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More from #[email protected]*&=!! DEATH WOBBLE!

1459 Views 9 Replies 6 Participants Last post by  manis902
First thanks everyone for all the advise, it was invaluable. Second, I took my TJ to Harmon 4 Wheel Drive in Tulsa as they seem to know what I meant when I called and said "Death wobble." What they found was a worm steering stabilizer. I hope this was the fix. I'll let you know tomorrow.
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I drive without a steering stabilizer and I don't have death wobble. I hate to bust Harmons bubble but a new steering stabilizer is not the fix to death wobble. :)
I replaced my factory stabilizer with a much stouter one from Trail boss. I tried driving without mine because i thought it was binding my steering up. But crossing ruts or goin across any kind of pot hole would snatch the wheel from ya. Definately wont run without one again, but ive never had a case of the death wobble. Even with 7" of lift and 38s.
I disagree, I know Harmon 4 wheel drive they have done work for me in the past. They are good people. Ok now death wobble.....sometimes it is very hard to pin down as the forums will prove I am sure.....

Here is what happened to me. I made my own long arm kit and decided to extend my wheel base a inch or so in the the front and the rear.....I changed steering as well and started to get death wobble going about 35 and it would really come on when turning left while going ~35.

While adding a stabilizer is a band-aid and I understand that. My Jeep comes with one....(for a reason)....LOL. I added one back and the DW is gone.....I am cool with that.....the addition doesn't take anything from the steering and I am much happier....

:)

SO if it worked then go with it. I see nothing bad and all good with what Harmon did....
Hallelou...halaloo...YEA!(maybe)

Been one day and so far and no death wobble. Steering seems to be more stout and sure over bumps. In Mr Cliffords defense, the folks at Harmon were not 100% sure this would fit it. If it drive o.k. over the weekend, I'll call Harmon with thanks.
Once again, thanks everybody for the input, it's nice to have a resource like this to go to so you won't seem to stupid when talking to a mechanic.
Adding or replacing the steering stabilizer to cure Death Wobble is like placing a band-aid over a skin cancer. It's just not worth the $$$ since the real source of the DW is still there.

Two things to do right away that cure most instances of DW. Get the tires perfectly balanced. Perfectly. The bigger the tire, the more critical this is. Next, check and tighten the lower trackbar mounting bolt to 55 ft-lbs for 2002 and older, and 45 ft-lbs for 2003 and newer. Out of balance tires are the most common trigger for DW and a loose trackbar is what allows the DW to develop once triggered.

Loose/bad bushings in the control arms can also allow DW, as can loose ball joints in the front end. Insure your toe-in is set properly too, 1/8" is a good setting to go for.

You can also have someone turn the steering wheel slowly back and forth for you while you sit underneath in front and look for something moving that shouldn't be. That can help pinpoint the true source of DW.

Any 4x4 shop that simply recommends some sort of a stabilizer to cure DW doesn't know their a$$ from, well, you get the picture. ;)
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A hole in the ground

Well, it's seems I stirred up a wasp nest of opinions concerning DW. As to Mr. Bransford and the band-aid theory, let's just say it's in remission barring further tests. But, the old steering stabilizer from my Jeep (it was a TrailMaster) was definitley bad as they took a new one out of the box and let me do a side-by-side comparison. But I will have the other suspension and drive line components checked asap. Currently, I'm just happy that my Wrangler drives better than it did and they didn't have to do chemo on my wallet. I'll keep everyone updated as to the progress. Again, thanks to everyone for opening my eyes as to probable causes. This is a DAMN GOOD resource to have and I'm happy I found it.
By the way, DW is something that affects more brands than just Jeeps. The bigger the tire, the more a front-end is suceptible to it, and the more carefully tires must be balanced and the tighter more components like bushings and ball joints must be. :)
manis902 said:
Well, it's seems I stirred up a wasp nest of opinions concerning DW. As to Mr. Bransford and the band-aid theory, let's just say it's in remission barring further tests. But, the old steering stabilizer from my Jeep (it was a TrailMaster) was definitley bad as they took a new one out of the box and let me do a side-by-side comparison. But I will have the other suspension and drive line components checked asap. Currently, I'm just happy that my Wrangler drives better than it did and they didn't have to do chemo on my wallet. I'll keep everyone updated as to the progress. Again, thanks to everyone for opening my eyes as to probable causes. This is a DAMN GOOD resource to have and I'm happy I found it.
DW always stirs up the natives. One thing is for certain, a SS is only a mask for DW. In my case, it was caused by several factors. unevenly worn tires, caused by a bad alignment. The bushings on my lca's were also bad. It drove me nuts trying to figure it all out...but, by listening to people like Jerry and Stu, I figured it out.
Well, it's been a week and not even a hint of DW. Crawled under the TJ and had someone turn the wheel and it looked like everything that is supposed to move does and things that aren't supposed to don't. No popping or other strange noises coming from anything. Still hate to say "FIXED!" at this time considering what I've read. I'll probably take it back to Harmon and see what they say. I'll keep everyone posted.
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