Deatch wobble and random misc. stuff. Help needed.

[mvusse]

Started tracking down my death wobble, and found a possible cause: the ball joint end of the track bar is loose. I took the cotter pin out and put a wrench on the castle nut, but whenever I turn it, the entire threaded end turns.

 

Is there a "proper" way to do it, or do I put some vice grips on the threaded part above the nut to hold it while I tighten it? There is about 1/8" play up and down, and about the same front to back.

 

The wobble seems to mainly originate in the right hand tire (but that might also just be my imagination), and only on slight right hand turns. It is definitively getting worse and happening more often, though so I need to fix it.

 

I am also removing that wheel this weekend, possibly both if I have time and making a careful inspection of steering parts/joints, hinge points, suspension parts and U-joint on that side.

 

I also found out the front pumpkin was low on oil (at least 2") and I added a bit more than a quart before it started coming out the fill hole. Is that "I probably messed up the gears driving 50-100 miles in 4wd" bad, or just "filled it up and should be fine now" bad?

 

Did see some awesome scenery on unplowed single lane dirt roads after our 14" snowfall, though. That was when the snow was still dry and fluffy last Saturday.

[Pete M]

It's been debated as whether a loose track bas has anything to do with deathwobble. Many of us have had the loose trackbar with no wobbles what-so-ever, just a loose steering feeling. I think you need to replace the whole bar. My experience with tierod ends is that once the start spinning, it's over for them and since the TRE is integral to the bar, the whole thing has to go. :(

 

 

Any pictures of the snow? :D

[mvusse]

Sadly, no good pics of the snow. Just a bunch of half the neighborhood (including the adults) sled riding down the street. The plowed street was the only place the snow wasn't too deep. Everywhere else a sled would just sink into the snow and not go anywhere.

[mvusse]

May be too early to tell, but I tightened up the track bar to get rid of the play, and the death wobble *seems* to be gone.

 

Now to fix my rear brakes, find the gas leak and get my front axle centered.

[Oizarod115]

as far as the front diff being low, as long as it wasn't run DRY for a period of any length and she doesn't "sing" going down the road, don't worry about it. just keep an eye on it and fill her up when necessary.

 

the trackbar thing... idk,

 

my trackbar FELL OUT, at 55 miles an hour, i went to turn and kept going straight. (see dictionary for SCARY-EFFING-FEELING) ended up jerking the wheel a full revolution and made the corner narrowly avoiding the dodge next to me. and i never once got a wobble, pulled over and put it back in (fell out at the frame end and laid down on the diff.)

 

i had an annoying shimmy that turned into death wobble when you hit something at speed and since replacing my lower control arms that is cured. eye the CA bushings for rot.

[Geonovast]

It's been debated as whether a loose track bas has anything to do with deathwobble. Many of us have had the loose trackbar with no wobbles what-so-ever, just a loose steering feeling. I think you need to replace the whole bar. My experience with tierod ends is that once the start spinning, it's over for them and since the TRE is integral to the bar, the whole thing has to go. :(

 

 

Any pictures of the snow? :D

 

After I did all 4 ball joints and both bearings on the red truck, I still had bad death wobble. Turned out the bolts on the trackbar bracket were loosening. Tightened them up and DW is completely gone. It can definitly cause it.

[smithe1811]

am i the only one that fixed DW by replacing shocks?

[chicofuentes0224]

am i the only one that fixed DW by replacing shocks?

No, I did too, it helped. However, my DW dissapeared completely after I changed wheels. I had two that were bent. Oh, and balancing and allighning them helped too.

[brigarpeon]

am i the only one that fixed DW by replacing shocks?

No, I did too, it helped. However, my DW dissapeared completely after I changed wheels. I had two that were bent. Oh, and balancing and allighning them helped too.

Me too. Put on new Gabriel off roads and DW wasn't as violent. Had a flat and found the wheel was bent so I changed it out, OEM 15X6J. Now DW is less frequent and can be controlled somewhat by feeling the first implication of a wobble in the steering. Getting off the gas pedal and hitting the brakes slowly at first and then with force. I've also found that IT CAN be stopped/controlled once in full DW by hard to lock up force braking then punch the gas to the floor and then slow braking again. This doesn't work everytime but it has about 75% of the time for me. Track bar mount holes are elongated so that should fix mine.

[BLHTAZ]

Shocks can't cause death wobble, but new ones may help reduce the ability to feel it slightly. Death wobble is a side-to-side motion most commonly cause by a loose or bad track bar. Ball joints and control arm bushings are the two next most common causes and tie rod ends fall in there next.

 

Bent rims can cause damage to these parts and ultimately cause death wobble.

[jtdesigns]

I have driven my truck a total of about 10 miles.. but I did notice a weird shake.. now that its on blocks right now. I can turn the wheels lock to lock and it moves the body side to side.. should it move or should I replace something?? I don't think the track bar is bad,, maybe bushings or something???? what do yall think?

 

 

EDIT: I just wrote the weird shake off as being bad tires, but now reading all this I think somethings up... :dunno:

[brigarpeon]

I have driven my truck a total of about 10 miles.. but I did notice a weird shake.. now that its on blocks right now. I can turn the wheels lock to lock and it moves the body side to side.. should it move or should I replace something?? I don't think the track bar is bad,, maybe bushings or something???? what do yall think?

 

 

EDIT: I just wrote the weird shake off as being bad tires, but now reading all this I think somethings up... :dunno:

 

Probably Control Arm Bushings, more often lower but can be both upper and lower if alot of miles on the clock. Make sure it's not an optical thing. If the axle is moving making you think it's the body it would be more Track Bar related.

[jtdesigns]

I have driven my truck a total of about 10 miles.. but I did notice a weird shake.. now that its on blocks right now. I can turn the wheels lock to lock and it moves the body side to side.. should it move or should I replace something?? I don't think the track bar is bad,, maybe bushings or something???? what do yall think?

 

 

EDIT: I just wrote the weird shake off as being bad tires, but now reading all this I think somethings up... :dunno:

 

Probably Control Arm Bushings, more often lower but can be both upper and lower if alot of miles on the clock. Make sure it's not an optical thing. If the axle is moving making you think it's the body it would be more Track Bar related.

 

Well its definitely optical,, I can see the whole body shift from side to side.. remember this trucks has no wheels on it and is on blocks.. And when I turn the steering wheel (under power/running) it moves, but the axle stays put...

[Oizarod115]

I have driven my truck a total of about 10 miles.. but I did notice a weird shake.. now that its on blocks right now. I can turn the wheels lock to lock and it moves the body side to side.. should it move or should I replace something?? I don't think the track bar is bad,, maybe bushings or something???? what do yall think?

 

 

EDIT: I just wrote the weird shake off as being bad tires, but now reading all this I think somethings up... :dunno:

 

Probably Control Arm Bushings, more often lower but can be both upper and lower if alot of miles on the clock. Make sure it's not an optical thing. If the axle is moving making you think it's the body it would be more Track Bar related.

 

Well its definitely optical,, I can see the whole body shift from side to side.. remember this trucks has no wheels on it and is on blocks.. And when I turn the steering wheel (under power/running) it moves, but the axle stays put...

 

that means your trackbar is FUBAR. the trackbar locates the axle under the jeep. which is why when mine fell out i went to turn and nothing happened, thats because the body moved overtop of the axle instead of the tires turning.

 

oftentimes in order to get a trackbar back in when you lift the jeep you'll have to turn the wheel to move the body so you can get it in its hole.

[jtdesigns]

 

 

Sorry to the OP for running around like flying squirrel in a bucket of crawdaddies on his thread....

 

 

 

that means your trackbar is FUBAR. the trackbar locates the axle under the jeep. which is why when mine fell out i went to turn and nothing happened, thats because the body moved overtop of the axle instead of the tires turning.

 

oftentimes in order to get a trackbar back in when you lift the jeep you'll have to turn the wheel to move the body so you can get it in its hole.

 

What would be a surefire way of me making sure that its NOT a lady in the ocean without arms and legs?? I could get a video of the way its moves with steering... :dunno:

[CWLONGSHOT]

This is getting good!! :popcorn: :popcorn: :D

 

CW

[brigarpeon]

Shocks can't cause death wobble, but new ones may help reduce the ability to feel it slightly. Death wobble is a side-to-side motion most commonly cause by a loose or bad track bar. Ball joints and control arm bushings are the two next most common causes and tie rod ends fall in there next.

 

Bent rims can cause damage to these parts and ultimately cause death wobble.

 

Yes this is all true but there are many factors that create the DW scenario to various degree.

Shocks serve as a dampner to the vibration, the stiffer the shock ratio on the compression and rebound cycle the more dampening they provide to elminate DW. Stock OEM shocks usually have a 50/50 to 60/40 compresion rebound ratio. This would have a minimal dampening control but on new/excellent/good suspension and steering componentry would well suffice. Drag racers will use a 90/10 ratio for weight tranfer to the back wheels allowing the front to lift but with the heavy compresion it can absorb the energy when the front wheels drop back down. Offroad shocks may be valved for a 30/70 ratio so the springs and coils can do their job at compression and reserve the rebound as the stronger of the two to control potholes and over log/rock transitions.

With that, lets look at a worn out suspension. The bushing liner tubes could be elogated, the rubber has lost it elasticity and therefore durometer. These now can no longer support the load they were designed for so now operate outside their design envelope. Steering balljoints, such as the one that originated this post, and tie rods create some slop by being worn to the outside of their tolerances. The bracketry that ties all this to the frame could be cracked or fatiqued allowing flex in the base parts.

The combination of any or all of the above generate forces or disambiguations, that under the right condition become harmonic. Harmonics are basically waves that have a frequency that comes from a signal. The signal here being the bump in the road that begins the translation.

So that's the shpeel. To make it simple; imagine a tuning fork, striking it on a hard surface is the signal, the blurred movement of the fork arms are the wave, the audible tune is frequency, whether you strike it on a hard or soft surface the disambiguation.

So the moral of the story; it's not DW... your driving a tuning fork.