[SilverSport]

Here's a tip to use AFTER you make sure the bolts are properly torqued.
Take a paint marker and make a strip across the top of the bolt, down the side and end on the bracket. Thereafter you can do a quick visual check to see if the bolt is still tight. If the mark on the bolt is still lined up with the mark on the bracket you should be good. If the marks don't line up, the bolt has moved and its time to investigate further.

 

[JEEP507]

HELP! Will a new steering damper permanently eliminate the Death Wobble? My dealer replaced my stearing damper per TSB #02-003-10 under warranty after multiple episodes (4) of the dreaded wobble . My 08 wrangler JKU has 27000 miles with all stock equip. My warranty will expire next February and I don't want this to be a repeat issue costing $$$$$$$!

I have expirienced the death wobble more than a handful of times. Started when I hit bumps on the highway going 70+ in the fast lane. We had no idea what it was and I had to come to a complete stop on the left hand side of the road (thank jebus for emergency lanes in the middle at that spot). We checked all the tire pressure, kicked the snow off all the axels, and tightened the lugs up. Ended up recurring more and more often until I finally got it in to my dealer. They said it was 'just' a stearing damper problem (after multiple highway emergencies!) & they'd replace it. Even after they replaced it I've still gotten the wobble, I've just learned to avoid it or to control it. I guess I never thought about what it was doing to my engine, etc.

Thanks for the write-up. I'm about 200 miles away from the end of my warrentee. Guess I'll be making a trip to the dealership!

 

[jeepnyakin]

I have expirienced the death wobble more than a handful of times. Started when I hit bumps on the highway going 70+ in the fast lane. We had no idea what it was and I had to come to a complete stop on the left hand side of the road (thank jebus for emergency lanes in the middle at that spot). We checked all the tire pressure, kicked the snow off all the axels, and tightened the lugs up. Ended up recurring more and more often until I finally got it in to my dealer. They said it was 'just' a stearing damper problem (after multiple highway emergencies!) & they'd replace it. Even after they replaced it I've still gotten the wobble, I've just learned to avoid it or to control it. I guess I never thought about what it was doing to my engine, etc.

Thanks for the write-up. I'm about 200 miles away from the end of my warrentee. Guess I'll be making a trip to the dealership!

Sorry to hear that you are having issues as well. Because of the recurrent issues I was having, I ended up trading in my 08 JKU for something safer and much more reliable. I enjoyed my jeep for the 3 years I owned it but it was time to move on and get true daily driver. My family's safety is more important to me than my wrangler, although some day I will own one again. Good luck with your wrangler and I hope you get the answers and the solutions you need.

 

[planman]

I have expirienced the death wobble more than a handful of times. Started when I hit bumps on the highway going 70+ in the fast lane. We had no idea what it was and I had to come to a complete stop on the left hand side of the road (thank jebus for emergency lanes in the middle at that spot). We checked all the tire pressure, kicked the snow off all the axels, and tightened the lugs up. Ended up recurring more and more often until I finally got it in to my dealer. They said it was 'just' a stearing damper problem (after multiple highway emergencies!) & they'd replace it. Even after they replaced it I've still gotten the wobble, I've just learned to avoid it or to control it. I guess I never thought about what it was doing to my engine, etc.

Thanks for the write-up. I'm about 200 miles away from the end of my warrentee. Guess I'll be making a trip to the dealership!

If you have read this thread, you know that a steering stabilizer is only a mask. It will not fix your source(s) of DW.

Few dealer techs have been trained how to simply diagnose and fix DW.

Print out my first and second posts and take them with you.

Because you continued to drive your jeep without immediately fixing the problem, it is very probable that you have damaged your ball joints, drag link ends, trackbar bushings, trackbar brackets, etc.

Sorry to hear that you are having issues as well. Because of the recurrent issues I was having, I ended up trading in my 08 JKU for something safer and much more reliable. I enjoyed my jeep for the 3 years I owned it but it was time to move on and get true daily driver. My family's safety is more important to me than my wrangler, although some day I will own one again. Good luck with your wrangler and I hope you get the answers and the solutions you need.

This is too bad. DW is very simple to diagnose and fix.

 

[myfirstwrangler]

Could this be the same for my 97 cherokee? Its had almost all the front end done and still has this shake, been to the tards at good yr and they said it was a jeep death shake but have yet to have fixed the problem and 2000$ later im still shakin! They also suggested replacing whole front end on 91 YJ cuz as they said is the number one jeep that has this problem. Is this true or are they blowing smoke up my tailpipe? :banghead:

 

[Macman1138]

Death Wobble

Thank you for going through the trouble of posting that. This should be a sticky.

What I wonder is how dealers are equipped to fix this.
When I was younger I would delve right into something like this, but now I just take it in.

 

[planman]

Could this be the same for my 97 cherokee? Its had almost all the front end done and still has this shake, been to the tards at good yr and they said it was a jeep death shake but have yet to have fixed the problem and 2000$ later im still shakin! They also suggested replacing whole front end on 91 YJ cuz as they said is the number one jeep that has this problem. Is this true or are they blowing smoke up my tailpipe? :banghead:

Yes. It is the same. Read my TJ write-up because it has the same front end as an XJ:

http://www.wranglerforum.com/f5/dia...dw-shimmies-and-wobbles-tj-version-78090.html

What I wonder is how dealers are equipped to fix this.
When I was younger I would delve right into something like this, but now I just take it in.

They aren't. There is a TSB about steering stabilizers and there is a TSB about re-torquing the suspension bolts for a limited number of one year model JK jeeps.

The only way taking it to the dealer would help is if one of their techs is a jeep-head and learned on his own.

You might benefit from printing out my first post and the inspection checklist and taking it to the dealer. However, most dealer techs only look at what the Chrysler computer manual tells them to do.

 

[e-man67]

We bought a Jeep Grand Cherokee in the 90's that had severe death wobble (like the u tube video)...it was scary as hell...

 

[SeaComms]

....and there is a TSB about re-torquing the suspension bolts for a limited number of one year model JK jeeps...

Yeah that was a good one!

Apparently Dana changed the paint from the traditional thin (watery looking, barely coating, let rust show through while still on the showroom floor) diff paint to a luscious thick more vinyl looking paint.

Chrysler did up all the suspension components to correct torque settings at the factory, only to find as the diffs heat up from usage, they soften this new nice thick good looking paint and the bolts are all no longer tight enough :banghead:

 

[jwscuba]

This is an awesome article, my last build was a full size 94 Chevy Blazer, I enjoyyed the "sherlock Holmes" approach to finding what was rattlin. My current Jeep will be my first trek into Jeep Mods, this article will def take out some of the WTFs.
thanks

 

[cire]

I have just got a 2011 can you tell me were I can find the torque specs for the front end. I would like to re-torque them. Thanks for the help

 

[MTH]

I have just got a 2011 can you tell me were I can find the torque specs for the front end. I would like to re-torque them. Thanks for the help

Here: (Project-JK.com - Jeep JK Wrangler Resource » Jeep JK Wrangler Torque Settings).

 

[cire]

Thanks MIke

 

[04X68bronc]

thanks also!!! Jeep really screwd up with this suspension headache. but love the damn things

 

[mamajto]

whole body shake

I have a 2003 rubicon...the whole body shakes when I hit a bump but I don't know if my tires shake I'm driving

 

[sgtbaker]

Thanks so much for this post. I am not a DIYer so I have to deal with mechanics. My jeep started wobbling and shimmying, intermittenly, at first but as of last Friday I got the death wobble. The tires were mounted and balanced and the alignment was pretty off but it didn't do anything to stop the occassional wobble. It won't do anything when the mechanic drives it and he's starting to think I just don't like the rough ride but when it did the DW, it was scary; we thought the front tires were coming off the car. He looked at the suspension, tires, and alignment again, on Saturday but he said he was going to take a look at the drivetrain today and also talked about a possible problem with the lift installation. I just hope that one DW didn't do any permanent damage.

 

[SeaComms]

What lift do you have in it, and what if any changes have been made to the caster settings?

I have just gone through this myself, with what first showed up when hitting bumps at highway speeds, though not all bumps only some, the steering wheel would wobble then slowly over a few seconds reduce back to still again. This happened for a few weeks, then one day it just didnt stop after I hit a small pothole and I had to slow from 110km/hr (70mph) to below 80km/hr (50mph) before the wobble would stop.

I went over everything with a fine tooth comb and there was no movement or freeplay in any components at all. What I did find was my caster was down to about 3.6 degrees after the lift (currently sitting at about 2.75in on the front and 3in on the rear).

After much research I have diagnosed my issue as a caster wobble. Or to be more exact, a lack of caster wobble. Think of pushing a shopping trolley along and suddenly one of the wheels starts wobbling like crazy - thats a caster wobble.

You need around 4.5 degrees or higher to be stable. Mine is now sitting at 5.3 degrees, prob a little higher than it needs to be, but I jsut fitted the AEV front control arm drop brackets that are not recommended for below 3.5in lift. Still, very happy with the ride and the wobble is history.

 

[JIMBOX]

:whistling: Anytime you lift a jeep and DON"T correct the castor--you'll have steering problems, from wobble to drifting-

What lift do you have in it, and what if any changes have been made to the caster settings?

I have just gone through this myself, with what first showed up when hitting bumps at highway speeds, though not all bumps only some, the steering wheel would wobble then slowly over a few seconds reduce back to still again. This happened for a few weeks, then one day it just didnt stop after I hit a small pothole and I had to slow from 110km/hr (70mph) to below 80km/hr (50mph) before the wobble would stop.

I went over everything with a fine tooth comb and there was no movement or freeplay in any components at all. What I did find was my caster was down to about 3.6 degrees after the lift (currently sitting at about 2.75in on the front and 3in on the rear).

After much research I have diagnosed my issue as a caster wobble. Or to be more exact, a lack of caster wobble. Think of pushing a shopping trolley along and suddenly one of the wheels starts wobbling like crazy - thats a caster wobble.

You need around 4.5 degrees or higher to be stable. Mine is now sitting at 5.3 degrees, prob a little higher than it needs to be, but I jsut fitted the AEV front control arm drop brackets that are not recommended for below 3.5in lift. Still, very happy with the ride and the wobble is history.

SeaComms is CORRECT !!

Even though my lift of 2.5, didn't affect my steering DRASTICALLY, it did affectit-now-

I'm not sure of the JK, but the 07 to 11 JKU, lower control arms should be 23" from bolt ctr to ctr, that will take new adj LCAs or cams and I wouldn't recommend the cams-

I use "Rustys" LCAs and my jeep drives/tracks/turns better than before (stock)

By installing the lift, you've DECREASED the + castor and you NEEDIT as postive as posible (within reason--5° to 7°)

Good luck

:dance::rofl: JIMBO

 

[jeeper98]

very cool!

 

[Scratch]

Planman,
Thanks for the detailed post and excellent diagram. I've only had my 2008 JKU for 6 weeks and noticed a light shimmy when braking from 60-plus MPH. At least I know it's not developing a death wobble.
I'll still see to it the suspension hardware is tightened to spec the next time its on the rack.
If you're ever near Parker, I'll buy you a beer!