Jeep Death Wobble ???? Jeep Guru's Wanted !!!
 

My son has a 2004 Jeep Wrangler with a 4.5" Fab Tech Lift , 2" Body Lift,37" MT (for the woods) and 35" BFG AT's (for the street) and it has SERIOUS "Death Wobble". We have changed just about everything to try and get this out along with longer track bars, steering stabalizers, allignments after allignments, balance after balance.... Anyone ever had this problem and how did you fix it? I'm getting ready to cut the suspension out from the frame and change it all to big hardware !!! Thanks, Dave

I have been down that road. What track bar and steering stabilizer is he running? Stock steering setup? What are the specs on the alignment? A little extra toe in sometimes helps.

I am assuming it is still a short arm suspension correct? If so, you will not regret going long arm. It will ride, drive and flex SOOO much better than the short arms and I havn't had a hint of death wobble since going that route.
Chad

Hey Chad, Yes it's a short arm with the fab-tech stabilizer. I'll dig up the allignment specs. It seems if he runs weight in the rear of the jeep , it goes away (probably from pulling the camber in) but in all adjustments it will not go away !!! Stock steering also. Dave

I would think you would get a lot of info from a lot of different people on an offroading forum (not trying to be a smartazz)

Yep, You're being a smartazz alright. Why post on this if you were not being. Dave:mad:

Check these forums out these guys might be able to help and might have a sticky with it. www.pirate4x4.com www.4x4wire.com hope these might ya any

Thanks JP. My son goes on Pirate 4X4 all the time, I think by (Wheels). Thanks again, Dave

I have experience the "death wobble" on one vehicle in all my years of doing this. Of all vehicles to have it happen it was a brand new 2007 F-250. All we did was put a 4" Rancho Lift on it. Until one experiences this scenerio words cannot explain the feeling when it happens. We spent two weeks doing EVERYTHING known to man. Ended up being a bad BFG ATKO tire.

Food for thought....

Buck

Hey Buck, BFG's had a bad run of tires about 3 years ago. Mostly with 33's and 35's where they were hard to balance. The "Death Wobble" is fairly common on lifted YJ's. Some do it, some don't. Nobody has the ultimate cure other than just start changing things. I have been lifting vehicles for well over 25 years and I am pulling my hair out on this one. I'm just going to cut everything out and replace with bigger and better. Thanks, Dave

Are the wheels aftermarket?Ive seen this happen when the wheels are switched.Sometimes the new wheels arnt hub centric and use the lug nuts to center the wheel,othertimes just the other way,the wheels should center on the hub and they dont!Ive have also seen retaining washers on usualy two lug studs,these washers are sort of a clip that are put on at the factory during instulation so the rotors or drums dont slide off.The stock wheel has space to accept this but most aftermarket wheels,mainly aluminum dont,this causes the wheel to not sit flush on the hub and will cause a wobble.
hope this helps