Another brother gets a death wobble...

[E5EDDIE]

Ok, added the procomp springs, gave me +2", have had a bit of wobble on one particular bump on 95N, hit a double-triple bump pattern on 495 yesterday in Tysons Corner at 67+/-mph and thought my Heep was gonna explode! Shook violently for almost a half mile or more, really, really hard after I hit those bumps. so, I still have the stock shocks in there, I think it's time to put a longer shock on to keep this from happening, am I thinking right? Seems like the shocks couldn't keep the axels on the level, and the wheels on the asphalt, scared the shit out of me! iAYUDA ME!:eek:

[korisu56]

Haha. DW strikes again. Just check everything for tightness before you go spending money. Things to check are trackbar, UCA's, LCA's, etc. Just do that first and see if doesn't solve the problem. Cheapest solutions first aye?

[05warrior]

or you could beef up your steering :D

[Dragline]

KISS solution 1st... Less $$$$.

[miljeep]

or you could beef up your steering :D

cheap shot :)

[miljeep]

Haha. DW strikes again. Just check everything for tightness before you go spending money. Things to check are trackbar, UCA's, LCA's, etc. Just do that first and see if doesn't solve the problem. Cheapest solutions first aye?

ditto. Bring it to the belvoir auto shop today and try to get it on a lift. That makes it easier to see and reach some of the stuff so you can make sure you tighten everything. Oh, and as someone so kindly brought up above, don't order a whole new steering setup until you totally check everything, even the stuff that may have been overtightened and the stress causes it to make a popping noise when turning to the left.

[05warrior]

cheap shot :)

I couldn't help it.

[BigNorm]

register and search on Pirate4x4.com. I'm not trying to sell the site I'm just saying there is a treasure trove of info there. DW can be caused by bad castor, loose joints, bad ball joints, bad axle bearings and too steep of an angle on the drag link from the steering box down to the tie rod or steering arm. Ideally you want to keep your track bar and drag link as close to alignment with each other as possible. There's just a few ideas. I know it doesn't make it easier. You just have to track down one problem at a time. Double check around your steering box too just to make sure you haven't cracked your frame as well.

[E5EDDIE]

Rgr all preceding, no cheap shots at el miljeep-o, he's what we call "highly functional", me too though! I'm all about the KISS solutions, I'll go over her well tomorrow and see what I see, hope it's a quick fix with a ratchet. thanks for the link Bignorm, I'll check it out too, " Ideally you want to keep your track bar and drag link as close to alignment with each other as possible" Do you mean horizontal alignment Bignorm? Miljeep, did your money spent take care of the issue?

[BigNorm]

In an ideal setup if you were to look at it from the front one would be dirrectly behind the other.

[Pacifier]

Read all about it....

As you have already found out, Death Wobble, the horrible front end vibration that starts when one wheel (usually the right) hits a bump around
40~50mph, is the worst possible downside to having a coil-sprung vehicle with a track bar setup such as the WJ, XJ, ZJ, and TJ use. Death Wobble is also extremely difficult to try to diagnose, because it is actually caused by slop in the entire steering system as a whole, not by one component. To diagnose correctly, one needs to look for "play" everywhere there is something that could have "play" in it. It's time consuming, and downright dangerous while you are in "test phase", trying to exorcise this demon from your Jeep.
The thing I tell people to start with is a visual inspection. Spend 10 minutes under the front end and visually inspect each one of the steering
components for shiny steel, which would be indicative of metal that's moving around when it's not supposed to be. Pay careful attention to the track bar, as it's usually the culprit in most cases. If any of your bolts are even the least bit loose, Death wobble can manifest itself and make your life a living hell.
If everything looks to be "normal" and you've checked bolt tightness on the
track bar, the next thing to do is to start with an alignment, making sure
that caster is set correctly as well as toe-in. If you have been offroading
and have bent your tie rod even slightly, it'll throw off the alignment. Plus,
it's only $40 or so.
If you are certain that it's set correctly and you've not replaced any other
front end components recently that may have caused the oscillation to
begin, I tell people the next most suspect thing is the factory front track bar.
Over time, the tie rod end on the upper portion of the bar develops "play" in
it, and the lower end has a rubber isolator bushing in it that allows the
oscillation to occur. Aftermarket bars generally come with urethane bushings that allow much less "play" in the way of movement than the factory rubber bushings do.
The problem with most aftermarket track bars for the Jeep is that they also
come with either a heim joint, Johnny joint, or tie rod end on the upper end of the bar, which works fine for a while, but wears out over time, leaving you right back where you started, with a mess in your shorts, a temporarily deaf right ear from the wife screaming, and the frustration with your entire Jeep in general...NOT good. The reason why I created my Track Bar Conversion for XJs and ZJs is to eliminate that problematic (and expensive to have to replace when it wears out) joint as well as for the additional flex benefits. If you are running an XJ or ZJ with more than 3" of lift, I highly recommend you check it out. Another product we have found to work VERY well in getting rid of Death Wobble is our exclusive SuperDurometer Track Bar Bushings, which are also available for the Track Bar Conversion. They are about twice as hard as the typical polyurethane bushings that come in most aftermarket track bars, which are typically made by Daystar or Energy Suspension. They are also one of the least expensive replacement parts in the steering components, so they make sense to try first. Many aftermarket track bars as well as the stock track bar are
completely ineffective in managing Death Wobble due to their "effective
angle of operation" if you are above 3" of lift. Bear in mind that another
alignment is necessary after replacing any front end components if Death Wobble still remains. Sometimes you get lucky and don't need one...but be wary.
The next thing to check is your steering stabilizer. I recommend replacing the stabilizer along with whatever worn components that you find under the
front end, as the combination-punch is typically more effective than the parts alone, since DW shakes EVERYTHING, and loosens up other components at the same time.
I've found that replacing the stabilizer alone often times doesn't eliminate
death wobble directly, but that it usually helps with some additional poor
handling characteristics that cause the onset of Death Wobble, such as
wandering, and a new one seems to tighten up the entire steering system.
I ONLY recommend the OME SD40 stabilizer because it seems to be tighter than the other models on the market. It's also the most heavy duty. This stabilizer is something that I recommend to everyone who is having trouble with DW because it's one of the least expensive parts to replace.
Here are some other components to check over for looseness or improper
movement:
Tie Rod Ends, ball joints, Track bar mounting bracket bolts, steering box
bolts, and track bar ends. Another product that we've made due to a need, is our ZJ Steering Box Brace, which holds the steering gear box tightly, allowing the additional stresses of running larger-than-stock tires be directed to the frame rails, rather than to the three little bolts that hold the gear to the frame, which get loose and if they do, will snap and leave you stranded. I don't currently make one for the 6cyl ZJ, but if you have an XJ, you can find one at www.barnettperformance.com.
Another source of Death Wobble is over-inflated tires (you should have
around 30psi in stock tires and far less the larger your tires are. See Boyle's Law and consider how much more volume of air you have in your 33" tires compared to stock. I run around 18psi in my 37" tires).
The last thing that I can mention that has caused Death Wobble in the past is hub bearings. If there is a little slop in them over the years and miles, they MAY indeed help to cause the oscillation as well. I mentioned them last because they are the most expensive to replace and least likely to be the root of the problem. While you have the front end apart, you should consider adding some offset upper ball joints to your Jeep to return the caster back to what a stock Jeep would be if you are running say 4" of lift or more. I don't necessarily recommend this for the '93~'95 full-time 4x4 (NP249 transfer case) ZJ models, though, because it tends to add more vibration to the front drive shaft since you are also turning your pinion angle downward in conjunction with the caster angle improvement...you can't have one without the other.

Hopefully this short checklist gets you started on the right foot and helps to cure your Death Wobble.

Very Sincerely,

-=Kevin=-

[BigNorm]

What he said. :D

[miljeep]

wow, don't know who Kevin is, but that is one hell of a write-up on death wobble. Well done. :beer: A beer for kevin.

[05warrior]

Add me to the list of death wobble sufferers.

[korisu56]

When'd you get it?

[miljeep]

how fast were you going?

[05warrior]

Got it yesterday morning doing about 45

[05warrior]

got it fixed, added new balanced tires and tightend the trackbar and steering stabilizer and all is well

[miljeep]

got it fixed, added new balanced tires and tightend the trackbar and steering stabilizer and all is well

When did you do that? I waited at the garage from 1600 to 1830 to help do the tires, but you must have done it after I left. Wish I could have stayed longer to help.

[05warrior]

Sorry, the guy that was hauling my tires made me do it during lunch. I also sheered both of the bolts that hold the bar pin on the shock. Good Times.

[korisu56]

So what happened in the end? How'd today go? I'm going to the shop tomorrow.

[BigNorm]

It's funny how the littlest things can make all the difference. I'm glad you got it fixed.

[elevatorguy]

Another write up on death wobble

Death wobble and steering wobbles in general are one of the most common problems after lifting your Jeep. I've been dealing with large and small steering wobbles off and on since I first lifted my TJ. It's an ongoing process as things wear. I have ORO's U-Turn steering system, RE 4.5 superflex, and 33x12.5 Goodyear MT/R's and I don't run a steering stab as it can mask problems. This is also my daily driver with a 25 mile (one way) commute that's mostly expressway driving, plus all the wheeling I can do on the weekends. The wobbles in my case are small things that I catch right away and fix before they affect vehicle control. Since I don't know what configuration you have on there, here's some general things to check:

***Remember, once you lift your Jeep, the factory specs will not necessarily work for your situation. Get underneath, get your hands dirty, and learn about your Jeep, in the case of steering, you and your family's life may depend on it!***

***Accept this fact...Death wobble will not be cured by a steering stabilizer. This may mask the symptoms for a while, they will return, potentially more dangerous than before as the worn components are now even weaker!***

1- Trackbar axle bolt TIGHT, hole still round, correct size bolt, bushings/joints in good shape.

2- Tires balanced? Super Swampers are notorious for being way out of balance. I use Centramatic dynamic wheel balancers to keep mine balanced.

3- Upper adjustable control arms to set correct castor. A good self check can be performed by placing an angle finder on the flat plate next to the shock just behind the axle tube. (Check each side.) If it's about 3 degrees below 0, you should be OK, less than that and you will likely have some trouble. Alternately you can use a socket on top of the upper ball joint with the angle finder and get your castor angle that way. In my case, one full turn of the upper arm equals one degree, YMMV. Don't forget to check the angle on the front driveshaft. DS and castor are a compromise to ensure safe vehicle handling with good U joint life, you may not be able to get either exactly correct, shoot for what works best for both.

4- TRE's in good shape, you may even have to disconnect the joints and move them by hand to verify smooth operation. Remember, easiest way to remove TRE's is to hit the surrounding metal piece with a BFH to loosen, don't hit the threaded end or use a pickle fork unless you want to destroy the joint. Grease the joints every oil change, grease is cheap, joints are not.

5- Solid lower control arms to prevent unwanted movement and flex, if you still have the factory ones they could be the problem.

6- Control arm joints tight, my RE superflex joints can be disassembled, cleaned, lubed, rebuilt, and reassembled as required. Alternately I can just tighten them up with an inexpensive tool. RE told me to rebuild after tightening 3 or 4 times.

7- Factory washers on the lower control arm to axle joint. My RE arms came with new washers, so I used 'em. They were slightly smaller in diameter and thickness them the factory, and didn't have the tapered edge to ensure correct axle alignment. Once I replaced them with the factory ones, it tightened things up nicely.

8- Check the joints in the steering wheel shaft itself, two under the hood and one under the dash. I had one wear and loosen up, and it took forever to find it. Felt like problems elsewhere in the steering system because it allows play between steering wheel and the rest of the steering system. I ended up replacing my intermediate steering shaft and was good to go.

9- Wheel bearings (hubs) in good shape? Cheapest I found for my wifes TJ was about $150 at Autozone, made by Timkin, highly respected bearing company. Everybody else wanted around $200. Don't do what the previous owner (idiot!) did to hers, he only tightened the axle nut to hand tight instead of 175 ft/lbs.

10- How about your ball joints? Same goes there, a good way to check is to jack the tire off the ground and see if there's any top/bottom play.

11- Ensure upper and lower shock bushings are in good shape, I had one get cut by a sharp edge on the upper mount, allowed some unwanted axle movement before any dampening occured.

Basically do an inspection of every part from the steering wheel to the tire. Verify each fastener fits correctly in the holes provided with no slop. Each time you find a component worn, or loose, and you tighten or correct the problem, your alignment may be off again. Get a factory service manual or Chilton's to ensure correct torque specs. Near the end of ORO's U-turn install instructions, they give a good step by step procedure for doing a self alignment that you can follow. Basically you use two 4' long 1"x1" aluminum angle pieces (Got mine at Lowes for about $5 each IIRC) held to the wheel with bungies, and two tape measures to check the difference. I do this about once a quarter anyway just to check. Make it part of your routine maintenance as it only takes about 20 minutes.

HTH,
Mark