Finally got death wobble…

[LCW]

Went wheeling this weekend and must have tweaked something in the rocks. Don’t remember hitting anything hard but couple spots had to really put some steering effort in. 37s on rocks with stock steering sucks lol.

After first day wheeling, driving back in highway noticed bad death wobble. Checked rough alignment via tire center seam and was 5/8 toe in. No bueno. So adjusted it best I could to like 1/8 toe in. Wheeled day 2. Felt ok. Back on highway home no death wobble but steering felt a bit weird.

Did a string alignment when I got home and got it to 1/16 toe in. When driving seeking out rough sections of road around me. Very minor death wobble on certain very square edge bump.

Maybe time for new ball joints. Maybe a new steering damper. Since I tweaked my tie rod as it’s scraped up, maybe a new tie rod and drag link. Proper shop alignment too I guess. Maybe that should be first.

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[Vinman]

I would start with getting the tires balanced.

 

[LCW]

I would start with getting the tires balanced.

Just got em. Don’t feel any vibration. But discount should be able to check for free I guess. I bought them there

 

[Renegade]

Is there really such a thing as “minor death wobble”? Was it death wobble, or was it a shimmy?

 

[jhackathorne]

I'm assuming you've looked under your Jeep. I just started getting it this past couple of days, but I believe mine is due to my steering stabilizer being F'd. Several rock beatings over the course of the past year made t finally give out. Check that out as well if you hadn't already.

 

[LCW]

Is there really such a thing as “minor death wobble”? Was it death wobble, or was it a shimmy?

It oscillates more than just a couple times. But it’s not super violent. Have to slow down for it to stop.

Edit - so maybe it's down to more of a shimmy now. Initially it was death wobble as had to pull to the side for it to stop.

 

[tecnic1]

Check your track bar and control arms if you just installed your lift.

I've had to retorque everything at least once.

 

[dpike]

How many miles on your jeep ? My ball joints were bad at 45k.

 

[derpderp01]

Don’t remember hitting anything hard but couple spots had to really put some steering effort in.

This statement is worrisome. Could have tweaked something.

 

[LCW]

How many miles on your jeep ? My ball joints were bad at 45k.

40K

 

[Roky]

Went wheeling this weekend and must have tweaked something in the rocks. Don’t remember hitting anything hard but couple spots had to really put some steering effort in. 37s on rocks with stock steering sucks lol.

After first day wheeling, driving back in highway noticed bad death wobble. Checked rough alignment via tire center seam and was 5/8 toe in. No bueno. So adjusted it best I could to like 1/8 toe in. Wheeled day 2. Felt ok. Back on highway home no death wobble but steering felt a bit weird.

Did a string alignment when I got home and got it to 1/16 toe in. When driving seeking out rough sections of road around me. Very minor death wobble on certain very square edge bump.

Maybe time for new ball joints. Maybe a new steering damper. Since I tweaked my tie rod as it’s scraped up, maybe a new tie rod and drag link. Proper shop alignment too I guess. Maybe that should be first.

Welcome to the 37s club….. you’ll end up replacing all of it eventually……you can track down what is causing it but soon as you fix it, it will increase pressure on the next and so on…….it’s best to do it all at once, but that’s not always possible financially…… so you have to do what you can….. since messing with the toe affected the severity I’d look there first, then on down the list…..

 

[Zandcwhite]

Welcome to the 37s club….. you’ll end up replacing all of it eventually……you can track down what is causing it but soon as you fix it, it will increase pressure on the next and so on…….it’s best to do it all at once, but that’s not always possible financially…… so you have to do what you can….. since messing with the toe affected the severity I’d look there first, then on down the list…..

Still had the stock tie rod at 63k miles on 38's when the 2019 was stolen, and we wheeled it hard all over the country. Track bar and drag link wore out by 30k, ball joints made it 38k. Front upper control arms and all rear links including the track bar were still stock. The idea that the stock components need replaced just because you run larger than stock tires is a myth in my experience. People buy kits that replace all the arms, feel the improvement of proper caster (which could be accomplished with just front LCAs), and convince themselves that the $1k in arms were necessary. Most people buy steering kits that replace the drag link and tie rod, when in reality the tie rod operates in such a linear range of motion that they rarely wear out or need replaced. The factory ball joints aren't great. The drag link, especially if you really increase suspension downtravel, will definitely benefit from an upgrade. Front LCAs due to crap factory caster need swapped out with any lift. The rest of it can live a long life even on tough trails.

 

[Roky]

Still had the stock tie rod at 63k miles on 38's when the 2019 was stolen, and we wheeled it hard all over the country. Track bar and drag link wore out by 30k, ball joints made it 38k. Front upper control arms and all rear links including the track bar were still stock. The idea that the stock components need replaced just because you run larger than stock tires is a myth in my experience. People buy kits that replace all the arms, feel the improvement of proper caster (which could be accomplished with just front LCAs), and convince themselves that the $1k in arms were necessary. Most people buy steering kits that replace the drag link and tie rod, when in reality the tie rod operates in such a linear range of motion that they rarely wear out or need replaced. The factory ball joints aren't great. The drag link, especially if you really increase suspension downtravel, will definitely benefit from an upgrade. Front LCAs due to crap factory caster need swapped out with any lift. The rest of it can live a long life even on tough trails.

Opinions vary………

 

[roaniecowpony]

At 21k miles my balljoints let it shimmy a bit at very particular bumps and speeds for a couple seconds, then correct itself.. Dynatrac balljoints cured that.

The only meaningful definition between a shimmy and death wobble is that death wobble is divergent or will not self-correct. A shimmy stops by itself without changing any parameter (speed, steering, etc)

 

[LCW]

At 21k miles my balljoints let it shimmy a bit at very particular bumps and speeds for a couple seconds, then correct itself.. Dynatrac balljoints cured that.

The only meaningful definition between a shimmy and death wobble is that death wobble is divergent or will not self-correct. A shimmy stops by itself without changing any parameter (speed, steering, etc)

Are Dynatrac ball joints considered the best replacement? They’re like $650 for a set. Not exactly cheap.

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