Teraflex Falcon Nexus 2.2 stabilizer- wobble gone

[Varilux]

About a year ago, I swapped my factory 33s for 37" tires, and installed a 2" Teraflex spacer lift at the same time. It worked well, but the Jeep jumped around a lot (definitely kept the driver "engaged") and slowly I developed a bit of a wobble right around 40mph when going over a one-side only bump. Not a death wobble, but a shimmy that was really annoying.

Anyway, installing Teraflex adjustable LCAs fixed the tracking issue, but the wobble persisted (actually got worse at first- which turned out to be due to the tire rotation we did when the LCAs were installed). Turned out the driver's front had thrown a weight- rebalancing the tire reduced, but did not eliminate the wobble. I (and a couple of fellows that know a lot more about Jeeps than I do) checked over the steering and suspension and couldn't find anything obvious, so they suggested the Teraflex Falcon Nexus ef 2.2 steering stabilizer.

I installed the stabilizer today (kept the Jeep on the ground and it took all of 35 minutes)- amazing difference! Set to "medium" there is no more wobble- at all- and the front just feels more solid. Set to "firm" the steering is more precise than some cars I've driven. I know stabilizers are usually considered a band-aid ("A properly set-up Jeep shouldn't even need a stabilizer" is the mantra my friends have drilled into my head), and we do plan to continue checking everything else. However, my Jeep now drives better on its 37" tires than it did on the original 33s. Completely, totally happy with the driving experience now- just hoping it lasts.

The Teraflex Falcon Nexus ef 2.2... as Martha Stewart would say "It's a good thing!"

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[word302]

I'm glad your wobble is gone, but a steering stabilizer didn't fix your problem, it just masked it.

 

[Varilux]

I'm glad your wobble is gone, but a steering stabilizer didn't fix your problem, it just masked it.

True enough (although I've been wearing masks for almost a year now, so I guess it's somehow fitting to put one on the Jeep)! We've eliminated anything being loose or worn, and I plan on continuing to upgrade some of the steering components. The adjustable stabilizer will continue to improve the steering feel even after we eventually find the root cause, and for now it's nice to be rid of the little wobble (which in itself can cause additional wear on parts).

 

[word302]

True enough (although I've been wearing masks for almost a year now, so I guess it's somehow fitting to put one on the Jeep)! We've eliminated anything being loose or worn, and I plan on continuing to upgrade some of the steering components. The adjustable stabilizer will continue to improve the steering feel even after we eventually find the root cause, and for now it's nice to be rid of the little wobble (which in itself can cause additional wear on parts).

I’d check your ball joints. Mediocre joints in mediocre knuckles +37” tires are likely the source of your wobble. Tire balance could be the culprit as well.

 

[Zandcwhite]

What length did you set the lca's at? What is your caster angle? We had a shimmy since going to 37's and a 2.5" spacer lift. Put rubicon express adjustable lca's on set at 24 5/8", ended up at 7.5-8⁰ caster measured with an angle finder. Tracks straight and no shimmy at all. Purposely hitting bumps and manhole covers and not even a slight shimmy anymore.

 

[Varilux]

I’d check your ball joints. Mediocre joints in mediocre knuckles +37” tires are likely the source of your wobble. Tire balance could be the culprit as well.

After reading through a bunch of threads, I was certain the issue was the ball joints (since apparently the factory joints have plastic internals and have been known to go bad). Everything seems tight with them however (no vertical wobble when we try to move the tires). Also, the wobble usually doesn't go away unless you come to a stop with ball joints, and with mine you can accelerate out of the wobble or just lightly apply the brakes. I did have the front wheels rebalanced. They were out of balance and having them balanced did reduce the wobble (actually, I like the word "shimmy" used below, because what I'm experiencing isn't nearly as severe as what I see on videos of death wobble). When the LCAs were replaced, the tires were rotated- which brought the out of balance tires to the front. I still want to upgrade the ball joints in the near future to get rid of the plastic.
The mechanic who installed the LCAs is an ASE instructor who has set up Jeeps for numerous dealerships (lifts on new Jeeps and such). He checked everything on my Jeep and said there was no reason he could find for the wobble (but he could feel it when driving). He mentioned there are a number of aluminum components that could be flexing, and said he is finding the combination of a drag link upgrade, finding just the right caster angle, and a better steering stabilizer fixes most of the wobbles on the JL (when worn components have been eliminated as the cause).

What length did you set the lca's at? What is your caster angle? We had a shimmy since going to 37's and a 2.5" spacer lift. Put rubicon express adjustable lca's on set at 24 5/8", ended up at 7.5-8⁰ caster measured with an angle finder. Tracks straight and no shimmy at all. Purposely hitting bumps and manhole covers and not even a slight shimmy anymore.

The caster was set to 4.5 degrees (I believe the spec is no less than 4.0 degrees). The LCAs definitely solved the tracking issue. The only time I noticed a shimmy was right around 40-45mph and only if I hit a bump on just one side. There is one such area on the on-ramp to I-35 that reliably sets off the wobble. After having the tires balanced, it still initiated a wobble- but one that was noticeably lighter than before (going from 28psi to 32psi also seemed to help). The new stabilizer is- if nothing else- definitely masking the issue, because there is no wobble on medium or firm (haven't tried the soft setting yet).

 

[word302]

After reading through a bunch of threads, I was certain the issue was the ball joints (since apparently the factory joints have plastic internals and have been known to go bad). Everything seems tight with them however (no vertical wobble when we try to move the tires). Also, the wobble usually doesn't go away unless you come to a stop with ball joints, and with mine you can accelerate out of the wobble or just lightly apply the brakes. I did have the front wheels rebalanced. They were out of balance and having them balanced did reduce the wobble (actually, I like the word "shimmy" used below, because what I'm experiencing isn't nearly as severe as what I see on videos of death wobble). When the LCAs were replaced, the tires were rotated- which brought the out of balance tires to the front. I still want to upgrade the ball joints in the near future to get rid of the plastic.
The mechanic who installed the LCAs is an ASE instructor who has set up Jeeps for numerous dealerships (lifts on new Jeeps and such). He checked everything on my Jeep and said there was no reason he could find for the wobble (but he could feel it when driving). He mentioned there are a number of aluminum components that could be flexing, and said he is finding the combination of a drag link upgrade, finding just the right caster angle, and a better steering stabilizer fixes most of the wobbles on the JL (when worn components have been eliminated as the cause).

The caster was set to 4.5 degrees (I believe the spec is no less than 4.0 degrees). The LCAs definitely solved the tracking issue. The only time I noticed a shimmy was right around 40-45mph and only if I hit a bump on just one side. There is one such area on the on-ramp to I-35 that reliably sets off the wobble. After having the tires balanced, it still initiated a wobble- but one that was noticeably lighter than before (going from 28psi to 32psi also seemed to help). The new stabilizer is- if nothing else- definitely masking the issue, because there is no wobble on medium or firm (haven't tried the soft setting yet).

Yeah you definitely want more caster, minimum of 6 degrees. That's outside of Jeep's spec, but what literally everyone is doing to get JLs to drive properly.

 

[Zandcwhite]

Yeah you definitely want more caster, minimum of 6 degrees. That's outside of Jeep's spec, but what literally everyone is doing to get JLs to drive properly.

I read that most people are happy around 6.5⁰ so I started at 7.5⁰ just to see how it felt. Drives so much better and more planted now that I see no reason to back it down. We have our annual desert camping trip this weekend so we shall see how happy the front driveshaft is at speed in 4hi, but it looks fine so far.

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