Need Help with Death wobble

[MjAllTheWay]

I really need help with this stupid wobble any suggestions.

[mvusse]

I would start with someone moving the steering wheel back and forth while you are under your truck watching the track bar to see if their is play where either end mounts.

 

If not, my next guess would be worn out bushings in the lower control arms.

 

But it could also be alignment (you're guaranteed to have tor-in if you have just lifted your truck), bad ball joints, problems with the tires (out of round, out of balance, broken belts) or a combination of factors.

 

Every case of DW is different.

[one_bad_MJ]

ahhh death wobble. its a wonder i havent read more of these problems on here

 

 

 

check you track bar bushing. and the bolt hole on the axle they wear/egg out.

 

check your LCA and UCA bushings

 

 

sounds like you need a alignment or adj lower control arms.

 

upgrade to a rough country steering stabilizer too it helps in the woods but helps the shimmy too

 

 

i have been through 2 weeks of this until i ordered adj LCA's to fix it.

 

theres a chart on jeepforum also for setting the lengths for different height lifts

[krochus]

IMO bad sway bar links-bushings are also a very likely contributor. I've not owned a XJ yet that the bolts for the sway bar end links weren't loose or the bushings thrashed. My current rig was no exception

[mvusse]

I can drive just fine with my sway bar completely disconnected or removed. I had to remove it for a frame repair, and waited a few weeks to put it back on because I couldn't be bothered.

[Eagle]

Two words: WHEEL + BALANCE

[CWLONGSHOT]

Ahhh death wobble. Its a wonder I haven't read more of these problems on here check you track bar bushing, and the bolt hole on the axle they wear/egg out. Check your LCA and LCA bushings sounds like you need a alignment or adj lower control arms. Upgrade to a rough country steering stabilizer too it helps in the woods but helps the shimmy too I have been through 2 weeks of this until I ordered adj LCA's to fix it. There's a chart on jeep-forum also for setting the lengths for different height lifts.

 

You just haven't been around here long enough! :redX: :brows: :D VOLUMES have been written on the subject, trust me!! :smart:

 

Two things that are absolutely for certain, sway bars and steering stabulizers have ZERO to do with this problem. Steering stabulizers can MASK the problem, bet will NEVER cause or solve this problem.

 

Do a search, use death wobble as a topic and EAGLE as an author... you will see! :shake: :typing:

 

IMHO,

Most people experience Death Wobble right after a lift, when nothing else has changed. This points directly at CASTER as the culprit. Likely combined with any of an array of other problem parts. Such as worn CA bushings, tie rod ends, ball joints, track bar joints, steering boxes and as Eagle already mentioned.. Tire ballance and allighnment.

 

Mvusse gave it to you straight, get someone behind the wheel and you get under the frontend. have them forcefully steer back and fourth. You will likely see something amiss. But this will not show you the caster problem. A good alignment while having the caster adjusted will likely solve the issue along with changing any bad parts found will likely cure your problem.

 

CW

[XXLMJ]

I would start with wheel balance and front end aliment like the guys said, one time i had some snow packed in a rim that caused it to DW.

[one_bad_MJ]

its not tire balance my steering stabilizer bushing was shot before that caused it and i put the new one on and the bolt came loose that also caused it

 

 

the main problem is probably your caster is off

 

how high is your jeep>??

[CWLONGSHOT]

Its not tire balance. My steering stabilizer bushing was shot before. That caused it and I put the new one on and the bolt came loose. That also caused it.

 

Dude, you need some punctuation!! My spell checker doesn't much like your posts! LOL :brows:

 

That is what I am trying to tell you. The steering stabilizer CANNOT cause DW. BUT, it CAN do a good job of masking it, making it SEEM you solved the problem. Finding the worn bushing PROVES that!! Check out your suspension, I GUARANTEE you have other or multiple worn parts. ;)

Stabilizers where added from the factory for just this propose, to mask any minor issues with this. In an effort to keep warranty repair costs down. It is a band aid, not a cure. If you like it and want to run one fine, I do, but don't be fooled into thinking it is cause or cure, cause it jut ain't so. There are many suspensions just like ours that do not run stabilizers and they are just fine. On my own, I didn't run one for some time. I chose to add one because I like the "smoothness" it provides off road in the bumps. Also all stabilizers are not created equal! OME makes a great one!!

 

CW

[one_bad_MJ]

yeah i was tired.

 

anywho do not buy a steering stablizer to cover it up its nice to upgrade.

 

its probably your bushings for your lca's or your caster angle is off

[MjAllTheWay]

well i know its not the track bar its brand new and every thing is tight on it so its not that it might be tire balancing but i can't keep them balanced becuse of the mud that gets built up on them. i will have to test everything else you guy said i have not tried those yet.

 

all i know is that i get it and make it go away and it comes back.

[TrailReadyMJ]

well i know its not the track bar its brand new and every thing is tight on it so its not that it might be tire balancing but i can't keep them balanced becuse of the mud that gets built up on them. i will have to test everything else you guy said i have not tried those yet.

 

all i know is that i get it and make it go away and it comes back.

 

Make sure your frame mount is tight for the TB. The bar may be new, but these mounts like to loosen up over time.

 

Other than that, as mentioned, it could be CA bushings, ball joints, hub bearings, caster, or a combination of these.

 

Wheel balance itself won't cause "true deathwobble", but it can initiate the oscillation in the front end. Keep in mind true deathwobble is VERY violent, and does not stop until you greatly slow down the vehicle, sometimes to a stop. Often this gets confused with a "normal" wobble or vibration that is more speed related, such as tire balance.

 

Deathwobble is caused when the front axle goes into oscillation, causing it to shake back and fourth independent of the truck. This causes the truck to shake the opposite way, causing a nasty chain reaction. Because of this sideways movement, the trackbar is usually the culprit, however the CA bushings are just as important here.

 

Any play in these joints will be much more evident on lifted vehicles due to the increased linkage angles. That's why one may have had no problems before a lift, not change that much, just a couple inches, and have big issues after.

 

Like CW said, the easiest thing to do is have a helper jerk the steering wheel back and fourth while you inspect EVERY joint in the front end.

 

Good Luck!

[MjAllTheWay]

i might jest have to change the CA bushings and see what happens.

[MjAllTheWay]

now I'm pissed went to a shop to get it aligned and they said i need off set ball joints before they could do anything but when i went home to fix it the DW was worse than ever whatever they did they f********k it up hard core.

[mvusse]

Sounds like you need ball joints. And they may well be the cause.

[Eagle]

now I'm pissed went to a shop to get it aligned and they said i need off set ball joints before they could do anything but when i went home to fix it the DW was worse than ever whatever they did they f********k it up hard core.

Hold on ... How can death wobble be worse than before? Are you sure you have DEATH WOBBLE, and not just wheel shimmy? Death wobble is when BOTH front wheels start shaking so violently that you can't steer the vehicle and you can't keep driving because you're out of control, and you have to slow down to almost a complete stop before the shaking goes away. It is named "death wobble" because when it occurs you KNOW you are going to die, right now!

 

If your life didn't flash in front of your eyes and you didn't pee in your pants, it wasn't death wobble.

[mvusse]

And if it isn't DW, I believe it is almost always a badly out of balance or out of round tire.

[Pete M]

now I'm pissed went to a shop to get it aligned and they said i need off set ball joints before they could do anything but when i went home to fix it the DW was worse than ever whatever they did they f********k it up hard core.

 

 

Do you still have the stock lower control arms?

[MjAllTheWay]

well i know its death wobble but what i meant is it now happens all the time.

 

yes i do have stock LCAs.

[DJM/78]

More than likely ball joints . probably all of them , I would recommend replacing all the ball joints .

Also all the control arm bushings , upper and lower . There is no point getting an alignment if even one ball joint is bad .

 

I wouldn't even drive the thing until its all replaced and aligned . All driving it will do is make it worse .

[MjAllTheWay]

The only problem is i want to drive it i dono how long i can go with out driven it only been like 2 days before

[Pete M]

Assuming no one thing is noticeably bad, I'd probably start with a pair of WJ lower control arms and new shocks if yours are at all old. :thumbsup: adding a lift only exacerbates the conditions that allow DW to occur.

[MjAllTheWay]

It had DW before i had a lift on it then got o new track bar it fixed it. then i put a lift on it and it was ok for a long time till one of the tiers were out of balace got that fixed and it was ok till now.

[STERLING STINGER]

at least I'm not alone!

i started to fix my dw at the sway bar end links, then the stabalizer...and that did it, but while i was down there, i replaced everything but the bearings....it just depends what part is broke or worn and you can't really tell, well i can't, unless you start replacing parts...the end links were the cheapest so thats y i started there. good luck :thumbsup: