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Death wobble write up

51K views 76 replies 50 participants last post by  GarrettCarLover  
#1 ·
Hey guys, i have no life and decided to try and help some of the noobs out. Hopefully we can sticky this or put it in the NAGCA tech section. Enjoy and feel free to comment:

Death Wobble – a violent shaking at a certain speed or after hitting a bump which vibrates the entire front end viciously. Almost feels like the front end of the Jeep is going to fall off. The only way to stop the Death Wobble (from now on will be referred to as DW) is to slow down to a lower speed. Should not be confused with warped rotors causing a slight vibration in the brake pedal and steering wheel. DW is VERY apparent, and you will know you have it when it happens. It is important to slow down carefully when you have DW, pull to the shoulder carefully. DO NOT SLAM ON THE BRAKES!!

DW can be due to a number of things, lift height is not one of those. Here are a list of causes of DW:

1) Worn out tie-rod or draglink ends
2) Worn out steering stabilizer
3) Warped front rotors
4) Worn out lower control arm or trackbar bushings
5) Loose suspension bolts/components (LCA bolts, trackbar bolts, trackbar bracket)
6) Wheels out of balanced
7) Tire tread uneven
8) Alignment out of whack
9) Improper driveline angles due to improper caster

These aren’t all the causes of DW, and there may be others, but these are the major contributors to DW itself. Important: Lift height does not cause DW, but improper parts or installation can cause DW to happen.

So here are some solutions, ranging from easiest/cheapest to hardest/most expensive:

1) Get an alignment, balance tires, check pressure in tires. Make sure toe (the difference of distance between the front two tires and the rear two tires) is at least 1/8” in, no more. Castor should be set close to stock, remember, most alignment shops don’t even bother to add shims to lower control arms since it takes a lot of time and effort. Make sure you ask them to do a full and complete alignment to specs.

2) Replace stock steering stabilizer with an Old Man Emu steering stabilizer from Kolak@aol.com

3) Check if rotors are warped, replace if necessary

4) Make sure all suspension components (LCA’s, trackbar, trackbar
bracket, shocks, swaybar) are all tightened to spec. Sometimes components get loose or out of whack after a couple hundred miles or a wheeling trip. The bolts that need to be checked most are the lower control arm bolts, the trackbar bolts, the jam nuts on the adjustable components, etc)

5) Check/Replace worn tie-rod/draglink/balljoints. Park next to a curb with the tires along the curb, turn the steering wheel towards the curb and have a friend watch and see if any steering parts have slop or play.

6) Replace stock suspension components with after-market products (adjustable lower and upper control arms [JKS, Rubicon Express, Teraflex, etc] and adjustable trackbar [JKS, ORGS, etc])

7) Dial in pinion angles by adjusting the lengths of the upper control arms

8) Get a new trackbar bracket from www.Kevinsoffroad.com

9) Check steering box for damage or stress, replace if necessary

10) Buy new tires/rims

11) GO LONGARMS!!! 90% it fixes DW. www.claytonoffroad.com

Death Wobble is not the easiest thing to get rid of, nor is it the easiest thing to find and cure. It can be an expensive venture, and is not the same for every Grand Cherokee. I personally spent fifty dollars on an alignment and it cured everything for me when I put on a Budget Boost. But when I went to 6”, I didn’t have a single issue with DW. Other people have taken off lifts to try and get rid of DW to no avail, so it is not lift height that matters. It is important to be persistent with DW, but remember, it’s not worth spending too much money on unless you definitely want a lift and know what you are doing.

If you do have a case of DW, it is important to check your steering components and suspension components. The violent shaking can sometimes ruin tie-rod ends, bushings, and loosen bolts.

Please contact me if this write-up contains any mistakes or you disagree with anything or if you just want to add or comment. This write-up is not a sure-fire way to cure DW, but it is a HUGE step towards finding the problem and fixing it. I would say around 95% of the time, the list above cures DW.

Patrick Chung
Alloy171@ucla.edu
AIM: alloy171
 
#27 ·
Just as a heads up from a death wobble survivor... death wobble may start because of one thing, but it effects all of them... if you ride the wobble too long, it will never stop. I rplaced everything and it ended up being my caster, but since then i have had to replace it all over again because it took such a beating. If you want to save some $$ in the long run, get it done fast. Your wheel bearings will thank you :)
 
#29 ·
Okay so heres the deal. It's a '97 ZJ with a 2" BB and 31" BFG A/T's, on AR black steelies. I've been having death wobble for awhile now. I've replaced the lower control arm bushings, tie rod ends, and upgraded my track bar to KOR's track bar conversion. I took it into a local 4x4 shop to check the suspension. They found noting wrong, and later swapped my wheels and tires with a stock TJ they had in. Once they swiched them the wobble went away. So both my local mechanic and the 4x4 shop narrowed it down to the tires. Today I got Discount to give me 4 new BFGs. It cured the true death wobble full on. It fixed it over almost all bumps but one. It still causes it to start to wobble but never will develope into full on DW. Is it maybe something with the steering box? When I go around a turn and keep the wheel at a 45 angle I get some feedback and a little like out of balance tires. Me and my mechanic have used a 3' pry bar to check the hub bearings and ball joints. Sorry, it's so long. Thanks for any advice.
 
#31 ·
DW

I once had the dredded DW, but I successfully released the beast. I was told to replace the track bar and would it disapear, so I did and the DW was still present but not as bad. So after much frustration and cussing I decided that since my '97 ZJ had just over 100K on it, it would be a good idea to just replace everything and get an alignment, I changed upper and lower ball joints, (which I believe was the problem as I took off the right side the top ball joint shaft fell out of the socket), replaced inner and outer tie rods, track bar, swaybar end links, and steering damper. When I was done I got an alignment and the dredded DW was gone. Now Im sure I did not have to replace every thing but for as long as I had the DW I figured it was a good idea, and it drove like new again :D . Now recently I put on a 2" BB and some Jeep Rubicon wheels and tires, looks great and drives great, the only thing I wish I would have done is change out all the bushings, but live and learn, Ill get to them this summer, along with another alignment. This kinda hurt the pocket book abit but drivability is worth it. :read:
 
#32 ·
Pull every bolt in the front suspension... I know it sucks, but it'll be worth it.. Look at all the bolt holes and make sure none are ovaled out. If they are, weld a washer to the ovaled side or both sides to correct the sixe difference.

If none are ovaled, proceed to checking your trackbar mount, which should be really damn tight and then go on to your balljoints, tire balancing, etc.
 
#33 ·
This DW description sounds like what I'm experiencing with my '95 Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo. A year and a half ago, a young girl pulled out in front of me and I broadsided her. The local dealership repaired the damage. A few months later, the steering wheel began to jerk around while driving on the freeway. When I slowed down, it stopped. This began to occur frequently, so I took it to my mechanic. He replaced the steering dampener, and had the front end aligned twice. No luck. I took it to the dealer. They said that even though its a 2WD, it needed a 'heavy duty' steering dampener and replaced it. After that, I would feel a slight wobble in the steering wheel at around 45-50 mph, but it didn't go crazy on me. However, 3 months later, the DW was back. I thought maybe the Michelin tires needed to be replaced, so I bought new tires. Again, the DW didn't occur for 3 or 4 months, just the slight wobble. When the DW began occurring again, I took it back to the dealer. They told me I'd bought cheap tires (Yokohama), but eventually backed off that. They took all day to find a loose screw that they tightened and charged me $40 for. Next, I went back to the tire store to see if the tires needed to be rebalanced. I've now been back 3 tires for tire rotation and rebalancing. I need to decide if this is worth investing more time and money in, or if I should get rid of the Jeep now. It has 164,000 miles and runs great, except for the DW. Does this sound like DW, and what should I check next? If possible, don't use abbreviations in your reply. I don't know what most of them mean. Thanks!
 
#36 ·
Image


I installed a rancho dual steering stabilizer (universal- order one for 79 K5 Blazer) on my 98 5.9 Limited and Kevin's track bar.

It stopped the DW or at least covered it up.

I had tried OLD Man Emu and found it was weaker than stock.

I replaced the Old Man with a TrailMaster Coil over that is also still in the stock location with the dual rancho bolted to axel and steering.

I also have in garage but not installed a drop steering kit.

I believe the real problem is the change in steering geometry (maybe just in my case).
 
#37 ·
I would like to add one thing. If you have a bad bushing on one of the shocks it will also cause DW. It did for me. I replaced with a mopar today and a new nut as the one that was on it was not for the shock and it has taken away my DW, for now.
 
#38 ·
I had DW bad right after I put a 3.5" lift on my 95 ZJ. A Heckethorn steering stabilizer almost eliminated the DW completely. I have recently swapped-out my NP249 with an NV242, and the DW is back with a vengence while in 2WD. Does anybody know where I can get a dual stabilizer? Skyjacker stopped offering their dual steering stabilizer. :cry:
 
#39 ·
I think that if you read this thread close enough it will tell you that stabilizers will only mask the problem. they are not an answer. You could "essentially" run without a stabilizer. You need to find what is causing the DW and quit trying to mask it.
 
#41 ·
the zj has got over 200000 miles, and whats been replaced is the driverside motor mount, track bar and the drag link assembly (bar and ball joint), and ive put on a skyjacker ss. when i hit a bump in the road there it a thump that i think is coming from the control arms. ive looked under it, and nothing is broken. my best guess is that ive got worn control arm bushings. in the not so distant future im gonna add the RE superflex kit that should fix the dw for good.
 
#42 ·
after reading this I have some input...I worked in a tire express for about 4 years and have done alot of suspension work on lifted trucks.

when installing a lift or doing a axle swap I always recomend that people don't worry as much about pinion angle but to worry about caster. the reason being if you run on the street and the caster is off then you truck will ride bad all the time...while if the pinion angle is off a little it is only affected when off road when you are at lower speeds anyway. also you can be off on your pinion angle by around 10* before you notice any vibration problems. the only thing by being off that 10* is you will notice more wear on the u joints.

the first thing you should do when getting "death wobble" is to shake down ALL stearing components. the way to do this is to have someone turn your stearing wheel just enough to turn the tires and watch all the TRE's and links. also watch your track bar ends while doing this. if you have ever removed the track bar then you will know that when you turn your wheels with out it your front end will want to move out from under it with out the control.

next jack up the front and un load the front end.

then check the ball joint by grabing the top and bottom of the tire and seeing if the is any motion when pushing and pulling on the top and bottom. while it is up check all the suspension link bushings. also while it is up run you hand around the tread of the tire CAREFULY. if you have a busted or shifted belt it is possible that the trie will have steel sticking out around a bubble shaped lump. if this is there replace the tire. if still nothing then take it to the alignment shop and have you tires balanced rotated and put your front end in line.

alot of problems I have seen is poor steering geometry(drag link should match the track bar angle), alighnment issues, tires out of balance, or just plan wore out steering components.

hope this helps!
 
#43 ·
I think what all of you said was pretty much right on target, but as all of you know, every Grand is different. With mine I've got a 00' Grand w/ a 4" tera. and 32" gd yr mtr/s thats been on for a year. About a month after the lift, it started to WOBBLE therefore I replaced the tie rod ends b/c they were worn. Then about 6 months later when it started to WOBBLE again me (and the local off-road shop) decided to take thelogical coarse of action and replace the track-bar(ROKRAWLER) and bushings(KOR), then still WOBBLED. Therefore, we decided to run the dual steering stablizer setup that KOR recomends(one- runs in the factory location; two- runs fr om the drag-link to the chassy). So, to make a long story short, im lost once again and don't know where to go from here. Think im just going to start from square one b/c the jeeps got 155k but runs flawlessly besides the DW. And as all you know as well it definately will scare the SHIT outta you and is just flat out annoying. Any more insight would be nice. Thanks
 
#46 ·
even though you had your tires balanced they could have thrown a weight. I have seen that happen before. this usualy happens when someone puts on the wrong weights for your rim. usualy when you buy tires they give you free life time balances. so I would go back and have them spin them again to rule it out.

also have them check to make sure they are not out of round or have any shifted belts while they are spinning on the balancer.
 
#49 ·
go to the wal-mart on scottsville rd. and ask for a guy name Jr. Mills. he is one of the only people I have ever trusted to do tire work on my stuff. that is where I worked at and he will do it right. tell him Daniel Brown set you [smilie=bal_cool.gif]

if you explain what is going on he might even look around and see if he can see anything out of the ordinary. he is ASE certified in suspension so he realy knows what he is talking about
 
#51 ·
:mrgreen: I'm new to this forum, but I too have experienced the devil known as "death wobble". Scared the jeepers out of me. The vehicle behind even slowed down because I was rocking so violently from side to side. I checked all my reg. things to check, then I put 2" coilspacers in and it has never happened again. When it hits, it will surprise the heck out of you, and you will have seconds to react.