Track bar

[JBell]

Hey guys. I recently installed a new moog non adjustable track bar and a rancho steering stabilizer on my 04 to try to eliminate death wobble. It was hard to get on but it's there. The steering wheel now sits off center and it still barley wobbles. Is it cause I need a Allignment. Tires are 31 10.5. Any input would be awesome. Still learning.

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[Chris]

Yes, you need an alignment and you need to adjust the drag link which will fix the steering wheel being off center.

 

[JBell]

Can I adjust the drag link or is that done with Allignment

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[Chris]

The drag link is easy to adjust, almost too easy.

Also, alignment on a TJ is one of the easiest things ever. If you're mechanically competent, there is no reason whatsoever to take it to a shop to have it aligned.

Just follow this method:
How to align your Jeep Wrangler TJ

I've aligned my TJ more times than I can count, and it's a walk in the park.

 

[RaymondT]

The drag link is easy to adjust, almost too easy.

Also, alignment on a TJ is one of the easiest things ever. If you're mechanically competent, there is no reason whatsoever to take it to a shop to have it aligned.

Just follow this method:
How to align your Jeep Wrangler TJ

I've aligned my TJ more times than I can count, and it's a walk in the park.

I also made up my own alignment tubing like Jerry's article. I had to settle for 3/4 square aluminum but it still works. 1" is better as there's less chance of flex when you're pulling the tape measure taunt. It still works, I just have to be more careful. Note in the picture that you need 1/2-20 nuts to draw the rotors up tight against the hub. I used 3 per side. Once you've made up these jigs, repeat alignments are easy to do.

Here's something else the bars are good for. Tie the steering wheel perfectly centered. Bungees work OK for this and you can anchor them to the under side of the drivers seat. Now you can use the bars like a rifle scope by looking through the bars to the tread on the rear tires. By comparing each side, you can tweak the adjustable link that's near the draglink ball socket to get the same location on both tires.

 

[Stinger]

I also made up my own alignment tubing like Jerry's article. I had to settle for 3/4 square aluminum but it still works. 1" is better as there's less chance of flex when you're pulling the tape measure taunt. It still works, I just have to be more careful. Note in the picture that you need 1/2-20 nuts to draw the rotors up tight against the hub. I used 3 per side. Once you've made up these jigs, repeat alignments are easy to do.

Here's something else the bars are good for. Tie the steering wheel perfectly centered. Bungees work OK for this and you can anchor them to the under side of the drivers seat. Now you can use the bars like a rifle scope by looking through the bars to the tread on the rear tires. By comparing each side, you can tweak the adjustable link that's near the draglink ball socket to get the same location on both tires.

Great ideas. Thanks

 

[JBell]

Thanks for the input sorry it took so long to respond. I will give it a shot.

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[Jerry Bransford]

By themselves, loose track bars don't cause Death Wobble. Something else has to trigger/be the root cause of the DW and since track bars have no way to generate energy to cause the DW vibrations, it has to be something else... usually an out of balance/imperfectly balanced tire. A loose track bar can allow DW to develop but something else has to be the root cause. If it's really tight, it can suppress the symptoms of DW but only until you forget to tighten its mounting bolt enough or the bolt stretches from being underrated and allows the mounting bolt hole to wallow out.

Get the track bar mounting bolts tight to spec but I'd focus on finding a tire shop that will take the time to get the tires perfectly balanced, not just the the point they feel is "good enough" which is generally only good enough for small car tires on cars.

Blaming the track bar for DW is like blaming the steering stabilizer... neither is capable of causing DW, they can only allow it to develop when something else like a big spinning tire is powering the shakes/shimmies/vibrations.

 

[JBell]

Thanks. I think I will try a front end Allignment as well as balance the front tires and adjust the drag link. If that don't do it. Then I don't know. I'm trying not to be frustrated. But I never had these problems with my 93.

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[Jerry Bransford]

Thanks. I think I will try a front end Alignment as well as balance the front tires and adjust the drag link. If that don't do it. Then I don't know. I'm trying not to be frustrated. But I never had these problems with my 93.

Your '93 had leaf springs which are far more rigid, it's harder for DW to generate with them. Leaf springs have significant drawbacks on axle flex/articulation of course though.

Double-check that your toe-in is in spec when you set it, though my #1 priority would be to get the tires 100% perfectly balanced above everything else.

 

[JBell]

Awesome. I've been at this for a bit and this is the first anyone has mentioned that.

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[JBell]

Just thought I would say thanks again. The tires balanced solved death wobble. Now I just have to do an Allignment .

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[Chris]

Glad to hear the fixed it. I think a lot of people overlook balancing the wheels.

 

[Ahoragi]

I was just diagnosing a wobble similar to this. Everything in my front end is tight as it can be and zero play. Everytime I hit a bump the entire jeep would shake left and right just for a second and then it's back to normal. I figured the tires were causing it so I swapped tires with the XJ (XJ has same tires but new) and the wobble is gone. I either need more beads in my TJ's tires or the beads are not working.