Wobble after bumps

Steering stablisiser / damper not working properly ?

Also o see how much play you have in your control arm bushings, steering bushings etc.

Dave Milne, Scotland '99 TJ 4.0 Sahara

That is called the 'death wobble' and is caused by a marginally or really worn part overpowering the steering stabilizer shock.

Check out the stabilizer for signs it has leaked.

If the stabilizer is still good, then some other part is seriously dead. On a 95 I would be suspecting the stabilizer first though.

That shock is on the steering to keep it mellow when parts wear slightly. A 'perfect' front end usually doesn't need one, but parts wear, so 'perfect' doesn't last long.

Mike

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

Mark Wils>

Thanks, the most common answer I'm seeing is steering stabilizer. I've also seen ABS kicking in, U-Joint, re-re-re balance, drive shaft is not aligned right, etc, etc.... after running a Google search, I was amazed at how many folks out there are spending THOUSANDS to find the problem only to have it back at the shop to tell em..try again. I've called every Jeep dealer in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and none claim to have ever heard of the Jeep Death Wobble. I don't believe it for a second.

Question, stabilizer is a cause, or a result of something else gone wacko and putting too much strain on the stablizer?

I venture result, but of what, dunno. :(

Found that having uneven tires on the front (tread depth difference of about 1/8") contributed to my problems. Putting the closest matching tires up front eliminated my last run-in with DW before getting new tires.

Balance will also start the problem.

Once wobble sets in your tires are going to get cupped badly. I've found that stiff shocks stop the problem. Perhaps my choice of Edelbrock IAS over RS9000 was not good. Next year the IAS shocks are coming out and I'm putting in the RS9000 adjustable. (and a compressor)

Jeep has to know about this but simply will not admit it till enough people die as to affect sales. :/

Last time I had DW, I took the local Jeep head mechanic and manager on a short highway drive. They almost climbed out the window when wobble set in on a highway curve at 50MPH. :) But I did get new shocks, stabilizer, tire balance, and suspension checked. Problem did go away for a while but comes back every so often. (like last month)

Wish someone has "the answer".f

If everything is perfect. no wobble.

If the stabilizer is worn and/or parts are worn, you can get the DW.

The stabilizer can be the cause on a vehicle with 200K easily. No old steering system is 'perfect', so the stabilizer needs to work. That is what it is there for.

Cars don't have it, Jeeps and other trucks need it.

Mike

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

Mark Wils>

It's a coloquial term among Jeepers. I don't doubt for a second that most mechanics, even Jeep dealer machanics, have never heard of it.

Result....put a new one on and it too will be shot in short order. As Mike said already, usually the cause is loose or worn steering components, or in the case of SWB Jeeps, especially lifted TJs, INSUFFICIENT CASTER!!!

Paul

Thanks a million folks :-) naw, I didn't use the term DW with the dealers but the symptoms and how they are fairly common among jeeps. I'll take the plunge and go to work on a new stabilizer and the adjustments needed.

try your steering stabilizer.....it worked for me "I don't miss out on normality,I'd rather hang on to madness than normality anyway"; KateBush

"Who are these as_holes who dictate what icons we worship?".......Robert Williams

I have a 2002 Wrangler Sport that between 50 and 55 either accelerating or braking does this if you hit a bump. The Jeep has turned into our primary driver, so I have 41000 miles on it. I have been following this thread for a bit now. I guess I will need to look into a new stabilizer. Any ideas on what to get? Any ideas on other causes I should look at? I don't have a lift and I have the tires that came on the Sport/Canyon group I think it was called. They're about 31s I think. Thanks for your help.

Have the track bar checked also. It holds the front axle from moving side to side and has bushings (that can wear/fail) at both ends. Had the DW on a 95 GC and a new track bar fixed the problem. The stabilizer justs damps out the problem before it can get too violent. You have to find the cause (worn parts).

My mechanic has seen the same DW problem (track bar)on Corvettes.

Howard