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DEATH WOBBLE!!!!! cant figure it out any help is much appreciated

1K views 12 replies 8 participants last post by  Highway 4x4 
#1 ·
:cheers2:Hey this is my first post so help me out guys... I gotta 97 Xj 4.0 auto and I've been running the rough country 3 inch kit with lower control arms for about a year and a half now. I recently added 2 inch spacers and extended lines, cut the fenders and I'm running 33s. I held off on the shackles because it got wayyy too hot out to keep goin. any ways i got this death wobble that i can't seem to find the fix for. I have the adjustable track bar with the ball joint not the HD one. and I have a drop pitman arm as well. tires are balanced and I replaced the lower control arms with brand new ones the other night. same problem... if I put my 31s on then nothin happens unless i'm doing like 70 on the expressway and hit a bump but with the 33s it randomly occurs any speed over like 30 when i hit bumps. ANY IDEASSSSS????? the lower arms are the fixed ones. and I was told that my drag link has to be parallel with my trac bar, I was gonna just put the stock pitman arm back in but once again its like 100 degrees out.
 
#2 ·
Check your u joints and bearings
 
#4 ·
i just had this same issue on my zj... replaced everything on the front end and i mean EVERYTHING the only thing that helped was a new stabalizer and new tires....
 
#6 ·
Check all the rod ends and all the bolts for proper torque. Last time I had it it was a loose end at the pitman arm. Only showed up when I upgraded to 31s.
 
#7 ·
The stabilizer isn't the problem and a new HD one will just cover the problem up for a while. You need to put the stock pitman arm back on or replace the trac-bar and frame mount with one that uses a frameside drop. You are correct that the drag-link and trac-bar need to be very close to parallel to avoid bumpsteer. You also need to have the front-end aligned after adding the spacers as your toe is off now, and the caster is likely way off too with the control arms made for 3" of lift. The balljoints are another item to suspect and they would be worse with the larger tires than the smaller ones.
 
#8 ·
im gonna try it tomorrow, i called up rough country and they told me that those fixed arms are the same ones they use in thier 4.5" kit and can be used up to 4.5" plus they are brand new i made them send me new ones since the bushing blew out. im goin to sears right now for an angle meter
 
#10 ·
ight so i put the stock pitman arm back on, it seems like when i shake the front end that the ball joint on the trac bar clanks around, local parts store ordered it up. hopefully thats the problem solver, the stock pitman arm made a big difference though. My dad keeps insisting that my stabilizer is no good... I honestly think hes lost but any other input would be of help.
 
#11 ·
If you have any play in the trac-bar that is the problem. The stabilizer does nothing (the name makes most people think it is the problem though). The trac-bar is what keeps the axle centered under the jeep and if there is play it will cause death wobble. Imagine the axle moving back and forth violently under the jeep while rolling down the road, that is just what is happening as you hit a bump and it throws the axle to one side. When everything is tight it cannot move, just a very small amount of looseness will set it off on a bump. You likely got rid of the bumpsteer the pitman arm caused, and a new trac-bar will likely fix the death wobble. Once everything is tight and like it is supposed to be you can remove the stabilizer and you won't notice any difference(not recommending this, just saying I have done it). The stabilizer will cover minor wear from steering components, but doesn't fix them, as the components get worse the stabilizer cant keep things under control. Some people buy a heavy duty stabilizer thinking they have fixed the issue only to find out later after things get worn out worse that the issue is still there.
 
#12 ·
The stabilizer will cover minor wear from steering components, but doesn't fix them, as the components get worse the stabilizer cant keep things under control. Some people buy a heavy duty stabilizer thinking they have fixed the issue only to find out later after things get worn out worse that the issue is still there.
Agreed. Have seen this a bunch of times. Stabilizer (damper) will NOT cure death wobble. It may tame it but it still lurks.
 
#13 ·
As we lift and go big tires we get outside of where the front ends were designed to be. So there is less tolerance for wear and adjustments. I know that mine does not like any toe in and it's set at almost 0. I had 9 deg of caster and it feels better with 6. TRE's and ball joints are new and now I feel OK an the fwy again but I know that the DW is out there and it will probably bite me again someday.
 
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