A case of death wobble today

Hmmm.... Death wobble with a loose bar. Now you wonder what would happen if you took the thing off????

Yikes....

Mike

86/00 CJ7 Laredo, 33x9.5 BFG Muds, 'glass nose to tail in '00 88 Cherokee 235 BFG AT's

Terry Jeffrey wrote:

I'll second that diagnosis.

I have a leaf spring suspension, and I have no trackbar and no DW experiences. I am about due for some DW though because I suspect the ball joints are worn and I know the tie rods are near end-life.

DW is caused because one tire gets pushed off of straight ahead, and it takes a while for the other tire to aim itself in the same direction. During the delay, the first tire regains its composure and starts looking for the front again, in the mean time the other tire has cought up to where the first tire was a second ago but isn't anymore. The second tire then heads back to the front, but the first tire is not there anymore because it has decided to go to where the other tire just left. Things spiral downward from there.

Caster Angle plays a large role in DW, but caster is not adjustable in a leaf spring front end. (Yes, caster can be adjusted by shims, but the idea is that the axle builder sets the caster angle by the way it positions the spring perches, and the angle normally does not require adjustment as much as it might in a coil spring set up.) I suspect the caster angle on your YJ is probably fine, so it is time to move on to some of the other issues. Ball joints and tie rods should be checked. The Lower Ball Joint is the one that you will most likely need to replace, and you should give serious consideration to replacing both of them even if only one passes the test for a failure item. To test for failure, raise the front tire off the ground and

1.) try to move it by pushing and pulling at the top and the bottom, and 2.) use a lever to lift the tire. The tire under test ought not move in either of these tests. You need a buddy to GENTLY turn the steering wheel back and forth as you look at each tie rod end. There should be no play in the tie rod ends.

If the tires (both) pass both of the ball joint tests and all of the tie rod ends pass the tie rod tests, THEN you can get away with replacing the steering stabalizer as the only repair activity. If any of the ball joints or tie rods fail its respective test, then replace all like-parts and the steering stabalizer. In the case of the ball joints, it is only necessary (MOST OF THE TIME) to replace the lower ball joints. The upper ball joints don't carry any weight, so they do not go out very often.

lol...that's kinda what i was thinking...

I would start with the simplest solution, balance the wheels and check for straightness/concentricity

-- Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Bill: READ MY PREVIOUS WORDS CAREFULLY

YOU are the one that suggested changing the stabilizer WITHOUT=20 checking for the underlying causes. In my mind, that is getting=20 close to advocating an unsafe fix for a dangerous problem.

Note that I did not say anything about not replacing a worn=20 stablizier only that advice about a stablizer should also include=20 advice/warning to check for the root cause.

L.W.(=DFill) Hughes III wrote:

It very well might be the steering stabilizer because everything else on the front is new. All the steering components and entire front end is new and tight and only has about 3,000 miles. Ball joints, tie rod & ends, drag link & ends, and steering arms are all new, freshly lubed and tight. I just put a Dynatrac D60 up front in October.

I'll do the test you suggest anyway tonight and see what happens. I'll have the caster checked too at one of these local garages and shim it up if needed. I removed the track bar for now but still got the DW in that same damn bump again so I know it wasn't the track bar as first thought. If she passes the ball joint and tie rod tests then I'll focus on the old steering stabilizer. The stabilizer is currently mounted from the frame to the drag link. One fellow today suggested moving the mount to the tie rod instead since it is "closer" to the steering.

Thanks for all the comments and info.

Terry

92YJ

Bill, as a "seasoned" mechanic, I certainly expect that you should know the mechanic's creedo: Assume Nothing. I am with Roy on this one.

Jerry

If a seasoned mechanic knows that a certain symptom commonly has=20 a serious (expensive or dangerous) underlying cause, the good=20 mechanic will always search for the possible/probable cause=20 rather than just apply a band aid fix. For said seasoned mechanic=20 to suggest to a neophyte that the fix is easy with a band aid is=20 rubbish. For something as serious as Death Wobble, it is highly=20 undethical to not point out how close to the edge the vehicle MAY=20 be.

Most of the newbys that read or post on RAMJ+W have read or heard=20 about Death Wobble, they think it is an interesting name, and=20 laugh it off. Anyone that has experienced it on a ride from 60mph=20 to 10 or 15 mph has a different view of it.

I have personally spent way to much time chasing down various=20 thumps, bumps, and loose joints that only manifested themselves=20 in very strange directions or on seemingly unrelated parts. They=20 can be very hard to find until it almost falls apart in your=20 hand. I'm a big boy and have done this before. But newbys expect=20 and need more than the one liner.

If your orig> Roy, while under there replacing the stabilizer that you know he needs

Quit trying to wiggle out of the fact that you give a flippant=20 answer to the orignal question that could have gotten the OP in=20 serious trouble. What I thought or knew was immaterial.

If you wish to c> The original Poster said it was a "Death Wobble" of course no one