Shuddering/Vibration at highway speed

[AaronTV]

I have a 2021 Wrangler 4xe Sahara with zero mods and ~5500 miles.

It may be a coincidence, but the following started happening immediately after I had the Jeep in for software updates a couple months ago. But I had also placed the transfer case in 4A around the same time in anticipation of the coming winter months.

I was driving it home from the dealer and, after hitting a bump in the highway, the entire vehicle started shuddering/vibrating in a very alarming fashion. I actually wondered if a wheel had come loose, it was that dramatic. I started to slow down and prepare to pull over but it stopped doing it after about 10 seconds.

Since then, I've noticed more subtle versions of the shudder/vibration whenever I go over a bump or crack at highway speeds, usually lasting for only a moment or two. It has done the 10 second-ish prolonged version 1 other time (for a total of two).

I had immediately alerted the dealer about this back when it first happened but the service advisor didn't seem concerned or didn't understand what I was trying to explain.

The alignment seems OK, the Jeep stays straight on the road if I take my hands off the wheel. I don't hear any odd sounds or creaks from the suspension.

But these shudders/shaking/vibrations are very disconcerting when the the "long" version happens.

Any thoughts?

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[dchemphill1]

Have you checked wheel balance? It is possible the bump could have dislodged a wheel weight used in balancing a tire. Take it to your tire shop.

 

[AaronTV]

Have you checked wheel balance? It is possible the bump could have dislodged a wheel weight used in balancing a tire. Take it to your tire shop.

Not a bad idea. But wouldn't that cause a consistent issue, rather than an occasional one that only happens when I hit a bump at speed?

 

[mwilk012]

“Death wobble”, or at least a form of it. Ask your dealer to check torque on all suspension components and check for loose bushings on the track bar, tie rods, and ball joints.

 

[AaronTV]

“Death wobble”, or at least a form of it. Ask your dealer to check torque on all suspension components and check for loose bushings on the track bar, tie rods, and ball joints.

Thanks. I was literally just reading about that from some other posters and many of their descriptions are exactly what I've experienced. Sounds like it can be frustrating to get isolated and repaired, though.... Ugh.

 

[mwilk012]

Thanks. I was literally just reading about that from some other posters and many of their descriptions are exactly what I've experienced. Sounds like it can be frustrating to get isolated and repaired, though.... Ugh.

Yup, mine started at about 50k miles. Best bet is just replacing the whole suspension with heavy duty aftermarket parts. At least, that’s fun to do.

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