death wobble? please help

hiram · **Posted:** Tue Jan 04, 2011 1:32 pm

i finally got the jeep where i could drive it.. i was on a paved road when i hit a series of bumps.. all four tires felt like they were going to fall off.....what is this im feeling...tires are tight..

kjstinga · **Posted:** Tue Jan 04, 2011 2:15 pm

Something somewhere has play in it. Could be alignment, balancing, bushings, tierod ends, spring mounts, steering box, etc. Can be a real process to track down exactly what is causing it; just have to go through everything.

Budke · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2011 12:44 am

Jack the front end up and have someone turn the steering while you look under it for anything with play it in.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2011 1:54 am

if it is indeed death wobble it would be a loose, worn out bushings or ovaled out mount holes for the trackbar. you should still check the condition of tie rods and bushings, also tightness of all mount bolts also though.

kskj · **Posted:** Wed Jan 05, 2011 7:42 pm

X3 When we lifted my brothers XJ it had a terrible death wobble just like you described. We changed all the tie rods,bushings and put on a adjustable track bar. And it handles like a new one.

Budke · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 9:11 am

Loose track bar won't cause death wobble on a YJ. Hell, 90% of people who wheel their YJs don't even have track or sway bars on it.

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:21 am

Budke wrote:

Loose track bar won't cause death wobble on a YJ. Hell, 90% of people who wheel their YJs don't even have track or sway bars on it.

The feeling could be anything but "death wobble" is 100% caused by a trackbar issue.

Budke · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 1:50 pm

DirtyKK wrote:

Budke wrote:

Loose track bar won't cause death wobble on a YJ. Hell, 90% of people who wheel their YJs don't even have track or sway bars on it.

The feeling could be anything but "death wobble" is 100% caused by a trackbar issue.

No, it is not.
My jeep doesn't even have a trac bar on it. I took that B off after my river rock trip. The leafs keep it from swaying side to side unlike coil sprung vehicles, which NEED track and sway bars.
Go to jeepforum, go to the YJ section, and ask if YJs need track and sway bars. They'll tell you all you need to know.

Ms5490renegade · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:19 pm

DirtyKK wrote:

Budke wrote:

Loose track bar won't cause death wobble on a YJ. Hell, 90% of people who wheel their YJs don't even have track or sway bars on it.

The feeling could be anything but "death wobble" is 100% caused by a trackbar issue.

yes. they have been over this again and again.
death wobble is trackbar related. ask anyone who KNOWS what they are talking about and they will tell you that

Budke · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 2:58 pm

So if trackbars are SOOOO important, then why did CJs come from the factory without them??

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:04 pm

YC-Yjs also have leaf springs.

Budke I'm telling you what "death wobble" is, the issue could be something else. Worn out leaf springs and/or bushings could probably cause it if he does not have a trackbar.

rockwerks · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 8:19 pm

DirtyKK wrote:

YC-Yjs also have leaf springs.

Budke I'm telling you what "death wobble" is, the issue could be something else. Worn out leaf springs and/or bushings could probably cause it if he does not have a trackbar.

Trackbar is not needed on a YJ and worn spring bushings will also not cause Death Wobble in a YJ. It boils down to ball joints or steering issues, out of balance tires can start the Death Wobble but there is an underlying issue

Budke · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 10:35 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Per

, it's because CJ's have leaf spring front suspension.

And the PO drives a YJ, which has leafs.

I stated earlier that leaf sprung vehicles don't need track bars while coil sprung do.
But these guys decided to argue with me when I own a YJ!

If deathwobble is caused by a loose track bar, then my whole darn axle should have sheared off the front by now, becuase my trackbar has been gone for 2-3 months.

curt7088 · **Posted:** Thu Jan 06, 2011 11:23 pm

look for something in the steering and or ball joints... lol listen to Budke hahaha... funny thread, no one believes the guy who HAS a YJ LOL!!!

DirtyKK · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:46 am

Apparently nobody understands what I'm saying. Death wobble is the axle shifting violently left and right under the vehicle. A trackbar causes this problem. The OP obviously has a problem but it is not defined as death wobble. So he has a violent vibration but its NOT death wobble, all I'm sayin.

Also, there are reasons why people don't listen to Budke.

rockwerks · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:57 am

DirtyKK wrote:

Apparently nobody understands what I'm saying. Death wobble is the axle shifting violently left and right under the vehicle. A trackbar causes this problem. The OP obviously has a problem but it is not defined as death wobble. So he has a violent vibration but its NOT death wobble, all I'm sayin.

Also, there are reasons why people don't listen to Budke.

Death wobble in my experience can be the trackbar but usually not. I have worked on a ton of XJ's with DW. DW also has nothing to do with the entire axle shifting back and forth but the wheels osculating back and forth. I have experienced DW many times most often worn Ball Joints or damaged steering. I have seen a few YJ's with true DW.

here are a few vids showing DW notice the axle stays centered

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7cEOPYQFTs&NR=1

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwiv23dLhMY&NR=1

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:13 am

yellocoyote wrote:

Considering the source... :5SHOTS:

Nevermind.

And yeah, I'm aware that my Wrangler/CJ knowledge is limited (non-existant :roll:

)... thus the search.

Atleast you admit it.

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:13 am

curt7088 wrote:

look for something in the steering and or ball joints... lol listen to Budke hahaha... funny thread, no one believes the guy who HAS a YJ LOL!!!

I know right? And they call me stupid....

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 9:22 am

I knew I knew the PO from somewhere else.
Check it guys http://www.floridajeepers.net/viewtopic.php?t=66874

Notice how NO ONE mentioned a track bar.
Why, because ITS NOT THE PROBLEM!

Soo, I'm guessing most of you guys assume that the info is wrong since it is coming from me??

If so, you guys need to grow up and learn something.
Google works great for finding out info.

Budke · **Posted:** Fri Jan 07, 2011 12:06 pm

yellocoyote wrote:

Budke wrote:

curt7088 wrote:

look for something in the steering and or ball joints... lol listen to Budke hahaha... funny thread, no one believes the guy who HAS a YJ LOL!!!

I know right? And they call me stupid....

Maybe they are just heeding your disclaimer.

Others are familiar with your history... just sayin'. :jester:

Well... my disclaimer could pose a possible problem. lol

And, yeah, some might know my previous history...but that was a while ago. :SOMBRERO:

death wobble? please help

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