Death Wobble issue: Help at wits end here.

Madcows

Madcows

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 1, 2016
Location
kannapolis
Situation:

I have an LJ: 3’ coils, Cavfab steering setup,drop pitman, rubicon express short arms front&back on 35 stt’s. NO ISSUES at all.

So, I upgraded the 3’ coils to 4.5 metalcloaks.. installed teraflex adjustable track bar front and back. Experienced Deathwobble .

So, I changed 4.5 coils to 3.5 coils to lower it back down. Experienced Deathwobble.

So, I changed short arms to Claytons Long arms front&back, Experienced Deathwobble.

So, I said fuck it, changed wheel bearings, changed steering to Currie Correct link steering, changed knuckles to stock, changed pitarm to stock, new bilstein shocks. installed a New adjustable front track bar. Experienced Deathwobble.

Steering is tight, ball joints are Tight.
More caster?????

I’m about a match an a gallon of gas away…


Alignment print out.jpg
 
Last edited:
Don’t torch it. I’ll take it off your hands. Check track bar and you should have between 5*-7* caster measuring off the top of the C with the vehicle sitting level on all 4’s.
 
Loose parts cause death wobble.

I don't see any mention of track bar status or replacement. I'd question the ball joints after that, considering the wheel bearings have been replaced with new Timkens (they were new Timkens, right?)
 
shawn said:
Loose parts cause death wobble.

I don't see any mention of track bar status or replacement. I'd question the ball joints after that, considering the wheel bearings have been replaced with new Timkens (they were new Timkens, right?)
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sorry, yes i edited it. Went through 2 adjustable track bars
 
Madcows said:
sorry, yes i edited it. Went through 2 adjustable track bars
Click to expand...

Which track bars, and how are they mounted? Like Jody said, you need a helper to shake the steering wheel back and forth while somebody else checks each joint for movement. Something is moving. Most likely culprits are track bar, tie rod ends, ball joints, and wheel bearings. Track bar and tie rod holes can be ovalled out, bolts might not be tight enough, axle nuts might be loose, stupid little track bar drop brackets are a recipe for disaster, etc.
 
Post a couple pics of your front end.
 
I dunno what a LJ is really but I can tell you all my Jeep death wobbles came from old ass tre,bj, and track bar/or adjustments! I’ve rode wheel bearing until they seized and welded together and never got wobbles from em!
 
Maybe a new good steering stabilizer?

Did you change or rotate tires at any point?

Do you have a trackbar drop bracket?
 
junkxj said:
Maybe a new good steering stabilizer?
Click to expand...

They don't cause DW
C.Berry said:
I’ve rode wheel bearing until they seized and welded together and never got wobbles from em!
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That's the opposite problem. :flipoff2: I fixed DW on a ZJ caused by a bad wheel bearing. It felt like a bad ball joint, but you could see the movement was between the rotor and dust shield, not between the axle yoke and knuckle.
 
shawn said:
They don't cause DW

That's the opposite problem. :flipoff2: I fixed DW on a ZJ caused by a bad wheel bearing. It felt like a bad ball joint, but you could see the movement was between the rotor and dust shield, not between the axle yoke and knuckle.
Click to expand...
Well that hub I ran must have had a lot of ass left in it lol it was last thing to fix to solve my DW but trac bar fixed it first I ran bad bearing two more trips to mtn city before they gave out in Damascus at the car wash after rinsing off the Jeep! Good ole days
 
Steering stabilizers are equivalent to throttle body spacers (it doesn’t do shit)

What’s your scrub radius looking like? Do you have warped rotors?

This really shouldn’t be this hard if you are throwing money at it. Sounds like a second pair of hands and eyes will help out.


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shawn said:
I want to talk shit about some JK people, but that sounds plausible. Just take the fucking thing off.
Click to expand...

Threw my experience, stabilizers hide/mask a ongoing issue. Fixing the issue at hand, then potentially adding a stabilizer will make a smoother ride etc..
To answer a few points made: Everything is new,except Ball joints&steering box... Ball joints are tight, zero play. At this point, not much left besides a caster issue??? which by the math i'm well within spec.
Jody...someone asked earlier, the first track bar was a moog, 2nd track bar was an adjustable teraflex... Brand new one on it is another adjustable teraflex.
nickmaul...Roters? Never heard of rotors causing DW.. but they are new anyways.
junkxj..No, track bar does not have a drop down bracket, stock location on axle mount.
shawn/jody.. track bars are mounted in stock location, stock pitman, stock axle location.

ty for input
 
Madcows said:
Threw my experience, stabilizers hide/mask a ongoing issue. Fixing the issue at hand, then potentially adding a stabilizer will make a smoother ride etc..
Click to expand...

Same here. But apparently, somebody had a bad stabilizer that was binding internally and causing a reaction.
 
Check the hole on the upper track bar bracket They get wallowed out pretty easy. Get a new one that uses a double shear mounting.
 
Simpley have someone slowly turn the steering wheel back and forth about a 1/4 turn each way while you look at all the moving components. It will reveal itself.

I’ve also seen where all of those components be just fine, change the tire and DW went away!

As for steering stabilizers, I agree with @shawn that they are not doing much if anything. The only benifit is in the trail if you hit something just right it may prevent trying to spin the wheel so quickly it rips it out of your hand in a painful manner inducing swearing.

@C.Berry an LJ is the much desired longer wheelbase TJ. Come on man! Lol
 
Out of curiosity what is the back spacing on your wheels? Do you have spacers?


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