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2007 Jeep Wrangler

548 messages,  Last post on Aug 22, 2011 at 7:21 AM

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What is this discussion about? Jeep Wrangler Unlimited, SUV

Messages Page 54 of 55

#531 of 548 New Jeep Wrangler Owner by seatoyotasales

Apr 21, 2009 (10:12 pm)

Just bought a used 2007 Jeep Wrangler X in Red Rock Pearl with Khaki Interior and black soft top. Previously owned by a military guy who stored it in his garage for a year while overseas. Only has 10,400 miles on it and is near perfect. It has the upgraded sound system with Satellite radio and sub in the back, cloth seats, cruise, tilt and A/C. 6 Speed manual. Already stopped by the Jeep dealer to check out the VIN and service advisor says it needs the brake computer "flash" which was a TSB or service campaign. Interior rear view mirror is also starting to delaminate so it should be a warranty item as well. Replacing my 2001 GMC truck with the Jeep and have a Lexus to drive too but this one is more fun that either of those.
 
How easy is the soft top to take off and put back on? Seattle weather here is getting nice so it is going to have to come down soon!
 
Also, even though the 7 speaker sound system is pretty good, does anybody know if changing the tweets on the dash and the other speakers is fairly easy? Might be something down the road but I want the stock look and keep the current amp/head unit.
 
This forum was a big help and I will keep my eye open for some of the items mentioned to watch out for.
 
Oh ya, paid $13,850 for it (It was a trade in from a Toyota dealer I work at so I got a great price on it)

#532 of 548 Re: severe shaking [lovemyjeep] by jeepjunk

Jan 26, 2010 (9:38 am)

Replying to: lovemyjeep (Apr 21, 2009 5:19 pm)
I just had the death wobble happen to my wife while I was following her down Rt 95. It scared the hell out of her. The steering wheel almost shook out of her hands. She did everything she could to maintain control of the jeep. It is at the dealer now and they said it is a bad steering dampener. I have contacted a lemon law attorney and made a complaint to the hwts dot . they said this is a common complaint. I have read multiple post in regards to people having this repair made and only 6 mon. later it happens again. I am extremely concerned with my wife and 11 yr old son driving in this vehicle. This is a potential matter of life and death. Thank God it was not raining when this happened to her.

#533 of 548 Re: 2007 4dr wrangler steering stabilizer issues [giantsin06] by surgigirl1

Sep 12, 2010 (3:35 pm)

Replying to: giantsin06 (May 10, 2008 5:36 am)
I can't begin to tell you all how pissed off I am about the "death wobble" of my 2007 Jeep Wrangler 4 door. This is my 3rd Jeep. I have been happy in the past with all my other Jeeps. This time I purchased a used 2007 4 door. I ask the dealer why someone would trade in such a new vehicle (only 20,000) miles? Now I see why this woman (the previous owner) traded it in. After me owning this vehicle for 3 months (just in time for the warranty to end) my Jeep starts shaking when I get up around 45 mph. It started out not so bad, but last night I was driving home late from work and it was shaking so bad that I pulled off to the side of the road and had to sit for awhile until I decided to get back on the road and drive home going under 40 mph on the highway.
Now I see that many others are having this problem. I am so angry that I was taken advantage of by this dealer that I will be up there in the morning and letting them know that they should be fixing this for free.
 
I would really like to know if any others have contacted Jeep itself and if they were more help than the dealerships, for I don't see the dealer helping me to fix this and that I might need to go to the source. PLEASE CONTACT ME at surgigirlcomcast.net if you can help me.
Thanks

#534 of 548 Re: 2007 4dr wrangler steering stabilizer issues [surgigirl1] by tidester

Sep 12, 2010 (4:24 pm)

Replying to: surgigirl1 (Sep 12, 2010 3:35 pm)
Please don't include your email address in postings to the Forums. Thanks!
 
tidester, host
SUVs and Smart Shopper

#535 of 548 Re: New Jeep Wrangler Owner [seatoyotasales] by erickpl

Sep 27, 2010 (6:06 am)

Replying to: seatoyotasales (Apr 21, 2009 10:12 pm)
Upgrading the speakers shouldn't be a problem. I personally love Kicker speakers due to their construction and frequency responses. I have Kicker 6x9's in my TJ and they've been putting out the sound since 2003. My fronts are being replaced with Kickers as well.
 
-Paul

#536 of 548 steering stabalizer by scarpetta

Sep 29, 2010 (8:25 pm)

All Credit to planman from jk-forum for this information. if you need more information I suggest heading over there but this is the revised edition of the solution.
 
NOTE### the steering stabilizer should be the last thing you replace not the first as it will more than likely cover up the real issue and cause more problems to your vehicle or safety when it returns again
 
DIAGNOSIS LIST
Assuming your tire psi is 28-30, your tires/wheels have been balanced and rotated to make sure the wobble doesn't move with the rotation, here would be my order:
 
   1. Remove the steering stabilizer.
   2. Have someone turn the engine on and turn slowly from full lock to full lock while I visually, manually (with my hands on the components), and auditorily inspect for any play in the tie rod ends, drag link ends, sector shaft, trackbar ends/bolts/brackets, and trackbar welds.
   3. Then, do the same thing but with short, sharp, quick back and forth turns of the steering wheel instead of the slow, lock to lock approach.
   4. Then, I would remove the front trackbar to inspect the bolt holes for ovaling and inspect the trackbar bushings for separation or cracking with a long screw driver through the bolt sleeve and the trackbar in a vise to leverage against the bushing in all directions. If all is good, I would reinstall the trackbar with the tires on the ground at ride height to 125 lbs.
   5. Then, I would inspect the drag link end joints by using a large channel lock wrench that gave me enough leverage to check for up and down play in the drag link ends. There should not be any meaningful up and down play. If there is, the joints should be replaced or a new drag link with heavy duty joints should be installed. After, I would check the torque of the drag link ends. There should be no meaningful up and down, no side to side, and only rotational movement in the drag link ends.
   6. Then, I would inspect the tie rod ends with the channel lock wrench for up and down movement. There should be no meaningful up and down play. There should only be rotational movement in the joint end.
   7. Then, I would put the front axle on jack stands and check the front ball joints by using a long pry bar as a lever under the front tires to lift them up to inspect for up and down play in the lower ball joints. There shouldn't be more than maybe 1-2 mm.
   8. Then, I would use the prybar/lever against the frame and the top of the tire to inspect for lateral movement of the top ball joints. There shouldn't be any.
   9. Then, I would remove the front tires/wheels and remove the front tie rod--one knuckle at a time. Then with a large wrench or vice grips, I would inspect the end for side to side play. Then I would reinstall the end and torque to spec and repeat on the other side.
  10. Then, I would remove the brake calipers and brake disks to inspect the unitbearings for play.
  11. Then, I would reinstall the discs, brake calipers, and tires/wheels and set the axle back on the ground.
  12. Then, I would support but not lift the front axle with a floor jack and loosen the front lower control arm bolts. One at a time, I would drop the lower control arms to inspect the bolt holes and bushings (similar to with the trackbar), reinstall without torquing, and do the next one. Afterwards, remove the floor jack so the suspension is at ride height, vigorously rock the vehicle side to side and front and back, then torque to spec.
  13. Next, I would inspect the sector shaft that comes out of the steering box for cracking or twisting.
  14. Then, I would take a test drive without the steering stablizer to feel for any wobbles.
  15. Finally, I would reinstall the steering stablizer or spring $40 for a heavy duty steering stablizer.
 
If this front end inspection does not diagnose and/or solve it, then I would move to an alignment.
 
   1. I would use adjustable lower front control arms to set my caster spec between 4 and 5 degrees--with a cross caster that has less on the driver side than the passenger side. I would personally not do more or less, with a target around 4.5-4.7 degrees caster.
   2. If my camber is out of spec, but it is not due to failed ball joints, I would install offset ball joints to get my camber in spec.
   3. I would set my toe-in to spec on the machine--which is about a 1/8" toe-in.
   4. If my front to rear alignment is off, I would install rear lower adjustable control arms to fix this.

#537 of 548 not a do it yourself job by podedwards

Oct 18, 2010 (12:30 pm)

I strongly suggest that a front end shop deal with steering problems for safety reasons.

#538 of 548 Balance the tires correctly when they are new by podedwards

Oct 18, 2010 (12:57 pm)

My 2007 Wrangler Sahara Unlimited has a little over 25K and I've had no steering problems and the steering damper does not need replacing. I drive it on the highway, back roads in the Colorado Rockies, in snow, ice-whatever. It is a great highway and off-road vehicle.
 
A bubble balance does not work for rims and tires on newer vehicles. They have to be balanced with the tire on a traction surface. Goodyear calls in "road force" balancing. It is excellent smooth as glass and prevents the hyperbole "death wobble".
 
The problem is, and any tire shop or dealership out to know, that if tires are not balanced properly from the start they get flat spots and get out of round and balancing of any kind won't help.
 
This kind of balancing was done routinely before bubble balance came into vogue. It requires more skill and it is a little more hazardous for the technician. It is a matter of feel.
 
Most dealerships for all brands don't take the time to know what to do and to do it right from the get go. It is certainly not limited to Jeep.
 
I suspect that very few steering dampers have needed to be replaced.
 
Write Caveat emptor on the front of the owner's manual.

#539 of 548 Re: Balance the tires correctly when they are new [podedwards] by mac24

Oct 19, 2010 (8:53 am)

Replying to: podedwards (Oct 18, 2010 12:57 pm)
My 2007 Wrangler Sahara Unlimited has a little over 25K and I've had no steering problems and the steering damper does not need replacing. I drive it on the highway, back roads in the Colorado Rockies, in snow, ice-whatever. It is a great highway and off-road vehicle.
 
That's good to hear.
 
A bubble balance does not work for rims and tires on newer vehicles. They have to be balanced with the tire on a traction surface. Goodyear calls in "road force" balancing. It is excellent smooth as glass and prevents the hyperbole "death wobble".
 
A bubble balancer works on modern rims and tires as well as it did 70 or 80 years ago when it was the only type of balancer available. It hasn't recently come into vogue, in fact it was the only means of balancing originally
However, a rim/tire combination can only be balanced statically in that way, which is why the rotating balancer commonly see in tire shops was developed.
 
The rotating balancer dynamically balances the wheel resulting in much improved rotational stability.
The next and latest development to the balancer is the Hunter GSP9700 Roadforce machine.
This has nothing to do with Goodyear and is a trademark registered to Hunter.
This machine performs many functions including balancing the wheel under load as though it was being driven on the road.
It also measures any side to side runout of the tread, and can independently measure the imbalance of the rim and the tire, allowing the the tire to be positioned at the best possible location on the rim so that little or no weight will be needed to complete the balance.
You can read all about it and find one near you here: Hunter Roadforce
(I have no connection with Hunter.)
 
Yes, it's the ultimate in wheel balancing, but it's incorrect to say it's a requirement for all modern wheels and tires. There are many millions of vehicles running very smoothly and getting full tire life with tires balanced on a conventional rotational balancer.
 
I suspect that very few steering dampers have needed to be replaced.
 
I think Jeep would disagree, which is why they came out with a modified damper.
 
The occasional uncontrollable progressive cyclic oscillation of the front wheels ('death wobble') in JKs is a product of suspension design, not wheel balance, although an imbalance can trigger the process.
In TJs it's usually worn steering and suspension components (often coupled with larger tires and a suspension lift) that cause the problem.
 
A heavier duty damper will mask the issue, which is Jeep's answer for the JK issue.
However, on a TJ it makes much more sense to replace the worn parts first.
 
Finally, in regard to hyperbole; while I haven't heard of a fatal accident being caused by 'death wobble' I think the term is quite appropriate as the driver usually feel like they're going to die.
The steering wheel is often wrenched from the hands, the vehicle often changes lanes, sometimes ending up on the median or at the side of the road, and the only control the driver has is over the brakes.
It definitely comes under the heading of 'a bad day at the office'!

#540 of 548 Re: severe shaking [lovemyjeep] by brian_1954

Jan 13, 2011 (9:07 pm)

Replying to: lovemyjeep (Apr 21, 2009 5:19 pm)
I own a 07 with 80,000 mi, we bought it new and travel from western Ma.to Cape cod sometimes several times a week. I did notice the problem you mentioned. I brought it to a friend of mine and he rebalanced the tires, which took the problem away. He said the 17 rimes need to be rebalanced more often. I also had a low tire which also compounded the problem and I fixed that problem as well. I love the jeep,,,,

Messages Page 54 of 55

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