Bone stock tj sahara death wobble

Spencer Smith

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San Diego, CA, USA
So I just picked up a bone stock 2002 wrangler Sahara with 82000miles automatic 4.0 v6 an at 55 60 mph I get some really ugly death wobble,is this normal for a stock Jeep to be doing? I’ve checked all the front end components an there’s nothing that I can find that would cause this insane death wobble but when I’m on the highway if I give it more gas threw 55 to 65 it barely shakes, when I’m slowing down from 65 to 60 an let it slow down on its own it gets the death wobble, if I hit the brakes while slowing down it again doesn’t wobble as bad.
I ask my buddy at work who has a 2010 wrangler an his has a little wobble as well but in between 45 an 55 we both have tried finding the issue an have failed to find it. If anyone has any advice or knows how to fix it or what to try I’m all ears thanks.
 
Death wobble is not normal at all, especially for a stock Jeep.

9 out of 10 times, death wobble ends up being improperly balanced tires. Seriously, I know that this sounds like the last thing you'd suspect, but do yourself a favor and go to a competent tire shop and have them check and balance the wheels / tires.

If that doesn't end up being the issue (which I'm thinking it will be), then it comes down to things such as bad ball joints, tie rod ends, bushings, or even a combination of things. But start with the wheels / tires, seriously.
 
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So I just picked up a bone stock 2002 wrangler Sahara with 82000miles automatic 4.0 v6 an at 55 60 mph I get some really ugly death wobble,
Probably because it is a 4.0 v6? Just kidding my man!
Go for a typical wheel alignment first and start from there, process of elimination.
 
Death wobble is almost always caused by bad tires or improperly balanced wheels / tires. The funny thing is, most people don't even bother to look there first. They instantly assume it's something like the ball joints or tie rod ends. Not saying it can't be, but usually it's the wheels / tires.
 
Death wobble is almost always caused by bad tires or improperly balanced wheels / tires. The funny thing is, most people don't even bother to look there first. They instantly assume it's something like the ball joints or tie rod ends. Not saying it can't be, but usually it's the wheels / tires.
Or the lift kit they just had installed lol. Usually more often than not it’s coming from the tires..agreed
 
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A passive component like something on the suspension or improper toe-in can allow DW to develop more easily but look to a big spinning imperfectly balanced tire to be the trigger/root cause. Get your tires perfectly balanced and make sure your suspension and steering system fasteners are tight. Do a dry steering test... with tires on the ground have a helper repeatedly turn the steering wheel back and forth while you are looking for slop/movement between things that should be tight. Know that the tie rod and drag link are both mounted on ball joints so they can roll somewhat about their long axis but there should be no side-to-side slop or looseness anywhere.
 
Mine was not tires- I laid under it and had the wife keep turning the steering while I put a hand on every joint. Every single joint and every bushing moved. None by a huge amount (most was at steering box) but still when all added up it was enough. I changed it all including all bushings, ball joints, tie rod ends, you name it. Problem solved. Mine was triggered by a dragging brake shoe but at 45 mph it was nearly uncontrollable.

So while a tire is typical - mine was cumulative of many issues.
 
It is not true that it doesn’t happen on stock Jeeps, just sayin’. All a lift will do is exacerbate an existing problem in the front end, whether it’s tires, trackbar, tie rod ends, ball joints, hubs, steerting box, et. Al. Or some combination. Yes, I’ve had DW and solved it for my Jeep. For me it required a new trackbar and new tie rod ends.. Here’s a good video on diagnosing DW.

 
Found a cool video of it. Doesn't look fun!
I remember showing this to my wife a while back, thinking she'd be all "Oh, hell no!" Instead, she said "That doesn't seem that bad." What?!?!? Now I need to go out and drive her XJ. God only knows what's happening with that poor rig that she thinks "...doesn't seem that bad"... :eek:
 
if I give it more gas threw 55 to 65 it barely shakes

First I ever heard of someone accelerating through death wobble. I've been through a real death wobble in my brother-in-law's jeep. It will make you sh*t your pants.
Almost every real case of death wobble has to be brought to a complete stop. It doesn't feel like a shimmy, it feels like the whole jeep is coming apart and the steering wheel violently shakes back and forth until you stop forward momentum to break the harmonics in your front end.

Sounds to me like the tires threw some weights. I would force balance my tires at a reputable shop. They have to be perfect, and not just "good enough"
 
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First I ever heard of someone accelerating through death wobble. I've been through a real death wobble in my brother-in-law's jeep. It will make you sh*t your pants.
Almost every real case of death wobble has to be brought to a complete stop. It doesn't feel like a shimmy, it feels like the whole jeep is coming apart and the steering wheel violently shakes back and forth until you stop forward momentum to break the harmonics in your front end.

Sounds to me like the tires threw some weights. I would force balance my tires at a reputable shop. They have to be perfect, and not just "good enough"
Road force Balance, and yes, they have to be perfect, not good enough. Can’t stress this enough to the OP
 
when I’m on the highway if I give it more gas threw 55 to 65 it barely shakes
Sorry I missed that piece of information that confirms you are not experiencing DW. If you were having true DW, you would not be able to accelerate faster through it. True DW is EXTREMELY VIOLENT (!!!!) and the last thing you can do is accelerate... the only way to stop DW is to stop or come to a near stop. It's clear you are experiencing just a speed sensitive shimmy which, again, is caused by imperfect tire balance. True DW is so violent that other drivers will move out of your way, it looks like a giant hand has picked up the Jeep and is shaking it.

On getting your tires balanced... know that many tire shops only spend enough time to get tires balanced what they consider "good enough" which for the type of front-end the TJ and many trucks have, is never good enough. And as good as Discount Tires is, I once had to take my Jeep back to mine twice more in the same day to have the tires balanced for a total of three tire balance jobs in one day before they finally figured out they had to spend enough time to get them right.

I stopped paying for Road Force balancing years ago as the results didn't justify the extra $$$. I get just as good of a balance on my 35's with a standard tire balancing machine if the guy doing the job knows what he's doing and has been given the time to get them balanced as I have told him I require. I consider that last part important... I now make it a point to talk with the guy who will be doing my tire balancing to make a connection with him and let him know how critical it is he get them balanced perfectly and explain why.

And did I say that Death Wobble is VIOLENT??? It's more violent than can be imagined until his has been experienced. It's so violent it'll blur your vision and your body will kind of go into a shock-like experience until it stops. It's crazy, it's really something to experience. A shimmy it's not. :)
 
I've had good experience at my local Discount Tire, but then there's a couple of Jeeple working there too. It's the guy running the machine that makes all the difference in the world. If they know what's needed and are motivated to do that it makes all the difference in the world.