Still having death wobble issues

[Cooper Smith]

Hey guys. Still having death wobble issues. There’s no play in any components. I have replaced the track bar, hubs, and rotors (spacers were seized to hubs). Walmart did my new tires and balancing in august, don’t flame me lol, and I had an alignment done at a tire shop. It still had a little bit of a shuffle when you hit bumps a certain way, but now it has come back. I have taken my spacers off (2 in spring lift) and now are on stock wheels. The stock wheels get death wobble more, but they’re old and have bead weights and are a little corroded. I have an appointment to get new tires (going to 29”) on Sunday. I’m lost and am seriously considering selling the Jeep. Issue after issue is getting old.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Describe what you're calling Death Wobble. What's it like? When you slow down about at what speed does it stop?

 

[Cooper Smith]

Describe what you're calling Death Wobble. What's it like? When you slow down about at what speed does it stop?

It shakes itself apart. I can catch it by slowing down before it gets bad or by coming down about 30 mph. Starts around 55 mph. It is DW, no doubt.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

That's a little unusual. True fully developed DW usually requires the TJ be brought nearly to a dead stop before it stops shaking.

 

[JMT]

It shakes itself apart. I can catch it by slowing down before it gets bad or by coming down about 30 mph. Starts around 55 mph. It is DW, no doubt.

Wait till you get new tires, and insist on a perfect balance. You have a straight axle vehicle. This is not like balancing tires on an independent suspension. The tires are actually fighting each other since they are rotating the same direction (rather than opposite which would favor physics agreement. See precession.

 

[Cooper Smith]

That's a little unusual. True fully developed DW usually requires the TJ be brought nearly to a dead stop before it stops shaking.

It gets brought to probably 10-15 mph or so, I meant 40.

 

[Cooper Smith]

Wait till you get new tires.

Fingers f***ing crossed. I see your edit as well. Will do. I’m thinking that’s what it is. Odd for it to be fine, not so fine, then downright horrible after different wheels. After this it’s going to a 4x4 shop.

 

[CMBD]

How's your steering stabilizer?

 

[Cooper Smith]

How's your steering stabilizer?

Those don’t cause DW.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

How's your steering stabilizer?

The steering stabilizer is neither the cause of nor the cure for DW. Nope!

 

[CMBD]

A bad one can.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

A bad one can.

No, it can't.

 

[CMBD]

The steering stabilizer is neither the cause of nor the cure for DW. Nope!

Oh boy.

A bad one absolutely can be the cause. Not going to debate that nonsense with you.

Im out.

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Absolutely cannot. Nope. The steering stabilizer, more correctly known as the steering damper, is strictly a passive device and it cannot cause shimmies or DW. It can temporarily mask the symptoms of DW fooling some into thinking it was the cause and cure but that's it.

 

[Cooper Smith]

Absolutely cannot. Nope. The steering stabilizer, more correctly known as the steering damper, is strictly a passive device and it cannot cause shimmies or DW. It can temporarily mask the symptoms of DW fooling some into thinking it was the cause and cure but that's it.

Does mine sound like a balance thing? Especially it being speed related?

 

[Apparition]

It’s interesting you say it wasn’t very bad but it came back. Have you verified everything is tight since it came back?

 

[LONGJP2]

A bad one can.

So, that would mean if you remove it, the Jeep will get DW 100% of the time every time?

 

[Jerry Bransford]

Does mine sound like a balance thing? Especially it being speed related?

It absolutely could be caused by an imperfectly balanced front tire. Especially if one of the rod end joints on the drag link, tie rod, or track bar is worn and loose.

With the tires on the ground have a helper do repetitive quick short left right turns while you closely watch the steering system for sideways slop at the rod ends. Rotational play is normal for the drag link and tie rod but not sideways play.

 

[Cooper Smith]

It’s interesting you say it wasn’t very bad but it came back. Have you verified everything is tight since it came back?

Yeah.

 

[CMBD]

So, that would mean if you remove it, the Jeep will get DW 100% of the time every time?

You jeep people are funny.