The wobble of DEATH!!!!!

N2, why do I have death wobble with my RC 2.5 lift? I went with the shocks, rear tbar relocate, and adjustable front, rode fine for about 6 months then one day on the high way i nearly shat mah pants. I have been living with it for about 5 months now but everytime I hit a large bump at speeds, the front end tries to fly out from under it. I was going for the longest time to put up with death wobble award, but it is getting old.

Help me N2Rock kenobi, you're my only hope!

Direct this question to Redneckhouston, and many of the other guys here. Personally I've never had a DW, so I have never had to deal with it.

Only thing I can say is to make sure all the nuts & bolts are fully tightened. Especially that front trackbar- remember those bolts need like 125ft/lbs (or more) on them.

Steps:

1) Check balance weights. See if you can spot any that are missing. If so, skip to number 4.

2) Check bolts, like N2rock said.

3) Check drag link angles. If nothing's changed on the rig, then chances are nothing's changed, but it sounds like bump steer may be an issue.

4) Have your tires balanced. This is by far the most common source of these issues.

After all that, you shouldn't have any more death wobble. That said, actual death wobble wouldn't be something you could live with. It would be legitimately life-threatening in a very real and immediate way. The "death" in death wobble isn't much of an exaggeration.

If it's been that way for long enough, you may want to see about replacing your steering stabilizer, as it's probably been beat to hell. When it comes to wobbles, the steering stabilizer is a band-aid that may make it feel better, but it's only masking the problem, not fixing it. Once you get it fixed, THEN replace the steering stabilizer.

1. tire balance

2.front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

3. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

4. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

redneckhouston wrote:

1. tire balance

2.front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

3. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

4. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

Yeah, what Geo said it's probably the front track bar!

rohantmh wrote:

redneckhouston wrote:

1. tire balance

2.front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

3. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

4. front track bar (loose, or ends f'd up)

Yeah, what Geo said it's probably the front track bar!

I am thinking it might be the front track bar....

So out of a morbid sense of curiosity, what is TRUE death wobble? Because mine shakes very very hard and won't stop until I am just about completely stopped. Like I said I have learned to live with it by slowing down, but have noticed that the ride is very rough and the front end quivers over even small bumps so I guess I should, what was it again?

O ya, CHECK THE FRONT TRACK BAR. (and the tire balance.)

btw ben the last time we were out 4x4ing I loosened all of your track-bar bolts and removed some of the weights on your tires....jk but man wouldnt that be hilarious (until he crashed)

Maverick1701 wrote:

btw ben the last time we were out 4x4ing I loosened all of your track-bar bolts and removed some of the weights on your tires....jk but man wouldnt that be hilarious (until he crashed)

banned for not making a successful joke...or banning

Mav- wrong thread!!!

dang.....

failure tastes great...just fyi

I just threw up in my mouth cause of that last picture.

DangerMouse wrote:

I just threw up in my mouth cause of that last picture.

OMG, that pic is awesome! I would blow that up into a wall size poster!! Man speaking of that remember when we had the "Boo Boo Kitty House of Chauvanism" with all the "teamwork" and scantily clad trashy women posters? It was awesome, especially when the catholic school girls would come over and get so offended.

BTW, N2's pic made me think of that. Great taste. Great taste.

notice the spent socks on the floor next to the computer...hmmm

...na-has-ty!!

akonius wrote:

notice the spent socks on the floor next to the computer...hmmm

...na-has-ty!!

you see that picture and the socks on the floor bring teh nasty?

Hahahaha, good call, sir.

The fish on his computer did it for me. I was retasting the creamy chicken soup I had earlier.

Yes I did notice the fish, I did not however notice the socks. Good call indeed sir. Did anyone notice that he has what appears to be double stack mags (maybe glock?) mags strapped across his chest, but he isn't packing a glock, or even a double stack style handgun?

Also the responses to this pic remind me of this...




and I just realized, look at the timestamps, they just all jumped right on it.

Ben wrote:

Yes I did notice the fish, I did not however notice the socks.

I didn't get a good look at the picture after the fish....at that point the bile from the back of my throat reached my mouth and I was done.

DangerMouse wrote:

Ben wrote:

Yes I did notice the fish, I did not however notice the socks.

I didn't get a good look at the picture after the fish....at that point the bile from the back of my throat reached my mouth and I was done.

LOL Maverick, check out this cool kid's avatar and screename!

Not to get off of the off topic discussion......... but there was another option left out.......... blown stabalizer shock........ I have had just about every reason for death wobble happen on my JK.......

broken tracbar mount, bent upper control arm, out of balance tire, bad ball joint.... and the one that has been a 3 peat has been my steering stabalizer.... if you are abusive to your stabalizer it will eventually fail......

DFW Rusty wrote:

Not to get off of the off topic discussion......... but there was another option left out.......... blown stabalizer shock........ I have had just about every reason for death wobble happen on my JK.......

broken tracbar mount, bent upper control arm, out of balance tire, bad ball joint.... and the one that has been a 3 peat has been my steering stabalizer.... if you are abusive to your stabalizer it will eventually fail......

What?!? How dare you post on topic? I am afraid this thread was hi jacked by pirate kittehs several posts ago.

I had the death wobble happen to me and it was because I had a caliper on my brakes locked up so almost everytime I started to lightly hit the brakes the whole jeep would shake and only would stop when I came to a complete stop.

justinajeep wrote:

I had the death wobble happen to me and it was because I had a caliper on my brakes locked up so almost everytime I started to lightly hit the brakes the whole jeep would shake and only would stop when I came to a complete stop.

been there done that on my 67 camaro. I swapped the front drum brakes for a big pair of disc brakes off of the front clip on a 68 chevelle and it worked great, until the driver side caliper froze up and nearly through me off the road!

I've been dealing with the Death Wobble lately too. Will be getting the tires balanced and check everything this weekend. But I did find one trick that works for me. Every time I hit certain bumps it starts, and on the way to work I know where they are, so as soon as it starts I speed up a little. When I have slowed down, it seems to make it worse.