JL Death Wobble Tips

[steverj64]

I'm on my second steering dampener at 11000 mi. I asked a service guy at my dealership when I picked it up about lifting, warranty etc. He recommended upon any lift a new adjustable track bar and adjustable front lower control arms. I feel FCA is trying to bandage up a problem as cheap as they can in hopes that we will replace the parts really causing the issue.

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[MarkY3130]

I'm on my second steering dampener at 11000 mi. I asked a service guy at my dealership when I picked it up about lifting, warranty etc. He recommended upon any lift a new adjustable track bar and adjustable front lower control arms. I feel FCA is trying to bandage up a problem as cheap as they can in hopes that we will replace the parts really causing the issue.

Even if factory trackbar and control arms are good, his advice upon lifting is still correct. You need those to recenter the axle and to reset caster back to prelift values. That’s more a lift problem than a factory problem.

I removed my stock steering stabilizer completely and my wobble issues disappeared. I can’t really blame Jeep for that, I’m on 37” tires and a 3.5” lift. (My garage page has my build listed if anyone cares) Put a through shaft stabilizer on after that test and all is good. Drove for nearly a week without one and all was better. I am surprised the stabilizer was actually making it worse in my case. It was relocated by the way, maybe that was part of it but I wouldn’t think so. On my JK I drove for four months without one.

 

[JDM]

Even if factory trackbar and control arms are good, his advice upon lifting is still correct. You need those to recenter the axle and to reset caster back to prelift values. That’s more a lift problem than a factory problem.

I removed my stock steering stabilizer completely and my wobble issues disappeared. I can’t really blame Jeep for that, I’m on 37” tires and a 3.5” lift. (My garage page has my build listed if anyone cares) Put a through shaft stabilizer on after that test and all is good. Drove for nearly a week without one and all was better. I am surprised the stabilizer was actually making it worse in my case. It was relocated by the way, maybe that was part of it but I wouldn’t think so. On my JK I drove for four months without one.

Yes, if the Jeep does not have a lift then an adjustable track bar is not necessarily required. In my case the factory track bar was flexing or bending under load. This would cause the axle to shift side to side. Definitely a defective component. So I had to find a track bar that would not flex or bend. All the aftermarket track bars that were available for a non lifted Jeep were adjustable and some were not suitable as the adjustment was designed for a Jeep with a lift not a stock height Jeep. So to get a good solid track bar from the aftermarket the adjustable feature is a non option.

However, in the matter of control arms I feel that the ability to adjust for castor is a necessity lifted or not. I’m not disagreeing with you but there are variables that can come to bear. In my earlier years I managed a Heavy Duty Alignment and Frame shop in Vancouver B.C. All the steering axles we worked on were solid axles. The scale may be different but the principles are the same. One of the things that we always checked and had the ability to adjust was castor. A degree or two can make a huge difference. I am also a machinist so I know that all parts are manufactured to a +/- tolerance. The application and target cost will determine the tolerance that is kept. Sometimes the only way you can correct for machining tolerances is with a degree or two in the final assembly. If a manufacturer says that adjustable control arms are not really necessary, they’ve just reduced the cost of the part. So I will be installing adjustable control arms in my Jeep, which is not lifted. As good as it is now I think that a degree or two of additional castor will make it even better and if I decide to lift it, as I got that off road bug now, it’ll be ready for the lift.

I may not like FCA (I feel as does steverj64), but you can tell that I really like my JL now. I may know something about solid steering axles but Martin and Jim (Rock Spyder 4X4) know Jeeps and I rely on them to guide me in what I do to my JL and throwing parts at it is not what they are all about. When I was making a decision on the type of shocks to get, Martin said to me “I’m going to be blunt, knowing you, get the adjustable type.” Right on Martin!

 

[steverj64]

I followed RUBIROB'S recommendation and crawled under my Jeep while my son turned the wheel back and forth. The only component I noticed with any movement was at the track bar where it mounts to the frame, moving back and forth around the bushing. I would feel this could be normal as the bushing is rubber anyhow. But it doesn't move on the axle. HOWEVER, the entire axle moves side to side as well a bit. I did the test on concrete instead of dirt however.

 

[JDM]

I followed RUBIROB'S recommendation and crawled under my Jeep while my son turned the wheel back and forth. The only component I noticed with any movement was at the track bar where it mounts to the frame, moving back and forth around the bushing. I would feel this could be normal as the bushing is rubber anyhow. But it doesn't move on the axle. HOWEVER, the entire axle moves side to side as well a bit. I did the test on concrete instead of dirt however.

After I had the track bar replaced I also noticed that there was movement at the bushings in that were in the new bar. In my case more at the axle than at the frame bracket. I was told that some movement with a rubber bushing is normal and by design, prevents harshness from being transmitted through the suspension and into the frame. A solid Heim joint was not recommended for my application. The point is that there will be some movement but it cannot be excessive and should not be in the bar or tube as was the case with the one that was in my JL. That made sense and it worked. Eventually the bushings will wear and have to be replaced. I also noticed that each component that I changed, progressively would improve road handling and steering feel.

A solid axle suspension will always be somewhat less compliant than an independent suspension. No getting around that. But it does not have to be harsh and definitely should not have wobble and or/be difficult to keep within a lane. That’s not a “Jeep thing”. Consider this next time your driving beside a tractor trailer or a 100 ton crane; do those vehicles have wobble or are hard to keep in a lane? How would you feel if they did? Would you accept reasoning that it’s a “Heavy Vehicle thing”? Or would it be flagged and taken off the road? Different scale, “same thing”.

 

[Simann]

Another 18 JLUR here with zero wobble issues until the steering stabilizer was replaced under warranty. Now I can consistently reproduce a bad d-wobble over certain bumps in the area. I’m having the dealer look at it this week, but will likely be getting a quality aftermarket track bar and stabilizer in short order.

Have the dealership rotate the steering lock-to-lock 10-12 times. Worked so far on mine (on second stabilizer/damper).

I get that people are throwing their own money into buying beefier track bars, bushings and such, but this is an issue that needs to be first dealt with through the dealership. The more people "fix it themselves" the less activity the dealerships see of the issue and the less pronounced the issue looks as a whole. And frankly, that's probably what MOPAR wants to happen. They know their audience, Jeep people are quite handy and self sufficient.

But frankly, spending $40-50,000 on a truck and this shit happening...? Yeah, the dealership/MOPAR will fix it before I ever sink one more dime into it. Warranties are rolled into the price of the vehicle, use it.

The chassis welds are a whole other problem. Mine has shit porous welds, slag spatter and small rust holes already. Its quite frankly unforgivable. My two JK's had absolutely ZERO issues and I drove the piss out of those trucks.

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