Is this bump steer or something else?

[Byrds8]

Mine has wiggled a bit like that since the day it was purchased. I think its normal.

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[The Last Cowboy]

I'd be willing to bet that the OEM ball joints are wearing poorly.

Also, with so many hub centric wheel choices out there, why does anyone buy universal fit or lug centric wheels. That thread that's running right now about that guy who had a wheel come off on a road trip is an example of why not to buy lug centric wheels. Yeah, they will work. But how many of you do your own work, or re check someone else's work?

 

[AnnDee4444]

Maybe when you lift and run tons and 4Ds you can run the rest of your brace, lol…

Thankfully I'm limited by my garage height. 35s & 1" lift is about all I can do.

Mine has wiggled a bit like that since the day it was purchased. I think its normal.

As did mine. Even if it is normal, I think it's a design flaw.

Also, with so many hub centric wheel choices out there, why does anyone buy universal fit or lug centric wheels. That thread that's running right now about that guy who had a wheel come off on a road trip is an example of why not to buy lug centric wheels. Yeah, they will work.

Link?

I'd be willing to bet that the OEM ball joints are wearing poorly.

OP has dynatrac ball joints.

 

[AnnDee4444]

No it does flex that much, unless you truss it

Even driving straight down the road in 2WD (like in the video)?

 

[The Last Cowboy]

Link?

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/wheel-sheared-off-studs.115610/

 

[AnnDee4444]

Also, with so many hub centric wheel choices out there, why does anyone buy universal fit or lug centric wheels. That thread that's running right now about that guy who had a wheel come off on a road trip is an example of why not to buy lug centric wheels. Yeah, they will work.

That doesn't look like a hub/lug-centric issue. First post: "Service has verified that the tire shop installed the wrong lug nuts. Too short."

 

[Yondu_JLU]

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/wheel-sheared-off-studs.115610/

Because they were my favorite wheel at the time. I had some hub rings for the Jeep but to my knowledge they have been uninstalled for a while. I'll try to install them this weekend and see if it remedies the issue.

 

[Bandit59]

Trying to get to the bottom of this -- it feels like I have replaced every component on the front end of my Jeep at least once if not twice to no avail. 2020 JLU, 35s and bead locks. Full Synergy steering and control arms, new steering box and brace, Reid racing knuckles and dynatrac balljoints, fox ts stabilizer. 2-3 Inch Synergy lift (advertised), shocks are for 3.5-4" per Synergy recs, no flip kit, drag link and track bar angle via a level are both about 7 degrees -- not sure if that plays a role in this.

The problem I am and have been encountering is a steering wheel jiggle that occurs over bridge seams, humps in the road, pavement dips, potholes, rough roads, etc. The jiggle ranges from mild to shaking back and forth over rough roads to full on pulling the vehicle in a direction if it hits large enough of a dip -- best way of explaining it is that it feels like there is no resistance in the steering, i.e. my arm and hand act as the stabilizer lol, and any imperfections in the road become jarring as a result. It still returns to center, turns fine. I do not suspect this is a wheel and tire issue as there is steering feedback associated with it and not just a vibration, and the Jeep becomes difficult to keep straight if it "jumps". It does not feel like death wobble either as it is not a persistent oscillation most of the time. What I am seeking is for the wheel to feel STABLE -- it should not be loose and prone to moving on its own over imperfections.

I'm running out of ideas as to what this could be -- maybe my shocks are too long and causing instability? drag link/track bar angles too steep and needing a flip kit? wheel and tire weight/ stress on the hubs? intermediate shaft? Any advice would be appreciated.

Death wobble. Check track bar

 

[Riotfunk]

Replace your track bar hardware. Your frame side mount is probably wallowed out. I used the yeti track bar brace. And didn’t use the sector brace. It tightened up the front end a good deal. I put this in as soon as I lifted it. Is a terrible weak point. My oem frame side track bar mount was starting to oval at 800 miles with factory setup.

 

[Yondu_JLU]

Replace your track bar hardware. Your frame side mount is probably wallowed out. I used the yeti track bar brace. And didn’t use the sector brace. It tightened up the front end a good deal. I put this in as soon as I lifted it. Is a terrible weak point. My oem frame side track bar mount was starting to oval at 800 miles with factory setup.

I have a brace on it with the bolt provided by Synergy, brand new. What about the axle side mount? Is it prone to wallowing?

 

[Riotfunk]

Usually not. I have a friend with a JK having similar issue. He’s replaced all the arms, steering etc. and still is having the bump steer issues.
I have front adj track bar, with yeti brace. Rear super lift frame side drop bracket with oem rear track bar and 1/4” longer fixed front LCA and rides perfect lifted on 35s at 31 lbs. running little over 2” lift.

 

[Terpsmandan]

I had a nasty DW on a Mopar lift on 37" KO2's with Mopar wheels. Started last December. First I raised the tires from 27 to 32 and re-torqued the wheels (shop loves air impact guns). That settled it down for awhile and then it started in again. At 53 mph the wheel would shake. The techs at the dealership I work at had mentioned a TSB for the steering stabilizer and instead of waiting a few weeks for a replacement I went and added a Fox TS. That did not seem to do much of anything. I did some thinking and if I went over a known offensive bump but was on the brakes it would DW less or not at all due to the increase in the caster angle under brake dive. That led me to believe that due to the angle of the LCA, some of the force of the bump was going into the frame and slowly compressing the bushings on the LCA's and causing a reduction in the caster angle, so I went and installed a set of MetalCloak geometry correction brackets. I have not measured the caster but the DW is gone and the previous offending bumps are safe to traverse now. Also the small wiggles that had been occurring are less and less each trip and steering shake at 53 in gone. IMO with the LCA's closer to parallel to the ground the spring is soaking up all more of the bumps than before and the bushings are slowly decompressing as well. Looking at replacing the track bar with a MetalCloak and adding a Steersmarts track bar brace at the same time.

 

[Riotfunk]

https://superlift.com/rear-track-bar-bracket-kit-2018-jeep-jl-2-5-4-in-kit

I’m running this out back and it fixed the rear hop/judder

 

[boontis]

I feel like my JLU was doing this even before I added the 35x12.50x17's and the 2.5" Rough Country spacer lift. (Not a real lift I know - but I wanted something mild as it's my daily driver - and still wanted the 35's!)

I don't have anything to add specifically in "things to try" but I do have a question that maybe other people in the forum are also thinking about:

I know what castor is, but am unclear on whether more castor *improves" death wobble potential, or makes the problem worse/more likely to occur?

With my setup described above, I'm below the castor spec on my alignment but the vehicle drives decently except the minor shake when hitting bumps and the horrible effects of wind when driving at highway speeds. I've been looking at buying new longer LCA's to match the lift but after reading this thread I'm worried that could turn my "minor shakes" into full on death wobble?

Thoughts from you smart people who have already posted in the thread?

 

[AnnDee4444]

I know what castor is, but am unclear on whether more castor *improves" death wobble potential, or makes the problem worse/more likely to occur?

With my setup described above, I'm below the castor spec on my alignment but the vehicle drives decently except the minor shake when hitting bumps and the horrible effects of wind when driving at highway speeds. I've been looking at buying new longer LCA's to match the lift but after reading this thread I'm worried that could turn my "minor shakes" into full on death wobble?

More caster can make death wobble better or worse, and caster is not the true cause or solution to death wobble.

Traditionally more caster is supposed to help with high speed stability, however I believe that in high wind situations you actually want lower caster (it's actually a shorter trail that would help, which can be achieved by lowering caster or increasing tire pressure).

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