This is Death wobble

[rustyshakelford]

I'd consider diving right into option #2 right now if it was certain to fix the problem and it addressed the play in the steering as well. I don't want to get into a situation where either problem remains and the dealer won't work on a modded front end.

I have yet to see the play in person that folks are talking about. As for the other issues, I’d hate to spend $1400+ of your money and not be able to guarantee it will fix your issue but it made a world of difference for us. I wish you were closer so we could go thru everything and make sure it’s not something easily missed before proceeding. Worst case, you’ll have some of the best steering components out there. Steer smart and synergy are great.

We’re actually about to swap over to a redneck ram in the next few weeks when I can spend a day driving over to get it installed. I hope to be set up to install for customers when we get back but wanted to see it in person first!

Brett

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[rustyshakelford]

In my opinion you have two options if you want to keep your JL.

1. Wait for Jeep to get their act together and figure out they took too much weight out of the steering components. Don’t hold your breath on this one, it’s been over a year and they still have no solution.

2. Go get the steersmart kit or synergy kit and replace the draglink, tierod and trackbar. This seems to be the best solution and fixes most peoples wobble issues. This fixed my issues after months of different approaches.

Yes an expensive steering stabilizer will cause the wobble to stop but it doesn’t fix the problem.

You’re spot on. If you’re lifted, to me it wasn’t even worth getting Jeep involved. We all know their steps. We went steer smart and am very glad we did. It’s a considerable cost but if it allows you to safely drive and enjoy your Jeep it’s worth it to me.

Who did you go with and did you install it yourself?

Brett

 

[Martindfletcher]

My take on death wobble after much forum reading and suspension upgrades myself, is start simple

1) make sure nothing is loose, track bars, control arms, drag link, ball joints etc honestly I had loose+ball joints and no wobble but it’s cheap.
2) check steering stabilizer for slop, it it doesn’t have air in it doubt its an issue, may mask the issue with better one though
3) check or increase castor

If you need to throw parts at it to fix it :


4) beefy front track bar. RK is great, have not really looked others
5) drag link and tie rod, easy install but pricey, most I know that need these are people wheeling, but who knows factory stuff is light,

Note some lifts seem way higher than advertised, with 3.5” I don’t know how you don’t need longer track bar and at least a few control arms with that much lift.

Feel free to correct or flame.

 

[Martindfletcher]

I have yet to see the play in person that folks are talking about. As for the other issues, I’d hate to spend $1400+ of your money and not be able to guarantee it will fix your issue but it made a world of difference for us. I wish you were closer so we could go thru everything and make sure it’s not something easily missed before proceeding. Worst case, you’ll have some of the best steering components out there. Steer smart and synergy are great.

We’re actually about to swap over to a redneck ram in the next few weeks when I can spend a day driving over to get it installed. I hope to be set up to install for customers when we get back but wanted to see it in person first!

Brett

I really want hydraulic steering stabilizer once (if) my wallet recovers from my last round of upgrades.

Not for DW but for wheeling. Keep me posted, getting box out seems the hardest part, still not sure how this will play with the e-pump.

 

[DickZip]

Full disclosure

I installed the steer smart stuff last night and kept the steering stabilizer off. Went to do a test drive and had DW but it was much more violent due to the steering components not deflecting at all.

Loaded it on the trailer this morning for a double check of alignment (mainly toe) and also check balance on the tires. Alignment wasn’t bad but corrected the toe from the installation of new parts and caster was 6.5/6.8. Installed steering stabilizer while it was there.

Tires were around 3.5oz off each. They stripped all the weight and started fresh. I think each took about 4.5 oz each.

Brought it home and did a test drive. Much much better. In a spot that would give me DW every time only gave me a little shimmy I could drive thru. It’s much better, still not 100% though. Next step is Redneck ram I’m afraid. Glad to be back driving it again though

Brett

Try adding the Rusty’s track bar reinforcement bracket. Only 100.00. Worth a try. Should stiffen the steering

 

[gschones]

In my opinion you have two options if you want to keep your JL.

1. Wait for Jeep to get their act together and figure out they took too much weight out of the steering components. Don’t hold your breath on this one, it’s been over a year and they still have no solution.

2. Go get the steersmart kit or synergy kit and replace the draglink, tierod and trackbar. This seems to be the best solution and fixes most peoples wobble issues. This fixed my issues after months of different approaches.

Yes an expensive steering stabilizer will cause the wobble to stop but it doesn’t fix the problem.

From what I am seeing this seems to be primarily affecting the jeeps that are lifted. My JLU is stock and does not have the steering issues. I just hit 14000 miles. I did notice when I had my tires rotated the first time that I had some very minor wobble when I hit a bump at hwy speeds. I had planned to take it to have them rebalanced but it went away before I did. So far it rides very well. Most of my driving is on the street. I will eventually lift this one so this is all great info. I still have a rattle that bugs me but other that that my JLU has not experienced the DW.

 

[wbee]

From what I am seeing this seems to be primarily affecting the jeeps that are lifted. My JLU is stock and does not have the steering issues. I just hit 14000 miles. I did notice when I had my tires rotated the first time that I had some very minor wobble when I hit a bump at hwy speeds. I had planned to take it to have them rebalanced but it went away before I did. So far it rides very well. Most of my driving is on the street. I will eventually lift this one so this is all great info. I still have a rattle that bugs me but other that that my JLU has not experienced the DW.

I would say that adding bigger tires does impact the frequency of DW, the components in the front end are just to light for added weight. Having read through many of the DW forums, there are a lot of stock jeeps getting DW. I don’t think it just impacts lifted jeeps but probably impacts them more frequently. Just my opinion.

 

[gschones]

I would say that adding bigger tires does impact the frequency of DW, the components in the front end are just to light for added weight. Having read through many of the DW forums, there are a lot of stock jeeps getting DW. I don’t think it just impacts lifted jeeps but probably impacts them more frequently. Just my opinion.

I think you are correct. I am going to keep an eye on it.

 

[roaniecowpony]

Full disclosure

I installed the steer smart stuff last night and kept the steering stabilizer off. Went to do a test drive and had DW but it was much more violent due to the steering components not deflecting at all.

Loaded it on the trailer this morning for a double check of alignment (mainly toe) and also check balance on the tires. Alignment wasn’t bad but corrected the toe from the installation of new parts and caster was 6.5/6.8. Installed steering stabilizer while it was there.

Tires were around 3.5oz off each. They stripped all the weight and started fresh. I think each took about 4.5 oz each.

Brought it home and did a test drive. Much much better. In a spot that would give me DW every time only gave me a little shimmy I could drive thru. It’s much better, still not 100% though. Next step is Redneck ram I’m afraid. Glad to be back driving it again though

Brett

So, do you think it was tire balance all along?

 

[rustyshakelford]

So, do you think it was tire balance all along?

Nope. When I installed the steer smart stuff I was excited and in a rush. I explained what happened in a later post but as embarrassing as it is I’ll say it again. I didn’t take the tires and wheels off when I installed the tie rod or drag link. I figured tight was good enough but didn’t put a torque wrench on it. After racking my head I put it back on the lift and installed it like I would for a customer where I check and recheck everything before turning it out the door. Ended up tightening the bolts up a considerable amount from what I had previously thought was tight enough.

Jeep drives great now. Added a fox 2.0 SS and it was better than stock. Just ordered a new king SS to try too since the fox are hard to get and want another option. It’s $250 but available.

In the end, I plan to drive over to redneck ram and get their system installed. When wheeling I’d love a little extra power. There’s times when it wouldn’t turn and going over the crack on golden spike it tried to rip the wheel from my hand. That’s nothing to do with steer smart just the steering Jeep designed.

Brett

 

[nh4x4jeep]

From what I am seeing this seems to be primarily affecting the jeeps that are lifted. .

For anything previous to JL, yes. For JL's,t wish that was the case. Plenty of STOCK JL's right off the lot experiencing issues. .

 

[JimL]

Just food for thought, but in a previous life I built a straight axle street rod (and worked on a lot of others), plus worked on a lot of straight axle FJ40 and FJ55 back in the 60s and 70s. Every time I had trouble with the front end shake and steering wobble (usually induced by a bump or road ridge) the problem always wound up being RFV issue with a front tire. We could balance those tires perfectly, but balance has NOTHING to do with RFV (radial force variation...which can occur on bias or radial type tires).

RFV is a nasty little critter and no amount of add on damping or stiffening will cure it. To make matters a little trickier, modern radials are built with some conicity (load roll will run to the DOT number side of the tire...on purpose). When I was doing technician training sessions related to steering and driving issues, I reminded the folks to remember "13 is the unlucky number". If you have a tire with 13 or higher RFV....you can't fix it.

That little street rod (less than 1500 pounds curb weight) could almost yank you out of the car with one front tire at 16 RFV. It seldom wobbled, but when it did, it was really scary (permanent fix was one new tire). RFV wobble conditions are often most noticeable when the tires are in a particular temp range. Depending on your roads, weather, parking position, etc. you may see a pattern to the wobble occurrence. If you find you're able to duplicate the occurrence condition, it's probably a little too much RFV. Straight axles will NOT tolerate as much RFV as independent front ends.

There are plenty of new tires, made by reputable manufacturers, that get delivered with excessive RFV conditions. They know they are shipping product that "might" be a little iffy, but the warranty cost balance still works in their favor. I have been in those tire plants, looking and discussing those final roll results. It was always an argument I could not win, but that career is long gone and not my problem any more!

I am lucky on my 2018 JLUR; it has never hinted at the wobble, even when driving on some really bad roads! This leaves me a little worried about rotating the tires.

 

[californiajeeping]

Article: FCA being sued for Death Wobble
June 12, 2019

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/b...lleged-jeep-wrangler-death-wobble/1433767001/

The lawsuit, which was filed on behalf of Claire Reynolds, a New Jersey resident who owns a 2018 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Sport 4 x 4, accuses the company of offering drivers a "Band-Aid fix" in the form of replacing the steering damper if the vehicle is under warranty.

The lawsuit seeks damages for affected drivers in the form of a buyback program that requires FCA to pay drivers for defective vehicles and compensation for the loss of value to the vehicles. It also wants drivers to be provided with replacement vehicles while their repairs are pending.

The lawsuit also seeks punitive damages "for FCA’s knowing fraud that put drivers and members of the public nationwide at risk;" calls for regulators to order the company to issue a recall.

Looks like it is for the JK, but still, seeing the same steering damper “band-aid fix” comments on the JL forums

Source: https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/fca-being-sued-for-death-wobble.31589/

 

[californiajeeping]

FYI: There is a brand new Customer Satisfaction Notification V41 Steering Damper out dated June 2019 affects 2018-2019 JLs that addresses steering wobble. I do not have access to the PDF so I can’t upload it. Maybe someone else can find it and post it.

 

[unconfirmed]

FYI: There is a brand new Customer Satisfaction Notification V41 Steering Damper out dated June 2019 affects 2018-2019 JLs that addresses steering wobble. I do not have access to the PDF so I can’t upload it. Maybe someone else can find it and post it.

While looking for that, I came across this little gem on the google.

Recall Status Guide, updated 6/9/19.

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