Death Wobble issue: Help at wits end here.

Jody Treadway said:
Do the steering wheel wiggle thing I mentioned earlier. Also, those Tera Flex bars are notorious for the bushings to wear rapidly and cause DW.
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Negative jode, steering is tight.. checked an rechecked track bar etc... Course i'm starting to think other wise like under a jaring load, something loosens...


Logan: Negative, same tire/wheel setup as prior to coil upgrade etc.
Nick: no spacers, 3.75 backspacing.
 
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I know its been mentioned several times...but are you POSITIVE the frame holes where the track bar mounts aren't enlarged.
Im having troble on my phone but in one of your pics it looks like you photographed it with the track bar out and maybe its the crappy phone, maybe its the angle or the backlit sun..but I swear the mount hole looks out of round.

It doesnt matter what track bar you use if the mounting hole isnt rigid and allows the entire member to shift then DW is inevitable.
Ive only owned 2 TJs. Ive ended up drilling and upsizing the mounting hole on both for this very reason.
 
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Madcows said:
Negative jode, steering is tight.. checked an rechecked track bar etc... Course i'm starting to think other wise like under a jaring load, something loosens...


Logan: Negative, same tire/wheel setup as prior to coil upgrade etc.
Nick: no spacers, 3.75 backspacing.
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You need to check the track bar with engine off weight on the tires and someone turn the wheel while you look other wise the bolts can be tight but still moving


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I'd guess something is loose too. Those long arms loose can cause it too. Generally its the TB but other things can cause it too. As for Andy was that recently? He had to have emergency surgery on his back after an accident and it slowed him and Ironman down a lot.
 
Loganwayne said:
You need to check the track bar with engine off weight on the tires and someone turn the wheel while you look other wise the bolts can be tight but still moving


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I think this has been said a dozen times now.
 
I'd almost bet money the issue is coming from the frame side track bar bracket. Most of those adjustable (blind statement I know the JKS does) has an insert that goes in the taper to make it straight bore hole. If that isn't there or it is and the hole is oblong that can cause the wobbles of death.

Another uncommon cause but happened to mine is internal steering box play. Could also get a GoPro and video the front while going down the road to see where the DW originates from.
 
Chris_Keziah said:
Another uncommon cause but happened to mine is internal steering box play.
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The sector shaft can move side to side if the bushing is worn.

Again, easy to diagnose by doing a wiggle check.
 
Update: After the 3rd track bar experiment, the track bar with the ball joint end, appears to slide ever so slightly under weight(not even a few millimeters).
I think Previously, I may not have stated, the front is 3 linked, hence all the weight/pressure is being carried on that single ball joint. With that being said, I will be tossing in a Clayton TB with the weld on bracket(frame end), therefore making it a fixed track bar if that makes sense. So basically 2 johnny joints instead of a bushing end and a ball joint end.
Shawn, Jody: Yes, we wiggled the steering wheel/track bar countless of times.. and finally wiggled it just enough that one spotted the every so slight movement..
Which, can be magnified under load of a bump with the 3 link setup.. if it was 4 link setup, the weight displacement would be different?
 
I tried to read every one of your posts so sorry if I missed this. Since you are trying just about everything to fix it, is there a chance that you could run a friend's tire/wheel combo to see if it makes a difference?
 
Tradarcher said:
I tried to read every one of your posts so sorry if I missed this. Since you are trying just about everything to fix it, is there a chance that you could run a friend's tire/wheel combo to see if it makes a difference?
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Track bar was loose.
It's nearly always the track bar (at least the primary contributor)
 
Update: Welded in claytons track bar, and took it 1/2 down the road and it still induced. We are leaning to a valving issue possibly in the bilstein shocks that are working against the 3.5 metalcloak coils...which are allowing the tires to have a bouncing ball type effect when result in the DW.
At this time, installed a drop pitman cause i think the geometry was off, plan on putting on MC rockport shocks to "match" the coils...hair is really turning grey over all this but if the tires are actually bouncing like a ball, that would explain alot.
Also: tacked upper ball joints, which have zero movement, so thats out of the equation. Only thing left is somehow the steering box/sector shaft? both are/seem tight.
 
ok, good news, problem seems to be solved.
A combination between the trackbar/pitman arm and shocks.
Ended up putting a new pitman, (RE2500) which got the geometry more correct. Tossed on the rocksport shocks and the combination of all seems to have cured it.
Still testing driving, hitting every hole in sight an all good so far.

ty for the insight an trouble shooting.
 
welp, the bad news, still have DW. The cure was the bandaid of the stabilizer.
Only component left to change would be the steering box..this sucks btw.
 
Madcows said:
welp, the bad news, still have DW. The cure was the bandaid of the stabilizer.
Only component left to change would be the steering box..this sucks btw.
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If possible I would try to put some other wheels and tires on and see if it goes away.


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At this point if it was me I’d be looking for somewhere to take it to and stop throwing parts at it without knowing the source of the problem. If you need shop recommendations just ask.
 
Call me crazy but try less castor. If you tires are bouncing off the pavement then I believe this is related to your toe and castor.

Is your pinion pointed right at your transfer case?

I have basically 0 castor on my Dana 30 and it drives with zero issues....


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