackets themselves (both ends) to shift. Look for the tires to rock side to side (camber should not change at all). If any of that happens, it contributes to death wobble.

That's the thing about OME. They didn't sell kits. They sold parts you could pick and choose from and tune.

Spring rate and shocks make the most difference. Different springs can be softer or stiffer. Same with shocks. Above about 3-4", the short arms of the XJ/MJ get too steep and ride quality suffers.

Very nice. I've always wanted to do a project with an 84-86 MJ where I swapped over a 3.4/4L60 from a mid 90s Camaro or Firebird. Swap a good transfer case onto the transmission and just have fun driving it. But I have too many projects as it is...

My DW happened on my JK. I think, for some reason, the JK suspension design is more susceptible to death wobble as I haven't ever had it in any of the clapped out XJs or MJs I've ever driven. If anything should have had death wobble, it was those beasts.

I'll expand my list of everything that contributes to death wobble 1. Ball joints 2. Control arm bushings 3. Track bar bushings 4. Track bar bracket 5. Tie rod and drag link joints. 6. Steering box 7. Steering box spacer/mount 8. Bolts/nuts for everything above 9. Shocks/steering stabilizer (minor) 10. Tires (not without other factors) 11. Unit bearings (will have more symptoms than just death wobble). Individually, each one can be minor and not cause death wobble. Toss together a few minor things worn too much and you get death wobble. Fix one and it goes away, until the others get worse. It's a problem with a lot of causes that all work together in a gray area.

It's likely you had worn components that weren't bad enough to induce death wobble on their own. With fresh bushings and joints, and all torqued to spec, there isn't enough slop in the system to allow the harmonic to run away with just bad tires. Fix just one contributor when you have many and you can see results. There are many pieces in the system and they all play a part. When I did ball joints, my control arm bushings were wearing out. But my death wobble stopped. Until I put another 10,000 miles on the bushings and they got bad enough. Then it was the tie rod and drag link that were next not terribly long after. There isn't one magic bullet. You have to shotgun the front end to really solve it permanently.

I've never seen it where tires were the only factor. They can contribute, but without other parts being worn, you'd just get a shimmy instead of full on death wobble.

I've had death wobble a couple of times. Every time it's been worn components. First time it was ball joints. Second time it was control arm bushings Third time it was steering linkages (both tie rod and drag link). The track bar bracket hole opening up is also a common culprit. Even something as simple as loose bolts can contribute. Unit bearings can be a contributor too but that would have other symptoms. Check all wear components (bushings, ball joints, tie rod/drag link ends). Make sure they're not worn out. Then check every single bolt. Get a torque wrench on everything and double check.

Yeah, those kits are really a rip off. I buy the wire and crimp ends in bulk to do my own wires. I have a crimper for heavy gauge wire that uses a hammer to do the crimp. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00E1UUVT0?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_mob_b_asin_title I have been known to throw some solder on as well. That with some heat shrink tubing and I'm set. I'm not trying to do any show quality builds though the finished product tends to look pretty decent.

Yeah, the lights use LEDs that are probably too bright if left at constant 12-14V. You really can't step down the voltage to an LED like you can with an incandescent bulb. So they use pulse modulation (turning on and off the power relatively fast) to reduce the brightness. But the cheap components do tend to flicker more than they would with better quality parts. Adjusting the pulse rate would probably do wonders but it's probably more expensive to have the controller that doesn't make the light flicker so badly. Part of it may be that the controller adjusts the flicker rate to match the incoming voltage. And with old cars, you're not getting full voltage to the lights (old wires, corroded contacts in the plug and the switch, etc). So the lights flicker badly.

Been there. You'll get it. I agree with just a little grinding on the sleeve. And only a little at a time to keep it from getting too hot. Maybe a big hammer to drive them in. Or a bigger crescent wrench to make bending easier.

You can always try bending the bracket a little. Get a large crescent wrench. Put it on one side of the bracket and cinch it down. Use it as a lever to spread the bracket apart to make room. Once you get the arm in and the bolt on, the nut/bolt will squeeze the sides of the bracket back together.

Same parts, 2wd or 4wd.

Probably the most cost effective option given how you'll use the truck.

While parts will swap, you don't want to just bolt in axle gears. Variances in the machining processes between the two means you can be off by enough that the gears won't mesh properly and you can have rapid failure. Of course, they could happen to fit perfectly too. No way to tell ahead of time. You would at the very least want to go through the install procedure for the gears to make sure they were lined up right. But it's still just a Dana 35 and not really an axle that you want to invest much in. It's probably less expensive to just take the other Dana 35 and swap out spring perches and shock mounts and run with it. If it were me, I'd look for a Dana 44 or Chrysler 8.25 from an XJ or KJ, swap gears if you need to, then weld on the right spring perches, and run that.

So, I uncovered a pretty disappointing fact. While the Jeep does have a mild lift, there is a problem. It's hard to read in the picture but it's a Rough Country lift. So, when it's time to regear, a BDS kit will go on to replace it. In the mean time I'm going to do a MORE steering box mount before the new bumper goes on. Most likely going with a Rock Hard 4x4 narrow bumper with no hoop. And they sell an 8274 mount that bolts on. It's reasonably priced for the way things are going right now. And it's simple.

BTW, I love how much easier these things are to work on.

And that's how you do that... A few jack stands to catch it as it comes off. 4 bolts, and it's free. The front end came up a good ¼ to ½ inch as I took it off.

Garage is (semi) clean and the CJ is now ready to get some love. First thing is to pull off the heavy front bumper that weighs too much and hangs low. It was probably good for the tow bar but I don't want or need that. The Warn 8274 rebuild is coming along nicely. I think I have all the replacement parts I need to get it back together.

Yep. They're substituting some parts with others that are close but not quite right. Stack a couple of washers to get the nut up where it needs to be. Grade 8 would be better. Less likely to deform.

And is it "updated" to swap 1970s axles into a 1980s MJ? Asking for a friend.