2021 JLURD Death Wobble?

[Paulguy100]

I thought this was fixed with a steel steering box for 2021? Just had the wobble at 40,000 miles, and I have to drive 400 miles Friday. Is it possible I have the aluminum steering box? Anything I can check with a limited timeframe? Thank you.

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[gek]

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/fo...y-2022-wrangler-jl-2-door.139866/post-2918216

 

[Bulletbill]

I thought this was fixed with a steel steering box for 2021? Just had the wobble at 40,000 miles, and I have to drive 400 miles Friday. Is it possible I have the aluminum steering box? Anything I can check with a limited timeframe? Thank you.

While some will claim it is only concealing another problem, your steering dampener may be bad. There was an issue with the ones used in the 21 MY. I ran into the same issue at 25,000 miles and was suspicious of the fix. However, 10,000 miles later DW has not returned.

 

[yokramer]

While some will claim it is only concealing another problem, your steering dampener may be bad. There was an issue with the ones used in the 21 MY. I ran into the same issue at 25,000 miles and was suspicious of the fix. However, 10,000 miles later DW has not returned.

15k miles to go before your band-aid fix goes away again it seems.

 

[gek]

Almost certain the damper is bad because it is no longer hiding the issue causing the death wobble. Unless the issues is so bad that it is overcoming the damping of the damper.

 

[grimmjeeper]

While some will claim it is only concealing another problem, your steering dampener may be bad. There was an issue with the ones used in the 21 MY. I ran into the same issue at 25,000 miles and was suspicious of the fix. However, 10,000 miles later DW has not returned.

Having something get the system wet doesn't make any difference. So a dampener isn't relevant.

If you want something that can actually reduce vibration you could go with a new steering damper instead.



For the OP, it's very likely your suspension components are worn. Probably ball joints. Or tie rod/drag link ends. Maybe control arm and track bar bushings as well. It wouldn't hurt to check the bolts in all the control arms and track bar to make sure they're tight.

 

[Catiajockey]

OP, noticed you have a giant front bumper with a winch. That kind of weight really exacerbates the wear on the front steering components. You'll probably need several things but the ball joints are a likely issue.

 

[Bulletbill]

Say what you will, I didn’t buy it either at first. After the dealer diagnosis, I checked ball joints, track bar, suspension components, no play in anything. I had it checked by an independent shop and they couldn’t find any issues.

Either way, I thought there was a recall on steering stabilizers from 2018 to 2021 for the rubicon models.

For the OP, even if it just “masks” an issue with another component, it would be worth seeing if the stabilizer fixes your issue temporarily so you can complete your upcoming trip. With that said, it is still worth checking the track bar, ball joints, wheel balance, or take it to a shop that is familiar with diagnosing and correcting DW.

 

[Ratbert]

Say what you will, I didn’t buy it either at first. After the dealer diagnosis, I checked ball joints, track bar, suspension components, no play in anything. I had it checked by an independent shop and they couldn’t find any issues.

Either way, I thought there was a recall on steering stabilizers from 2018 to 2021 for the rubicon models.

For the OP, even if it just “masks” an issue with another component, it would be worth seeing if the stabilizer fixes your issue temporarily so you can complete your upcoming trip. With that said, it is still worth checking the track bar, ball joints, wheel balance, or take it to a shop that is familiar with diagnosing and correcting DW.

Steering stabilizers are relatively cheap and easy to swap out. Can't hurt.

 

[Paulguy100]

While some will claim it is only concealing another problem, your steering dampener may be bad. There was an issue with the ones used in the 21 MY. I ran into the same issue at 25,000 miles and was suspicious of the fix. However, 10,000 miles later DW has not returned.

Who makes a reasonably priced, but effective replacement?

 

[Bulletbill]

Who makes a reasonably priced, but effective replacement?

Mine was replaced under warranty, so I have the mopar replacement. Other members swear by fox. Hoping this response bumps this post and someone with an aftermarket stabilizer can chime in.

 

[txj2go]

I had DW start at 40k miles or so. I did a lot of research and nobody could say exactly what causes it, lots of people say it could be ball joints or tires or other things. I thought about how it happens and my opinion is the track bar is a significant factor. I replaced my track bar and no more DW. I did other things first such as changing tires, balancing tires, changing tire pressures, checking ball joints, checking tie rod. YMMV. The stabilizer is masking the issue which is probably OK, it's a wear item but so are other parts of the suspension.

 

[alphawolff]

Who makes a reasonably priced, but effective replacement?

I like the fox one personally. Anything on the market is going to be a massive improvement over the OEM one.

 

[au176]

I had the DW after about a month of driving my new 21 JL off the lot. Dealer swore up and down after 2 visits to check everything that there was nothing wrong with it. "It's a Jeep thing- just drive it", they said. (God, I HATE that. Sure, some things are due to really old designs/technology, but broken is broken.) I told them that it's a brand new vehicle, and that's not an acceptable answer. I asked them to actually CHECK the damper, beside just looking for loose hardware.

They found that it was not "up to spec" and replaced it.

Death Wobble gone. 30,000 miles later, it's still good.

 

[utjmac]

While some will claim it is only concealing another problem, your steering dampener may be bad. There was an issue with the ones used in the 21 MY. I ran into the same issue at 25,000 miles and was suspicious of the fix. However, 10,000 miles later DW has not returned.

I had mine replaced at just under 20k miles, and since I'm now hyper focused on it, see it returning and had it replaced at 27k miles. I'll likely just upgrade my damper and be done with it. I believe the lower the tire pressure and more aggressive the tires, the quicker it will appear. I have a stock 392 with the original all terrains, rotated at every oil change, and here I am again. Sad they don't issue an updated damper and be done with it before someone starts a class.

Don't have time to get it dropped off every 10k miles when it starts acting up!
Good luck to you!

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