Death wobble

Luke Markham

Luke Markham

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Supporting Member
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
Messages
34
Location
Belton, TX.
1998 Sahara 33s 2.5" lift

Hey all,

I know death wobble has been heavily discussed, but I've read up on it as much as I can and I have some questions.

I have gone through everything I can think of and can't find any loose or damaged components. I've replaced the tie rod and ends, drag link, steering gear and ball joints all within the year and they still are tight to my knowledge. Wheels have been balanced and alignment done within the last few weeks. Today I jacked up the front end and supported it from the frame to check on the track bar and control arms. I took them both and shook them all I could and couldn't feel any play in any direction. I'm at a loss and looking for any help or ideas.

Thanks.
 
Luke Markham said:
1998 Sahara 33s 2.5" lift

Hey all,

I know death wobble has been heavily discussed, but I've read up on it as much as I can and I have some questions.

I have gone through everything I can think of and can't find any loose or damaged components. I've replaced the tie rod and ends, drag link, steering gear and ball joints all within the year and they still are tight to my knowledge. Wheels have been balanced and alignment done within the last few weeks. Today I jacked up the front end and supported it from the frame to check on the track bar and control arms. I took them both and shook them all I could and couldn't feel any play in any direction. I'm at a loss and looking for any help or ideas.

Thanks.
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The track bar can't be tested that way..it requires serious force.

With the wheels on the ground , have a friend slowly turn the steering wheel from 10-2 and watch both ends of the track bar . One will likely move . That will need tightened to spec.

It take the pressure of the steering linkage versus the weight of the vehicle to see the movement , because that's the operable force it is handling .
 
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Even a soft bushing on one or both ends is enough cumulative movement to cause dw and at minimum will affect handling
 
Found the problem. The upper bolt on the track bar was loose. The upper side of the hole on the bracket is a little wallowed out... What's next? Replace the bracket or can I drill it out and slide a bushing in?
 
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You could do both. I’d probably do the bushing first though, as that should work fine.
 
A loose component like that can allow DW to develop more easily but it's never the actual root cause since it is a passive device. Imperfectly balanced tires that are spinning are a far more common root cause of DW coupled with a loose component like you found. Tire shops seldom spend enough time to get our big Jeep size tires balanced perfectly/well enough to not trigger DW. I have had to have my tires balanced and then rebalanced twice more in the same day before they took enough time to get them perfect so I wasn't experiencing the onset of DW at 45 mph which would have developed into full-blown DW at faster speeds.
 
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Jerry Bransford said:
A loose component like that can allow DW to develop more easily but it's never the actual root cause since it is a passive device. Imperfectly balanced tires are a far more common root cause of DW coupled with a loose component like you found. Tire shops seldom spend enough time to get our big Jeep size tires balanced perfectly/well enough to not trigger DW. I have had to have my tires balanced and then rebalanced twice more in the same day before they took enough time to get them perfect so I wasn't experiencing the onset of DW at 45 mph which would have developed into full-blown DW at faster speeds.
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Just an observation, but I see the speed 45 miles an hour come up quite a bit in these conversations and I have a 2006 Rubicon that one of the tires begins to shake at 45.

When I purchased it the owner said it had death wobble and they thought steering stabilizers were the Cure but I found a loose track bar, but just like Jerry's earlier post the causation was the tire. The components just allow and exaggerate the problem.
 
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AndyG said:
Just an observation, but I see the speed 45 miles an hour come up quite a bit in these conversations and I have a 2006 Rubicon that one of the tires begins to shake at 45.

When I purchased it the owner said it had death wobble and they thought steering stabilizers were the Cure but I found a loose track bar, but just like Jerry's earlier post the causation was the tire. The components just allow and exaggerate the problem.
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Since most of these are older one of the real challenges is you have various components in various stages of wear... So usually the struggle is pinpointing the issue.

Once the tires are balanced... Anything that is worn you replace benefits you with a better driving machine in addition to preventing death wobble.
 
A
Luke Markham said:
Found the problem. The upper bolt on the track bar was loose. The upper side of the hole on the bracket is a little wallowed out... What's next? Replace the bracket or can I drill it out and slide a bushing in?
Click to expand...

A little more research will tell you that if the bolt is torqued properly, the wallowed out hole is not a problem that needs fixed.
 
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LONGJP2 said:
A


A little more research will tell you that if the bolt is torqued properly, the wallowed out hole is not a problem that needs fixed.
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Exactly. A wallowed out hole there ceases to be an issue when the bolt is properly torqued.

I replaced that bolt & flag nut with this one that is significantly stronger so I could tighten it down a bit more. https://www.shop.blackmagicbrakes.com/Track-Bar-Bolt-and-Flag-Nut_c89.htm

Track bar bolt & flag nut BMB.JPG
 
X2 , that's true . Stopping the excess movement is all you need to do .
 
Are you ok Luke? If needed but the bad tire on the back .
 
Calling it a night here. Death wobble is gone with tightening up the track bar. It still has a shimmy to it at about 45, but it stops when you punch the gas and speed up some. I'm thinking it's the tire balance so I'm gonna rotate the tires after work tomorrow and see what it does.
 
Luke Markham said:
Calling it a night here. Death wobble is gone with tightening up the track bar. It still has a shimmy to it at about 45, but it stops when you punch the gas and speed up some. I'm thinking it's the tire balance so I'm gonna rotate the tires after work tomorrow and see what it does.
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My 06 is doing the same thing ..shimmy at 45 then smooth...awful tires .

You will be ok, hang in there and thanks for keeping us posted .
 
I bought these tires maybe 2 years ago so they're pretty decent so I'm hoping the balancing will do it, but if not they're still under warranty.

Thanks for all y'all's help and I'll be sure to update when more work has been done.
 
Luke Markham said:
I bought these tires maybe 2 years ago so they're pretty decent so I'm hoping the balancing will do it, but if not they're still under warranty.

Thanks for all y'all's help and I'll be sure to update when more work has been done.
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Luke Markham said:
I bought these tires maybe 2 years ago so they're pretty decent so I'm hoping the balancing will do it, but if not they're still under warranty.

Thanks for all y'all's help and I'll be sure to update when more work has been done.
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You will be fine , slap it on the back if needed ...the loose track bar may have caused it to wear weird , or you may have just lost a weight .

You are on it , and now you know what look for .
 
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