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Next move for DW

2K views 47 replies 21 participants last post by  orb 
#1 ·
As much as I don't want to see another DW thread, here is another death wobble thread.. I need a few opinions for my next move. Here is the list of things I've done so far.

Track bar bushings - Checked good
Track bar properly adjusted - Check
New upper and lower control arms - Check
4 new TRE's - Check
Play in ball joints - None
Everything torqued and zero play in anything under my front end - Check
Alignment - Check
Caster 4.5 degrees
New steering stabilizer - Check
Tires rotated - Check

Death Wobble? Check

Any idea of what I should try next? I'm about out of good ones
 
#39 ·
I run 40 PSI on my old 32" and 40 psi on these new 33".

at 4.5" up front I get DW at about 60 plus...with driveshaft connected.

Today I removed the shaft and no DW at least not within the 0-75 MPH range....I know I must adjust caster...but that will be dealt with later.

At 4", I had DW wobble but after replacing this and that, it drove smooth...
 
#40 ·
I wasn't planning on throwing money at it until it stopped, but I ran out of free options to try. I bumped the caster up this afternoon and will be giving it a test drive in a few minutes. Although, I know my pinion angle is nasty right now so I will have to do something about that. I'm not far from switching to a LA up front and rolling on from there. We shall see...
 
#41 ·
Another thing that helped with my bumpsteer "which can lead to DW" is Toe, most alignment shops will set you at .20deg or so, I found that almost zero toe works best for me,
 
#42 ·
My toe is currently at .20deg as per my last alignment. If I start running out of things to try, maybe I'll have to add this to my list of attempts
 
#44 ·
I too have experienced death wobble but mine only happens if I hit a pot hole on the passenger side front tire. No other circumstance or combination of events will cause it but when it happens ... hold on! It is so violent it will shake my power steering hose off! I can hit a bump on any tire individuall or together and nothing happens. I can hit a pot hole on any tire other than the passenger front and nothing happens. I can even hit a pot hole on passenger front and driver front and nothing happens. But if I hit a hole or depression on that right front ... it is like the apocolypse has entered my steering wheel. Also, I have to be traveling around 25 mph or more.

Here is a link I got from Iron Rock Offroad. It talks about camber, caster, toe, etc... Check it out...
http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merchant2/Steering Shimmy elimination checklist.pdf

I have not tried any of this yet but will soon. On a side note I had also heard, from a friend of a friend, that his tire was the cause of his death wobble. He rotated them and the DW stopped. I have mine being rotated as we speak ... I will let you know tomorrow.
 
#46 ·
On a side note I had also heard, from a friend of a friend, that his tire was the cause of his death wobble. He rotated them and the DW stopped. I have mine being rotated as we speak ... I will let you know tomorrow.
Well, I had tires rotated yesterday but the only 2 pot holes that I can hit on my way home were taken away from me by slow drivers in front of me. I was able to hit the holes but was not able to go fast enough to test it (I have to be traveling at least 25 - 30 mph before mine will begin the death wobble. So ... I will try to test it again this evening and let you know. I am aware that this is a long-shot but I will try anything, at this point!
 
#45 ·
Here is a link I got from Iron Rock Offroad. It talks about camber, caster, toe, etc... Check it out...
http://www.ironrockoffroad.com/Merchant2/Steering Shimmy elimination checklist.pdf

Thanks for the link. That's a help for sure. I had mine balanced and rotated yesterday. I also installed dual SS's today and I hit the same bump that always sets it off and it did not break loose, although it did feel like it wanted too. I realize the 2nd SS is more of a band aid but it works for now until I can figure it what is really causing my dw
 
#47 ·
You are not going to believe this ...

I had my tires rotated and over the weekend I hit the same pot holes that previously caused the death wobble. I hit each of them numerous times and no death wobble occured. I still felt a little 'shake' but it was reduced by 99% versus previously. Before, these pot holes would just about shake the steering wheel out of my hand and had even blew my power steering hose off. So ... bad tire? Busted belt? I am confussed but happy.
 
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