I have a 2003 Sahara 2.5 in lift on 31 and I have changed everything on my front end, I can't get the shakes out of it it gets the death wobbles when I hit a bump on drivers side. I put a rough country 2.5 inch lift they said you don't need anything else just springs and shocks. Do you have any recommendations.
The shakes
- Thread starter jayssun
- Start date
JocksStrapped
New Member
I have tried everything I'm not a car mechanic but have replaced everything on front end
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JocksStrapped
New Member
And it's just the front? You didn't need a new drag link or to adjust the pitman arm? Got an alignment done?
Please fully describe the symptom you're describing as Death Wobble and its intensity. Is it a shimmy/shaking in the steering wheel that goes away if you speed up or slow down much? Or is it a life-threatening shit-your-pants/blurred vision and Jeep going out of control that causes your life to pass in front of your eyes and other drivers swerve out of your way since they can see your Jeep is out of control/shaking violently?
I put a new drag link new tie rod new control arms new hubs new brakes had countless alignment wheel balances maybe my pitman arm do you need to drop that on a 2.5 lift?
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NO!!! If you have a dropped Pitman arm, remove it and reinstall the factory OE Pitman arm. Dropped Pitman arms just cause bump steer on common suspension lift heights.
Though that is not the cause of a shimmy or, if this is what you have, Death Wobble. Did you miss my above question?
It has a constent shimmy on the highway and if I hit a pothole or bump my front end shakes to the point I have to slow way down to control it
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Have you done a "dry steering test" yet? How to do that has been described many times in this forum, a quick search will find how to do it. When is the last time the front tires were carefully balanced to a 'perfect' balance?
I will have to try a dry steering test I can't see it being anything worn out everything except the axle is new in front end had the wheels balanced when rims were put on about 10 months ago. This is a I'm going issue I have dumped so much money into this jeep I've just about had it.
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I'm late to the party, but if there is a dropped pitman arm, REMOVE IT IMMEDIATELY! That could very well (and likely is) the culprit, or at least contributing to the shakes you're experiencing.
Very first thing to do here is a dry steering test. If you do that and notice something loose or with play in it, you've likely found your issue. For me it was the axle side track bar bolt not being torqued down to the right spec.
The other thing we always suggest around here are tires, tires, tires! It's very hard to balance large tires for off-road vehicles. Because of this, many shops don't do a good enough job and you end up with vibrations like you're describing. I would most definitely take it into a competent wheel / tire shop and have them check it out. I'd make sure it was a place that specializes in 4x4s and off-road vehicles before even bringing it in.
Very first thing to do here is a dry steering test. If you do that and notice something loose or with play in it, you've likely found your issue. For me it was the axle side track bar bolt not being torqued down to the right spec.
The other thing we always suggest around here are tires, tires, tires! It's very hard to balance large tires for off-road vehicles. Because of this, many shops don't do a good enough job and you end up with vibrations like you're describing. I would most definitely take it into a competent wheel / tire shop and have them check it out. I'd make sure it was a place that specializes in 4x4s and off-road vehicles before even bringing it in.
Bigbill
Member
There's a reason they call that steering damper a shimmy shock.?
Pull it out and see if it has equal pressure in both directions. It should be 50/50 equal.
Second thought how much play in your steering box. This can sneak up on us as things wear, sometimes driving it everyday we don't notice it till it's bad.
Pull it out and see if it has equal pressure in both directions. It should be 50/50 equal.
Second thought how much play in your steering box. This can sneak up on us as things wear, sometimes driving it everyday we don't notice it till it's bad.
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The only people who would call it a shimmy shock are those who don't understand its purpose or function. It's not there to control or cure shimmies, Death Wobble, "stabilize" the steering, etc. Its purpose is to isolate the steering system from shock of hitting bumps, dips, potholes, etc. Its more correct term is steering damper, not the misleading steering stabilizer term.
Bigbill
Member
In the design when it was changed from wearing tires badly in the beginning they would chop the threads on the tires. The early 4x4's were noted for that. The new design left them with a shimmy. Thus shimmy shock. This 50/50 shock took out the shimmy or shake. If you exceed the tire size drastically you need two shimmy shocks.
PStov98TJ
TJ Enthusiast
Actually, it's never recommended to use two steering stabilizers on our TJ's. You can actually overwork the steering system by using more than one. Also, a steering stabilizer is never the cause nor the cure for death wobble or a shimmy in the front end. Installing two stabilizers would only be a bandaid on the real problem.
94c2500
TJ Enthusiast
You may have already explored the following possible causes of your death wobble but here's a decent video that might help. I'd suggest you remove your passenger's side bolt in your track bar and reinsert it into the frame bracket by itself and check for play due to a possible elongated, wallowed-out bolt hole. Do the same for the bar end itself.
I'm late to the game, but when did it start shaking? Was it after the lift install, or has it been doing this the entire time you've owned it?
PStov98TJ
TJ Enthusiast
Wallowed out holes don't cause DW as long as the bolt is torqued down correctly.
That guy also has two steering stabilizers installed, said that adjustable track bars can cause binding, and that a track bar drop kit is "otherwise known as a dropped pitman arm"... Suffice it to say that I won't be taking too much advice from this guy
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