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Death Wobble Help

2K views 30 replies 10 participants last post by  straight-pipe 
#1 ·
I have a 2010 Jeep Wrangler, I have had the dreaded DW problem for awhile now. As always it's in between 45-65 mph and only when going over a divit or uneven terrain on the highway. Unfortunatly I'm a new jeep owner and don't know as much as I should about it, It has a 4" lift with 35's. I have recently taken it to the shop to get it worked on but as always I can blown over at first they replaced the track bar, tie rod ends, did a front end alignement with my castor angle at 2.2degrees and wheel balance. I got the jeep back drove it again and boom the DW reared its ugly head once again. I started doing more research on the subject and found what most people read about it being the track bar, tie rods, etc. The shop told me that they wanted to replace the stock steering stabilizer with a after-market dual steering dampner. Reluctant on the outcome I read that SD aren't gonna help the DW but at this point I figured i'd give it shot. Just got the jeep back today and took a look underneath knowing more about the DW through these forums (which i greatly appreciate) Track bar, tie rod looked great and tight but what I did find right behind where they installed my new Stabilizer the right front sway bar link is very loose and worn, but the left is still tight as ever. Is this a possible reason to the DW I just spent 1500$ in parts with no fix and before I completly bash the shop I use on why after all the work they did they missed something as simple as this, do I have a valid arguement? Could It have been all along that this sway bar link was just out of place and caused the DW in the end. I really do appreciate all the help and insight.

Thanks,
Disgruntled Jeep Owner
 
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#2 ·
NO! as you've read stabilizers are there to slow the back and forth movement, they are not the cause. When I first got DW it was severe enough to destroy a brand new OME stabilizer. Three shops could not find the cause of my DW. I had brand new control arms, track bar, drag link, tie rod and ends installed as part of my lift. Had an old time jeeper take a look. He put the front on jack stands so the tires hung in the air. Then he used a 6ft 2x4 jammed under the tire. When he move the 2x4 up and down it was very clear that I needed new unit bearings and ball joints. They moved so much I was worried that I'd lose a wheel before I could get home.

Again on a rack being pushed or pulled, or one ground cycling the steering back and forth nothing moved, it took the leverage of the 2x4 to find it.
 
#3 ·
To answer your other question. No the loose stabilizer links have absolutely nothing to do with DW.
 
#4 ·
I think you asked this on another forum also, but, please read Planman's writeup on DW and check out his items. Also, yes, bad ball joints can be the cause, but are not usually the first place to look. Let us know what you find out.
 
#5 ·
I just started experiencing that in my jeep, it's a unsetteling experience. I'm overdue for new tires so I'm hoping the cause is a tire issue for me. I've got to make it two more weeks before new tires go on. I've rotated the tires and put my spare into use and hopefully that will mediate the issue.
 
#6 ·
The cause is rarely a tire, well maybe an extreme out of balance one, issue...are you sure it is DW? If you didn't feel like ****ting your pants, it was not DW. Please, read Planmans writeup and see what he has to say....
 
#7 ·
I read planman's writeup and I guess the first time it happened it was a real bad shimmy it showed up at 50 mph and I had to slow down to like 30 and it went away, but the last time it happened it was much more severe and I had to slow way down like 10 mph to get out of it. After reading the writeup I realize how damaging that is to the vehicle and I will go out and buy 9/16 bolts and inspect and replace my trac bar bolts. If not full on dw it's obviously getting worse. I have a spare vehicle and will park this until I inspect everything and get new tires.

I'll add this is a stock rubicon unlimited with 53k miles on it.
 
#8 ·
That is a truism....if DW, continued driving will break other parts and it gets expensive. Best to fix right away.
 
#9 ·


This was my DW. Track bar was wallowed out to 5/8" and drilling bigger didn't fix it so now I'm to TRE's as the one on the draglink was bad and I cut one off soni mist replace. had to cut it off so it must be replaced.
 
#10 ·
Often a wallowed out bracket can be fixed simply by welding two 9/16 washers to the holes and using the proper shouldered bolt.
 
#11 ·
RockyClymer said:
Often a wallowed out bracket can be fixed simply by welding two 9/16 washers to the holes and using the proper shouldered bolt.
I did that to mine but it didn't help one bit.
 
#12 ·
I know contrary to what most are saying but I had a 2nd Mechanic tell me about the steering dampner after having it replaced i drove back over the area I always had the issue. Not only did I not have it even hint at wobbling but it has taken away the shimmy in most plsces. I know that everyone has been saying its masking the issue ill give it a couple weeks and check back but so far so good.
 
#13 ·
Not to hijack op's thread but I changed one of my track bar bolts out to 9/16 didn't look egged out but I also noticed when I was under the jeep I had a tread serperation going on, been driving over alot of fresh large gravel put down on the country roads and it has really taken a toll on my worn down tires. Rotated that tire out and haven't had issue again. Will switch out other track bar bolt at better weather time and I'm hoping to find grade 8 bolts only able to find grade 5 currently.
Supposedly duratracs in 285/70r17 will be available at sam's on may 1 and trying to hold off and get them there due to saving 50 bucks per tire and getting roadhazard.
 
#14 ·
Imlay25 said:
I know contrary to what most are saying but I had a 2nd Mechanic tell me about the steering dampner after having it replaced i drove back over the area I always had the issue. Not only did I not have it even hint at wobbling but it has taken away the shimmy in most plsces. I know that everyone has been saying its masking the issue ill give it a couple weeks and check back but so far so good.
If the stabilizer fixed your problem it simply was nothing more the shimmies. True DW cannot be cured with a stabilizer.
 
#15 ·
quoted for Truth. True DW will happened with brand new stabilizer and destroy it.
 
#18 ·
Imlay25 said:
But lets say in a perfext world everything checks out track bar is right, ball joints bearings etc.. could the issue be something as simple as a castor tweak and rebalancing tires.
It could be something as simple as too much pressure in the tires. I can't count the times that people have complained of DW, wandering, bumpsteer, shimmies, wobbles, etc etc etc. and it all came down to 40-60 psi in the tires. Because they trusted the "tire guy" who put 50 psi in the tire to set the bead and didn't bother to bring it back down to 26-28psi. The Jeep especially the 2dr is not heavy enough to run those kind of pressures.
 
#19 ·
JTPhoto said:
It could be something as simple as too much pressure in the tires. I can't count the times that people have complained of DW, wandering, bumpsteer, shimmies, wobbles, etc etc etc. and it all came down to 40-60 psi in the tires. Because they trusted the "tire guy" who put 50 psi in the tire to set the bead and didn't bother to bring it back down to 26-28psi. The Jeep especially the 2dr is not heavy enough to run those kind of pressures.
Factory for a Jk is 45psi that's what I've run for the last 82k miles and DW just happened.
 
#23 ·
ncb said:
Definitely not 45.
farmer-dave1 said:
I think it's like 38 check your door jamb sticker.
If it dips below 45 my tire pressure sensors go off
 
#26 ·
You are correct not the cause, however, at this point it could very well be what initiates the DW.. Many things can initiate DW but the cause to allow DW to happen is usually some worn parts some where.
As for your TPMS have your dealer adjust it properly to what it is suppose to be 32psi min - 37psi max.

Just for laughs drop the pressure to 32psi and drive a bit, see how it feels.
 
#27 ·
JTPhoto said:
You are correct not the cause, however, at this point it could very well be what initiates the DW.. Many things can initiate DW but the cause to allow DW to happen is usually some worn parts some where.
As for your TPMS have your dealer adjust it properly to what it is suppose to be 32psi min - 37psi max.

Just for laughs drop the pressure to 32psi and drive a bit, see how it feels.
I can't drive it anymore I cut the draglink out of it cause the TRE on the knuckle looked bad.
 
#28 ·
I had DW too the other day, turns out to be bad tires (wranglers). They balanced fine but under load they were out of round. At work we have a balance machine that also checks the road force so I fugured we check the newer dura-trax tires, one was slightly out of round so I put that one in the back. So I would suggest after getting your jeep back on the road swap rims and tires with someone that doesn't have DW and go for a spin. My front end guy has 30 years experience he did the alignment and took it out on the road and when he came back he said "get those tires off that jeep!" installed different ones, problem solved. I can still feel a slight wobble when I hit a weird bump on the road but it just goes away now instead of continuing on. Set my pressure @35psi.
 
#29 ·
straight-pipe said:
installed different ones, problem solved. I can still feel a slight wobble when I hit a weird bump on the road but it just goes away now instead of continuing on. Set my pressure @35psi.
If you're still getting tire kick and extra wobble when you hit a bump, that DW is probably going to come back unless you find the cause.
 
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