[robbennett_4409]

I just picked up another 1996 Grand Cherokee Limited. It is not lifted.... It has a death wobble over 40. got underneath it tierod ends are new shockk are new stabilizer bar has new bushings and pins. pulled front to tires of of my other 96 which has new tires on it. wobble went away as least up to 70. pulled the tires back of balanced them on the new Grand. no death wobble until 70 plus. so I said ok lets pull off all tires from both vehicles. swap them out now with all four new tires 35 plus death wobble my original rides just as smooth as can be. one thing I noticed on my new Jeep is that sometimes in reverse yu can hear a clunking sound (not ring and pinion my old one has that noise lol) sounds to be like a u-joint wobble or maybe a bent shaft. The new jeep runs smooth as anything until it hits the death wobble when I had the original tires balanced it ran very smooth up to 70 just like a Caddy. My question is..... do you think this wobble could be coming from a back u-joing or a warped drive shaft. trying to rule out things, I dont think it is the driveshaft since it rides so smooth leaning more towards u-joint
rotors and pads are ok no thumping when hitting them I am going to change them anyway becayse they are starting to get thin but once again not getting any pulsing with them.
any help would be greatly appreciated. done loads of searches in the last week on this most I see are from lifted jeeps which neither of mine are.
thanks
Rob

[robbennett_4409]

please help

[robbennett_4409]

bump...............

[ajmorell]

I highly highly doubt you are getting DW from a U-Joint. In fact I can almost guarantee you are not. You already checked a few of the things that cause DW, but not all of them. You also want to check the trackbar to make sure it's tight and make sure that the bushings are still in good condition. You also want to check the control arms bushings, as they are also known to cause DW.

[FPKites]

Swap out the u-joints first - $10 a piece, can't go wrong. It's entirely possible that the shaft threw a weight, but let's hope it's not that. Driveline shops get a few bucks for a balance.

You said the steering stabilizer got new bushings, but sounds to me like it was not replaced. Do that. You can get a stocker equivalent from Autozone, or you can get a Pro-comp from 4-Wheel Parts for about $30. I've been very impressed with my PC SS, particularly this morning when I hit a good pothole and was sure it was going to hit me. I got 2 little bumps, and it settled right down.

Remember that DW can happen to anybody, it's just more prevalent in lifted rigs because we take the geometry down there and turn it into mush. Worn parts can happen in any state of suspension.

You say the TREs look new - have you tested them? Get under there and have somebody turn the wheel back and forth. Look for "up and down" movement". By that, I mean watch for the joints moving away from the mating surface. Track bar can be a big instigator for DW.

[nashmd454]

I never had dw and I raised mine 2" over a year ago and then in the last month it wobbles easily. I have ordered and received both the addco front and rear sway bars. I plan on getting new arms as well. I looked underneath but all looks well.

[ajmorell]

Originally Posted by nashmd454

I never had dw and I raised mine 2" over a year ago and then in the last month it wobbles easily. I have ordered and received both the addco front and rear sway bars. I plan on getting new arms as well. I looked underneath but all looks well.

Ahh, but looks can be deceiving. What you need to do is have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you inspect the steering components and then also inspect your control arm bushings. I checked mine by rocking my jeep back and forth and watching for excessive play in them.

[nashmd454]

Originally Posted by ajmorell

Ahh, but looks can be deceiving. What you need to do is have someone turn the wheel back and forth while you inspect the steering components and then also inspect your control arm bushings. I checked mine by rocking my jeep back and forth and watching for excessive play in them.

Thks I will do that...

[RyanZJ]

I finally found the cause of my DW, and it was one of the last things I would have expected. My front swaybar was offcenter towards the driver's side, and would hit the trackbar bracket if I went over a large bump, which would cause some serious problems. Centered that thing back up with a prybar and it's smooth sailing now.

[jaredmi]

1. Did you check your toe after you installed the new tie rod ends? If it is toed out slightly it increases your chance for death wobble by a lot. Use the tape measure method to check your toe (it's a lot cheaper than a 'real' alignment).

2. Are your control arms bent? If they are bent, that would throw out the alignment also. The stock arms are so weak you can almost bend them by looking at them.

3. Bad tires will make DW happen a lot faster, but it's not usually the root cause.

[nashmd454]

Originally Posted by jaredmi

1. Did you check your toe after you installed the new tie rod ends? If it is toed out slightly it increases your chance for death wobble by a lot. Use the tape measure method to check your toe (it's a lot cheaper than a 'real' alignment).

2. Are your control arms bent? If they are bent, that would throw out the alignment also. The stock arms are so weak you can almost bend them by looking at them.

3. Bad tires will make DW happen a lot faster, but it's not usually the root cause.

and what might I ask is the tape measure method.

[FPKites]

Put the front axle on stands, measure front and back of the tire, pick a spot that's pretty much the same (side lug or rim). You want about 1/16" toe in

*Edit - Oopsie, measure from tire to tire, on the inside

[robbennett_4409]

Got it figured out finally it was the steering stabilizer bar blown out changed it rides smooth as anything now and smoother than my other Jeep.