Please help with death wobble

[Glenn Hodges]

Just installed a 3.25" lift and 2 days on the road it happened... Death Wobble.
Wow, don't want that to happen again.
My main question is "What is the best heavy duty steering kit for a 2000 TJ 4.0L Manual?"
I checked the track bar and it seems very secure during a dry steering test.
I plan to get a front end alignment, but want to replace parts first.
The tie rod and drag bar do have play in them, mostly front to back, so I plan to replace with heavy duty stuff.
Any help with parts recommendations or other suggestions are greatly appreciated.

 

[Bird]

I personally have not experienced DW but know are lifted TJ's are prone to it when not properly set up or as parts wear, like ball joints.

This site is full of knowledgable members who can guide you through this.

Steering ?
Most will recommend Currie for you TJ.
I run JCR 1 ton UTN.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

On my cell phone so this will have to be abbreviated. An imperfectly balanced tire (even if recently balanced) commonly triggers DW. Something loose like the track bar or tie rod then allows it to fully develop into DE. Not many tire shops will spend enough time to balance a Jeep's big tires well enough to prevent them from triggering DW. You have to have a conversation with the tire balancer to let him know how important perfect tire balance is to a Wrangler.

Finally... with the tires on the ground, have a helper repeatedly turn the steering back and forth while you watch the steering system for any sideways slop/movement at the track bar and tie rod. There needs to be zero sideways movement where things are bolted together. The tie rod and drag link will have rotational play around their long axis which is required so nothing breaks when the front axle moves up & down.

Good luck with it!

 

[flyingt1954]

On my 2006 TJ ,I have 31 inch tires the sidewall says 44 pounds what I did was took it down to 30 and I haven’t got the wobble back yet

 

[Jerry Bransford]

On my 2006 TJ ,I have 31 inch tires the sidewall says 44 pounds what I did was took it down to 30 and I haven’t got the wobble back yet

The pressure on an automotive tire's sidewall is only its max safe air pressure. It's never the correct tire pressure to run.

 

[JMT]

I basically agree with Jerry, and I have had to solve the DW nightmare. I think tire imbalance almost always triggers DW. But if you are having it there is almost a guaranteed problem with the trackbar at the axle or tie rod ends, ball joints, hubs, drag link, et al. Better to diagnose the problem than start throwing parts at it. You’ll be frustrated if you spend big money and it doesn’t fix it. Ultimately, I had to get a new trackbar and do a ZJ Tie Rod conversion to fix mine.

 

[Chris]

As far as the best steering, see this thread: What is the best steering for my Jeep Wrangler TJ?

As for the death wobble, it might not even be death wobble at all. Does it go away at certain speeds? Can you hit the brakes and does it instantly stop? My guess is you're experiencing a vibration. If you've experienced true death wobble, it would be a life changing experience in terms of scaring the piss out of you.

Now as for the vibration, check this thread out:
Is Your Jeep Wrangler TJ Experiencing Vibrations or Death Wobble? READ THIS!

 

[tomtaylz]

I installed the currie steering system to get rid of my DW, my tie rod had a lot of play in it.

Did you loosen your track bar when installing the lift?

 

[Glenn Hodges]

Hello all,

Thank you for the suggestions, so far. I will get the tires balanced immediately. I did relocate the track bar, but took great care to make sure the bar was tightened to 125. The track bar does not appear to move at all when turning the wheels. I know that does not ensure that the ends are not worn. I'm pretty sure this was DW, if not I don't know what it might be. I hit a pot hole doing about 45mph and thought the world was coming to an end. It was a violent shake and I attempted to pull over, which may have been a bad idea. The jeep headed off the road into a grassy area and ultimately stopped. I thought it was the end. The steering rods will move front to back, but little else. I have not gotten an alignment yet.

 

[JMT]

Hello all,

Thank you for the suggestions, so far. I will get the tires balanced immediately. I did relocate the track bar, but took great care to make sure the bar was tightened to 125. The track bar does not appear to move at all when turning the wheels. I know that does not ensure that the ends are not worn. I'm pretty sure this was DW, if not I don't know what it might be. I hit a pot hole doing about 45mph and thought the world was coming to an end. It was a violent shake and I attempted to pull over, which may have been a bad idea. The jeep headed off the road into a grassy area and ultimately stopped. I thought it was the end. The steering rods will move front to back, but little else. I have not gotten an alignment yet.

Ok, what speed were you going when it happened? True DW requires you to almost come to a complete stop to quit.

For an alignment, on a TJ you can only adjust the toe. Here’s a thread on how to DIY.

https://wranglertjforum.com/threads/how-to-align-your-jeep-wrangler-tj.85/

 

[BendLarry]

I experienced my first death wobble last week. My experience was very much like yours. I didn’t leave the road but had to come to nearly a full stop to get it to quit shaking. My steering components are all tight. My Jeep has around 30k miles on it. I suspect it’s my very hard tires biting me in the butt one more time.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Imapepper]

Balance and alignment cured mine, had to toss the underwear tho.Scary

 

[Stockli]

With all this wobble talk I’m glad I decided NOT to lift the Sahara.

I’m still broke and looking for work not sure if I could afford new undies.

 

[Glenn Hodges]

Based on the section of road I was on, I believe I was going about 50mph. I recall hearing and feeling the thump of the pothole and then WOW, this is not good, this is not good!

 

[JMT]

With all this wobble talk I’m glad I decided NOT to lift the Sahara.

I’m still broke and looking for work not sure if I could afford new undies.

People that have no lift still get DW. It’s not necessarily tied to lift. Something else is happening. However, does anyone know why you seem to get it when a change to the front end is made?

 

[JMT]

Based on the section of road I was on, I believe I was going about 50mph. I recall hearing and feeling the thump of the pothole and then WOW, this is not good, this is not good!

40-50mph is a very typical speed to get DW. The reason has to do with centrifugal force of a tire. Up to 35-38mph you are usually fine. Go ahead and gets perfect balance and align the Toe in. Then, if you still have DW, try this video to diagnose, and/or use @Chris recommended thread on this forum.
https://www.google.com/search?safe=active&client=safari&hl=en-us&ei=IqEzW9HGBMOMtgXhiZ-gCg&q=bleepinjeep+death+wobble&oq=bleepin+jeep+dearh+wibble&gs_l=mobile-gws-wiz-serp.1.1.35i39j0i13i10i30.90787.91470..97941...0....298.688.0j1j2......0....1.........0i71.0NR3C/1g8j4=

 

[Stockli]

People that have no lift still get DW. It’s not necessarily tied to lift. Something else is happening. However, does anyone know why you seem to get it when a change to the front end is made?

My guess is a change in geometry, caused by worn out/loose/lift parts, cause an oscillation that build in harmony with any imbalance in the tires. That is why you see it begin more often at certain speeds.

Just a shot in the dark here.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

My guess is a change in geometry, caused by worn out/loose/lift parts, cause an oscillation that build in harmony with any imbalance in the tires. That is why you see it begin more often at certain speeds.

Just a shot in the dark here.

Your "shot in the dark" was a very good explanation, I liked it!

 

[mots]

The pressure on an automotive tire's sidewall is only its max safe air pressure. It's never the correct tire pressure to run.

People that have no lift still get DW. It’s not necessarily tied to lift. Something else is happening.

Agreed. I was test driving different Jeeps for the past couple months before I bought mine, both stock and lifted. My guess is that tire pressure, and then tire balance, likely plays a role in triggering most cases of DW. I test drove a couple Jeeps from one place and found out that they were putting in whatever the sidewall label said. I struggled at first to convince the salesman that this was wrong. At the time I didn't know where to find the tire pressure sticker to prove it to him (I later found it later on the inside of the door jam, doh!). This was after a test drive on a stock TJ where I experienced the DW (I knew exactly what it was since I have read about it).

I had come to nearly a full halt to get it to stop the and then experienced it a 2nd time on the same stretch a road, just not as bad probably since I wasn't moving as fast, or didn't hit the bump just right. Funny thing was that I felt some similar issues on a second Jeep he had on the same road. So, I came back and was looking at the front suspension and I noticed how hard the tires were. My thumb could barely make a dent and a punch to the sidewall was like hitting a brick. Well, I finally did convince him the tires were overinflated because we lowered the stock 30" tire pressure from 47 PSI to 30 PSI. After that we could no longer trigger the DW event on the same stretch of road. The Jeep road like butter after that!

My guess is that you could probably take a stock TJ right off the assembly line, increase front tire pressure to 47 PSI, and likely trigger the DW. Since the suspension is made to flex and articulate, the potential is there for the DW to happen.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

There's definitely a major lack of education even among those in the tire industry regarding tire pressure. Too many incorrectly believe you're supposed to run whatever tire pressure is molded onto an automotive tire's sidewall. Vehicles where the pressure on the sidewall is appropriate are non-automotive like bicycles, motorcycles, & trailers.