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193 messages, Last post on Sep 26, 2009 at 5:22 AM
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Replying to: riclee (Oct 07, 2008 11:30 am) I have a 97 TJ and I've never had DW, though I've had some tire/wheel setups that were out of balance or round. That combo got relegated to the spare carrier.  Other than that, even lifted 3" with 33's, I'm doing okay with NO death wobble. I have aftermarket swaybar disconnects, aftermarket trackbar (both JKS), and I have a Grand Cherokee (ZJ) tie rod with new ends. Even with all that change, everything is still running great. And I have the stock steering stabilizer on (which is more of a bandaid/mask than anything). The steering setup for a Jeep has always been a questionable design and a LOT will depend on the draglink and trackbar being parallel. If they are parallel, more than likely it is an issue with one of the joints in the setup (tie rods, track bar ends, drag link connection, or even possibly bad ball joints on the steering knuckles (which I would NOT suspect on a 2006). -Paul
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Replying to: erickpl (Oct 08, 2008 4:22 am) It hasn't done the DW since Chrysler changed out the damper but as you said, that is merely a temporary 'fix'. After the last time is did the wobble I have become a bit frightened of it. I have yet to read where someone has had an accident during the DW and I sure don't want to be the first. My friend also has a '97 with a 3" body lift kit and larger tires. He reports that he never had the problem and he even takes his off road quite a bit.
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Replying to: riclee (Oct 09, 2008 12:27 am) Instead of going with a factory setup, you MAY want to consider some aftermarket steering setups. Currie makes an EXCELLENT one and may be worth doing. I'm a firm believer that the auto companies have great designs, but the aftermarket improves on them even more. 3" body lift? UGH. A body lift will not really alter the steering geometry a bit other than the steering shaft to the steering box. I'd suggest a 2" budget boost and 1" body lift. It'll look a lot better (smaller gaps between frame and tub) and IMO be safer than the 3" body lift. -Paul
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I also experienced the death wobble a few times over the last year in my stock 2003 Sport that I bought new. It has never been off-road, hardly ever been dirty, and only has 13,600 miles on it. I had a Ford Festiva that I drove harder than my Jeep! Anyway, I was convinced that the problem was tires because the car alway started to shimmy at 50 to 60 mph. I did replace the steering damper and this seemed to help but not for long and the wobble was still there. This week I went in to buy new tires but asked for a check of the track bar first since I understand it can cause the problem. The track bar did have a very, very small amount of play in it and I had it replaced still convinced the problem was tires. I've driven the car for a couple of days now, hit all of my favorite bumps that set it off in the past and not only does the wobble seem to be gone but the "tire" shimmy as well. I'm not sure why the track bar would fail on a car that was hardly driven but hopefully I've got my practically "new" Jeep back.
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Replying to: erickpl (Oct 09, 2008 4:42 am)
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Replying to: riclee (Oct 10, 2008 4:38 pm) There are vendors out there like Currie. http://www.currieenterprises.com/cestore/currectlync.aspx?id=913 It is an upgraded tie rod and drag ling setup. There is also an option called HiSteer by a company called ORO. But this is mainly for offroaders to move the tie rod assembly up higher to avoid rocks and such. The Currie setup is supposed to be pretty good. That said, IF the problem lies with the trackbar setup and being loose at the axle end, the Currie setup won't fix this. Here is a picture of the steering components identified clearly. THOSE are the components you want to look at to resolve the death wobble. SOMETHING is loose somewhere, you have bad tires, or some bushings are worn out. While you shouldn't expect it on a newer TJ, it can happen.  You can see that the trackbar and drag link are pretty much parallel in the pic above. THAT is key for death wobble prevention. If they aren't fairly parallel, you will have problems. (BTW, those sway bar links are aftermarket. Stock will not look like that). Hope that helps some. I've diagnosed a few loose spots on people's Jeeps and solved the cases I've come across, but it is a LOT harder over the net. -Paul
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Replying to: erickpl (Oct 15, 2008 5:21 am) 1- I don't see the damper on your picture, therefore I assume your steering is set up different than mine. Correct? 2- If I do the checking for loose nuts, tec how will I know that I'm not tightening something that may be an adjustment? You see, I really don't have the money to take this in for others to work on it. I suppose I will need to eventually though because it's beyond me.
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Replying to: riclee (Oct 15, 2008 1:41 pm) My steering setup is stock with the exception of aftermarket swaybar disconnects (like those shown in the pic), aftermarket track bar (made by JKS), and a tie rod for a Grand Cherokee (since it is thicker and stronger). Geometries are 100% the same though. For checking the loose nuts, have somebody sit behind the wheel. Start the Jeep. Have them slowly steer back and forth at your command. 1. Check the joints for the trackbar (frame and lower passenger axle). If there is any movement, they need to be tightened down. 2. Check the tierod ends. If the do anything OTHER than rotate the bar a tiny bit (ie there appears to be play), tighten em down. 3. Check the drag link ends. If it is loose at the steering box, tighten as best you can. 4. If you can jack up your front a bit so wheels are off the ground, do that. Then grab the top and bottom of the tire and see if you can 'rock' the wheel back and forth. It may have a tiny bit of play, and that is normal. If it seems excessive, your ball joints may be toast. 5. While it is jacked up, grab one end of the axle and see if you can 'rock' it forward and back. If you can move it excessively, your control arm bushings may be worn and may need replacement. Most likely, you'll find one of those to be the case. As for tightening down, a torque wrench is a GREAT investment and you can find them at harbor freight fairly inexpensively. You can also pick up a Haynes manual from places like Autozone for about 20.00. I'm not mechanically inclined when I started, but now have no problems working on my Jeep at all. -Paul
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Replying to: erickpl (Oct 16, 2008 8:05 am)
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Replying to: riclee (Oct 16, 2008 2:33 pm) -Paul
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