Death wobble revisited

Wheel bearings are an easy start.

If you grab the top of the tire and start to rock the Jeep side to side using all your weight, you should be able to feel a click or play if the ball joints are bad. Then if you pull the wheel side to side, you can see tie rod ends bad or not. If it does both, then jack it up and see if it flops around because of a bad wheel bearing.

If no play, then Jack it up so the tire is 'just' clear of the ground and hand spin the tire slow to see if it is egg or S shaped with a bad belt wobble or 'bent out of the box' rim wobble.

Mike

jbjeep wrote:

Good ideas Mike. Jenn, Here's a W.A.G. on my part since I am not a mechanic by any means. If / when you perform ths 'spin' test, how about trying the following. With the wheel off the ground determine the angle of the wheel. brace a simple piece of wood (yardstick or something) than place a device something that will allow the wheel to spin freely but push away from your hand - maybe a caster wheel from the bottom of an old desk. If it does not make contack all around that that would give you an idea to degree you would be off. Maybe your neighbor has a gauge that would show any deflection. If you'd like to get more accuracy of the differance place the outer most position of the 'caster wheel' with a piece of chalk. This would mark the area that is furtherest outbound & spin. Measure the distance from your yardstick at the chaulk to the opposite surfac of the chaulk mark. This should / might give you an indication how much or if your wheel is off. Hopefully it is not. Good luck in finding your problem and hope it is a minor fix. Steve in Michigan

Jenn, Mike has some great suggestions. If you do the wheel spin, ere's a W.A.G. on my part. Since I am not a mechanic by any means remember it's a wag. If / when you perform the 'spin' test, how about trying the following. With the wheel off the ground determine the angle of the wheel. Brace a simple piece of wood (yardstick or something) at the same angle,than place a device something that will allow the wheel to spin freely but push away from your hand - maybe a caster wheel from the bottom of an old desk. If it does not make contact all around after second rotation that that would give you an idea your wheel is off. Maybe your neighbor has a gauge that would show any deflection. If you'd like to get more accuracy of the differance place the outer most position of the 'caster wheel' with a piece of chalk and spin. This would mark the area that is furtherest outbound & spin. Measure the distance from your yardstick at the middle of the chaulk to the opposite diameter of the wheel. This should / might give you an indication how much your wheel is off. Hopefully it is not. Good luck in finding your problem and hope it is a minor fix. Steve in Michigan

Bearing doesnt seem to be the problem. Both sides seemed tight. Ball joints seemed ok too.

I just had a brand new Currie HD tie rod and drag link put in and the passenger side draglink end looks to have some play (its 2 months old) in it.

My track bar is deffinitly shot at both ends. Could this be the problem? We tightened everything up as much as possible and we didnt feel any difference at all.

Didnt do this, but I did have a buddy ride with me and he said that the passenger side is wobbling badly when it starts. Which means it isnt a tire IMO, since 1) both sides are doing it, and 2) we swapped the front tires for the backs and it made no difference at all.

We tightened up everything and anything that was loose. Which included the stabilizer bracket and the track bar adjuster. Still no changes.

Got any more ideas for me???

up and help

New track bar seems to have corrected the problem. =)

cant see it.

up and help

Thanks for the follow-up. The track bar kinda holds everything in place.

Mike

jbjeep wrote:

- at speed

Otherwise

cant see it.

it actually

was "nearly

it up and help

Uhhh.... The re-weld has always been on the back one. This time it was the front, and the thing was just plain shot - been on there since the summer of '99 when I _first_ lifted the TJ.

Yea, its pretty amazing the difference with a new one on there. That sucker (RE) is pretty stout too.

We checked bearings/hubs/alignment/castor/tie rod/drag link/tires/etc. and it just was time to replace the TB. I am all ready for the next run (only 3.5 weeks to wait!).

joints seemed

since 1) both

there - at speed

starts around

up. Otherwise

wobble in the

I cant see it.

and it actually

it was "nearly

in and out by

it up and help