Oh my god, not another Death Wobble thread! NO! NO! NOOO!!!

  • I consider this thread to be very ironic, because I have answered countless threads on this forum and elsewhere, helping people diagnose their DW. I had considered myself somewhat knowledgeable on the topic and how to solve DW issues.

    My XJ (the original one) has been out-of-service with Death Wobble for months.

    We have tried everything we can think of:


      [li]checked track bar first (of course). tightened down the bolts [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]checked and replaced (where necessary) ball joints[/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]checked and replaced (where necessary) upper control arm bushings [/li]
      [li]checked and replaced (where necessary) lower control arm bushings [/li]
      [li]checked and replaced (where necessary) tie rod ends [/li]
      [li]checked and replaced (where necessary) drag link ends [/li]
      [li]checked hubs [/li]
      [li]checked all u-joints (replaced rear pinion u-joint) [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]installed new shocks [/li]
      [li]reattached the sway-bar which had been disconnected for a long time [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble.[/li]
      [li]rotated tires [/li]
      [li]alignment [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

    Edited once, last by altierior ().

  • After all of the above, we were getting desperate for ideas, so we went back and took everything a step further:


      [li]Track bar - I had problems before (back when I used to wheel it). Back then, I actually had a hairline crack in the 'frame', which was reinforced with a plate welded on the frame. This time we further reinforced the area, and to further eliminate the possiblity of flex in that area, we braced it with a bar running from the left to right rails. [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]Tires and wheels - to further eliminate them as the cause, we put my old stock wheels and tires back on it. [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]Axle shafts and axle u-joints - to eliminate them as the culprit, we pulled the axles and stuffed rags in the tubes. [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]
      [li]Driveshaft and u-joints - to eliminate the possiblity that this is the problem, we pulled the driveshaft. [/li]
      [li]Now my jeep is sitting on stock wheels and tires, no front driveshaft, no front axle shafts. Test drive, still Death Wobble.[/li]
      [li]It appeared that the XJ was sitting a little lower on one side. I still had my old set of 3" lift springs and spacers, so we removed the 5" lift coils and replaced with 3" lift coils and 2" spacer. [/li]
      [li]Test drive, still Death Wobble. [/li]

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • :upset: :upset: :upset:

    Please, please, please... Someone suggest something. :help: :shrug: :help: :shrug: :help: :shrug:

    The above might not even be a complete list of all that has been tried; it is all I can recall at the moment. So if you do make a suggestion, please don't be offended if I say "Already tried that".

    :doh: :doh: :doh:

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • Oh, and I considered removing the tie-rod / drag-link combo and replacing it with stock, but the stock steering can't be reinstalled because the stock drag link is too short and the stock tie rod won't work with the Go-Fer-It flip.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

    Edited once, last by altierior ().

  • Check the pitman arm to gear box connection. Stafford wore out the splines on his. Also check the gearbox output for play.


  • Check the pitman arm to gear box connection. Stafford wore out the splines on his. Also check the gearbox output for play.


    It just so happens that a few years ago, I performed a common XJ upgrade by replacing the stock steering box with a Durango box (supposedly it's stronger) and was planning on putting a stock box back in today or tomorrow.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

    Edited once, last by altierior ().

  • Aaron, if you think you might be able to solve this, I'll put it on my trailer and bring it to you.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • I'll try anything within reason.

    The alignment guy said he solved DW in a Liberty with new brake hoses and calipers. I think this is ridiculous and am resistant to trying it.

    I think if brakes are involved, it could be out-of-round rotors, so we are going to check them today and maybe replace them. I've got three XJs now, so it's not like purchasing a set of rotors would be a waste of money.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • I doubt brakes are an issue but any thing is possible. Stafford has a remaned durango box now. Actually his second reman and it requires about 30* of steering wheel input before the output turns. It causes his to surf accross the road. I wouldnt beable to look at it for at least a month maybe longer. I gots to get the pete done.


  • I doubt brakes are an issue but any thing is possible. Stafford has a remaned durango box now. Actually his second reman and it requires about 30* of steering wheel input before the output turns. It causes his to surf accross the road.


    Yeah, I HATE the sloppy steering that I have since the Durango box install. I'll be glad to get a stock box back on there. I freakin hope it solves this problem.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.


  • I wouldnt beable to look at it for at least a month maybe longer.



    My rig has been out-of-service for so long now - another month more or less, whatever. :bang:

    My frustration level is close to maxed out.
    :censored: :upset: :censored: :upset: :censored:


    If the steering box swap and the rotors don't fix it, and in the absence of other ideas of things to try, I'm either going to do one of two things: [list type=decimal]
    [li]Set it on fire [/li]
    [li]Wait and take it to Aaron[/li]
    [/list]

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.



    • [li]checked track bar first (of course). tightened down the bolts [/li]

      [li]checked hubs [/li]


    Trackbar - aside from tightening the bolts, how did you check it? Maybe a bad bushing or joint or TRE on it?


    Might be a pain, but possibly you have a bad hub that isn't easily seen? Do you have trail spares you can swap in?

  • Yeah, I HATE the sloppy steering that I have since the Durango box install. I'll be glad to get a stock box back on there. I freakin hope it solves this problem.


    You can tighten the Durango steering box, it helped a little with mine but I wouldn't bank on it fixing the death wobble. There is an allen head on the top of the steering box, google the exact specs (because going too tight will break the internals) but it's like 5 or 6 inch/lbs.

  • Trackbar - aside from tightening the bolts, how did you check it? Maybe a bad bushing or joint or TRE on it?



    I eliminated the TRE from the trackbar a long time ago when I installed this:



    This setup eliminates the TRE in favor of bushings on both ends.

    I checked the bushings on this (and just about everything else) by using the standard method of having someone repeatedly turn the steering wheel back and forth while I was under the Jeep looking and feeling for anything that might have any play or give. I also wedged a long prybar between the trackbar ends and where they attach to the vehicle and tried to get it to move. It was solid. Maybe I should just take the trackbar off and inspect the bushings directly rather than 'test' them in place?

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • Might be a pain, but possibly you have a bad hub that isn't easily seen? Do you have trail spares you can swap in?




    I checked the hubs the only way I know. With the Jeep on the lift, I placed one hand on the top of the tire and one under and checked for any play or give by forcibly trying to get it to wobble - there was nothing noticable. In the past, this has been a pretty easy diagnosis. (I've ruined more than my fair share of wheel bearings.) Also, spinning it produced no grinding or other unusual noises. Is there a better way to tell if they are bad?


    Yes, I have a trail spare - probably more than one.

    Agreed that swapping out the hubs is a PITA, but it's not a bad idea for something to try.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

    Edited once, last by altierior ().

  • You can tighten the Durango steering box, it helped a little with mine but I wouldn't bank on it fixing the death wobble. There is an allen head on the top of the steering box, google the exact specs (because going too tight will break the internals) but it's like 5 or 6 inch/lbs.



    I know the allen head of which you speak. It's been a few years, but I recall adjusting it in an attempt to bring the sloppy steering into check. I have no clue what I used for torque specs. I agree on not banking on that to fix DW, but it's easy enough to just go ahead and do it anyway.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

    Edited once, last by altierior ().

  • About a month ago I had a death wobble when I hit the speed anywhere between 40 and 60 mph. Sometimes it happened and sometimes not. I had just had a starter break pads and rotors replaced. DW ended up being caused by a sticking caliper. Replaced caliper and the world I'd all good.


  • About a month ago I had a death wobble when I hit the speed anywhere between 40 and 60 mph. Sometimes it happened and sometimes not. I had just had a starter break pads and rotors replaced. DW ended up being caused by a sticking caliper. Replaced caliper and the world I'd all good.


    You are the second person to say calipers. How did you diagnose it as calipers? I don't want to just start installing new parts at random until I stumble upon something that works.


    It seems odd to me that calipers would be the cause of Death Wobble. I can see brakes as possibly being like a trigger that toggles the DW on, but there must be some underlying issue.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

  • You said u have multiple xj's, right? Take calipers from another and throw them on the problem jeep. (You could also try this with other things, control arms, shackles...)


    Also, another idea. Check for all bolt holes and bolt diameters. Maybe a hole egged out somewhere or in projects a smaller diameter bolt got installed.


    Hope u get it straightened out soon.


  • You said u have multiple xj's, right? Take calipers from another and throw them on the problem jeep.


    Yeah, I think I'll do this. I have already thought about doing this, but I was reluctant because I thought it was such a longshot and it's a bit of a PITA.

    ~ JD
    * WARNING - The above post may contain trace elements of biting sarcasm. Those with known sensitivities should avoid staring directly at it.

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