Chasing the cold weather death wobble

[Terpsmandan]

22 JLURD with a Mopar lift and 37” KO2’s. Talked to a tech at the dealership that I work for and there is a not a TSB for the steering stabilizer. They could not get after a month so I replaced it with a Fox TS. Should have realized that everyone here is correct in that it’s never the stabilizer. So I wanted to upgrade to a set of Synergy 4710-60 ball joints. Found them in stock at Northridge but their parts lookup tool says that the will not fit. Pretty sure that’s incorrect but don’t want to get them and take the front end apart to find that is true. All help is appreciated.

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[Roky]

22 JLURD with a Mopar lift and 37” KO2’s. Talked to a tech at the dealership that I work for and there is a not a TSB for the steering stabilizer. They could not get after a month so I replaced it with a Fox TS. Should have realized that everyone here is correct in that it’s never the stabilizer. So I wanted to upgrade to a set of Synergy 4710-60 ball joints. Found them in stock at Northridge but their parts lookup tool says that the will not fit. Pretty sure that’s incorrect but don’t want to get them and take the front end apart to find that is true. All help is appreciated.

If you scroll down the page to questions & answers.


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

• Q: Diesel JLUR Adam 1 year ago
  Do these specifically not fit diesel, or are they just not listed for the diesel JLUR?
  
  
• • 1 of 1 people found the following answer helpful
    A: There is no reason that shouldn't work for you.
    Northridge Chris @ Northridge4x4 1 year ago
    Yes No
    Was this answer helpful?

 

[Herson]

I didn’t have death wobble, changed the OEM stabilizer to a fox TS and magically the initial death wobble starter around 35-45 mph. Added the synergy steering stabilizer, steering feels solid but the occasional wobble is there. Ordered the RPM 2.5 ton steering kit and I will report. This should fix it since I see a small movement on the pitman arm/draglink ball joint. All of the other joints and track bar are solid. I talked to the RPM guy and mentioned that the OEM steering kits is what gives the most problems regarding the initial wobble.

 

[Old Jeeper]

So it sounds like someone told you you need ball joints. Do. you know how to check you ball joints to see if they are needing to be replaced?

The Steering stabilizer is connected to the Tie Rod.

My FIRST DW took place in 1969 and I fixed it and been fixing on it ever since.

So you bring in your DW Dog and what steps do I take to arrive at a solution:

Step 1: If it hangs UNDER or near the forward of the firewall it CAN be the cause or the Contributor to DW, you need to come to grips with this.

DW is NOT limited to Jeeps or solid axle vehicles. I have had it on a Corvette and my Harley and it can occur on leaf spring jeeps.


Do the the EZ stuff first:

Look for leaking shocks, oil on them.
Do a front shock test: Push down fast and hard on your front corners of your Jeep. If it bounces you have a bad front shock.

Check PSI in your tires in insure it equal and it at the proper psi, anything above 30.

Have the tires been balanced recently? Has a weight come off?

Have you changed tire sizes, gone from 33s to a larger/wider size.

Check you ball joints by jacking up you axle and grasping the tire on the top and bottom, see if its loose.

Spin your tire that is off the ground listen for balls hitting each other in the wheel bearings. That is bad

Confirm Caster is with spec.

Now turn you attention to your Steering Stabilizer. Is it leaking, you can also remove it and see how much resistance it has to back-forth, if you can do it easily by hand then its failed.

NEXT is the track bar which historically has been the Achilles Heel of suspension. Is it loose? Check each end for wear and movement

Next is the Tie Rod, loose, worn bushings.

While we are at Inspect the Pitman arm and drag link. With the steering wheel straight ahead, the Pitman arm should be parallel to the steering wheel and straight ahead. If you drive and the steering wheel has to be turned to the Left/Right to go straight and or the steering wheel jerks when you hit a bump/pothole etc then you need to adjust the Drag link and recenter you steering wheel and the drag link.

This is how I do it and how I discover the FIX (S), it may not be just one thing!

From the Tire to the Steering Stablizer everything is LINKED! <. TIP, at the FIRST sign of DW get to a shop or your garage as soon as possible. DW is a Cancer and it migrates thru your suspension. The longer you wait the more damage its doing to the linked components, bushings etc.

Dealers are the LEAST likely to be able to fix as they "follow the book" and they book says it the Steering Stabilizer need to be replaced. Unless the Mech knows Jeeps and understand the linkage involved then they never fix it.

Let us know how you end up mitigating and arriving at a fix...

 

[Roky]

The Steering stabilizer is connected to the Track bar.

No it isn’t……

 

[Old Jeeper]

No it isn’t……

So are you going to tell us what connected to???

My fault I found it

 

[XX4XEXX]

Tie rod?

So are you going to tell us what connected to???

My fault I found it

 

[XX4XEXX]

Keep in mind huge difference between death wobble and a wiggle.

 

[LuvHydro]

... Should have realized that everyone here is correct in that it’s never the stabilizer ...

Just FYI, in my case it was. Totally different setup than you tho, completely stock JLUSS.

I started getting moderate death wobble at diagonal bridge expansion joints when it dropped below freezing.

Someone here posted this. I scoffed at it, but tried it anyway. Totally fixed it for me, but again a lot less mass on mine to flop around.

 

[Old Jeeper]

Just FYI, in my case it was. Totally different setup than you tho, completely stock JLUSS.

I started getting moderate death wobble at diagonal bridge expansion joints when it dropped below freezing.

Someone here posted this. I scoffed at it, but tried it anyway. Totally fixed it for me, but again a lot less mass on mine to flop around.

GREAT Info...

 

[Terpsmandan]

Thanks. I knew about that and tried it. The AG damper has an up-down fore-aft sticker on it and a revised collar and bolt to make sure that it is not installed upside down. With the extra weight of the 37's and the offset of the wheels, it has probably increased the wear on the ball joints. Plastic bushings in the OEM joints probably doesn't help either.

 

[Terpsmandan]

If you scroll down the page to questions & answers.


QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

• Q: Diesel JLUR Adam1 year ago
  Do these specifically not fit diesel, or are they just not listed for the diesel JLUR?
  
  
• • 1 of 1 people found the following answer helpful
    A: There is no reason that shouldn't work for you.
    Northridge Chris @ Northridge4x4 1 year ago
    Yes No
    Was this answer helpful?

Thanks

 

[Terpsmandan]

Look for leaking shocks, oil on them.
Do a front shock test: Push down fast and hard on your front corners of your Jeep. If it bounces you have a bad front shock.

No issue

Check PSI in your tires in insure it equal and it at the proper psi, anything above 30.

Was at 27, went to 30, then 28. I will put them back up to 30

Have the tires been balanced recently? Has a weight come off?

Last December, about 3000 miles ago

Have you changed tire sizes, gone from 33s to a larger/wider size.

Per original post. 37" KO2's on Mopar beadlocks with trim rings.

Check you ball joints by jacking up you axle and grasping the tire on the top and bottom, see if its loose.

I will check that

Spin your tire that is off the ground listen for balls hitting each other in the wheel bearings. That is bad

Confirm Caster is with spec.

Now turn you attention to your Steering Stabilizer. Is it leaking, you can also remove it and see how much resistance it has to back-forth, if you can do it easily by hand then its failed.

Replaced that. A lot of good it did...

NEXT is the track bar which historically has been the Achilles Heel of suspension. Is it loose? Check each end for wear and movement

I will check that.

Next is the Tie Rod, loose, worn bushings.

While we are at Inspect the Pitman arm and drag link. With the steering wheel straight ahead, the Pitman arm should be parallel to the steering wheel and straight ahead. If you drive and the steering wheel has to be turned to the Left/Right to go straight and or the steering wheel jerks when you hit a bump/pothole etc then you need to adjust the Drag link and recenter you steering wheel and the drag link.

This is how I do it and how I discover the FIX (S), it may not be just one thing!

From the Tire to the Steering Stablizer everything is LINKED! <. TIP, at the FIRST sign of DW get to a shop or your garage as soon as possible. DW is a Cancer and it migrates thru your suspension. The longer you wait the more damage its doing to the linked components, bushings etc.

Dealers are the LEAST likely to be able to fix as they "follow the book" and they book says it the Steering Stabilizer need to be replaced. Unless the Mech knows Jeeps and understand the linkage involved then they never fix it.

Let us know how you end up mitigating and arriving at a fix...

 

[Northridge4x4]

So I wanted to upgrade to a set of Synergy 4710-60 ball joints. Found them in stock at Northridge but their parts lookup tool says that the will not fit. Pretty sure that’s incorrect but don’t want to get them and take the front end apart to find that is true. All help is appreciated.

Dan,

Those Synergy 4710-60 ball joints will fit your diesel, they're just not listed on the app chart yet.
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...y-manufacturing-hd-non-knurled-ball-joint-set

Anther one to look at are the TeraFlex HD Ball Joints. They are greaseable and they can be adjusted tighter as they start to wear, extending the life out even further.
https://www.northridge4x4.com/part/...all-joint-kit-w-out-knurl-2-upper-and-2-lower

 

[Terpsmandan]

@OldJeeper I moved the tire pressure up to 31 cold and tried a known bump that used to upset it and it wiggled a little but not harmonically out of control. I am going to try another bump and report back.

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