Jeep Death Wobble - What Can You Do?

Jeep Death Wobble What Can You Do?

Volumes could be written on the Jeep death wobble. Whole libraries. With fancy graphs, charts, and some engineering jargon just to make it look good. Maybe a few jokes and cartoons, and in the end, you'll have the same thing as what you started with: a big question mark floating over your head. What the $#$@# is causing this? First, let's go back to the beginning ... When you buy a new Jeep, it's unlikely it had a death wobble right off the show room floor. So it's not a problem that is inherit to the vehicle per se'. Lots of engineers with various degrees and knowledge designed the vehicle to function a certain way, ie. without a death wobble. The suspension geometry has all been tested, analyzed, picked though, calculated, and graphed. It all functions together in a unified way, to make sure that you won't be getting a death wobble package with your new Jeep. It's just not an option. So your Jeep didn't have one when it was new. Where did it come from? Most likely, .... YOU! Ok, so now that we've established that fact, let's look deeper into this. Guess what? Everyone mods up their Jeep at one time or another, so it's no big deal. A death wobble is a possible outcome, but not in every case. So now that you've stood on the edge of death at 30-40 mph, and you've used every possible word a sailor might blush at, where do you go from here? First step:

• Make a thorough inspection of the tires (inflated correctly?) and suspension. Look for any obvious causes: loose parts, bent parts, leaking parts, MISSING parts, etc. If you can't find anything, then you will need to go deeper on inspecting and testing the parts individually. But before you take anything apart:

Second step:

• Make sure the tires are balanced correctly. By a shop that knows how to properly balance an offroad truck or SUV tire, and has the right equipment to do so. Since most are larger than a passenger car tire.
• Make sure the alignment is correct. Make sure it was done by a shop with the knowledge to align a 4x4 lifted vehicle, and has the proper machines to do so. What alignment specs are they using? OE specs? Specs from you? Specs from the parts manufacturer? Or a "guess and go" spec?
• If you rotate the tires, front to back or side to side, does that effect the issue?

Third step (if 1 and 2 don't solve the issue):

• Check out any parts that were newly installed. Double check that they were installed correctly. That the torque specs (if any) are correct. That all the measurements and geometry of the parts are correct. Double check your instructions for the products installed. Bolts are tight. Bushings are working correctly and not bunched up, off center or crimped.

Fourth step (if the previous steps don't solve the issue)

• Start inspecting the old and factory parts that you DIDN'T install. Are your new parts putting extra pressure on those parts? Can those stock or weaker parts hold up to your new ones?
• The front suspension is the biggest cause of death wobble, so every older component should be inspected and tested. Ball joints (especially the lower ones, since they carry the load the most) can get weak, tie rods can be worn and sloppy. center-links can get bent or sloppy,  track-bars can get sloppy and have worn bushings. Old steering stabilizers can leak. Flex arms wear out.
• Jacking up the front of the Jeep, with the tires up off the ground (and safely using jack stands of course), you can check out the suspension while it's unloaded. Move everything around, grab a hold of the parts and see if you can move them, turn the steering, is it tight and smooth? Check the wheel bearings, nice and tight, rotors turn smoothly? What you're primarily looking for is any "play", or sloppiness, or binding.

Fifth step: (if the previous steps don't solve the issue)

• At this point, you've covered the basics. If none of the previous steps solved the problem, then it's probably a combination of parts not working together. The geometry of a front suspension is a complicated thing. It only takes  a small issue or vibration to oscillate into a big one. It's not always something you can see or find. You may need to change a part to something else, such as a tire size or type of tire. Or one part may be throwing off the entire front end.
• Checking out the vehicle is usually something a Jeep owner can do themselves, with a moderate amount of tools. But even after all these steps, you may need a second opinion at a shop, preferably one with off road 4x4 experience.

When assessing a death wobble problem, note that other vehicles, especially 4x4s, including pickup trucks, have similar problems. It's not something that just applies to Jeeps. Most Jeeps, specifically Wranglers and CJs, usually get a suspension modification, more than trucks or other vehicles, so that's why you hear about so much when the subject of Jeeps comes up. Every vehicle is different, and there are a million ways to modify a Jeep, but we hope these basics here will give you an idea of where to start and what to look for. Finding the problem yourself can help you save money (and your life!), but it can also help so you know what exact part may need to be replaced and ordered. Just some final notes and thoughts. Typically, Most leaf spring Jeeps (such as CJ or a YJ) don't get the Death Wobble in the same sense as a vehicle with coil spring suspension. But it can happen (for instance, a broken center pin might cause an issue). It's more prevalent and common in the coil spring / trackbar / linked suspensions. Even something as unusual as a broken or bent frame can cause a Death Wobble. There's a wide range of possibilities, so don't be afraid to look outside any suggestions we've made here. Anything's possible! See ya on the trails !